MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas youth had victory within reach but ended up losing to New Zealand, 76-70, in the battle for 13th place in the FIBA U19 World Cup last night at the Heraklion University Hall in Greece.
After trailing most of the way, the Nationals gained ground in the final canto to steal the lead, 70-67, off Dave Ildefonso’s freebies in the last 1:28.
But the Tall Blacks refused to fold as Oscar Oswald hit a booming triple to tie the game at 70-all.
That ignited NZ’s 9-0 closeout as it capitalized on the Philippines’ missed possession one after another to secure 13th place in this 16-team tournament for under-19 cagers.
Flynn Cameron, who scored the last six points for the Tall Blacks, finished with a game-high 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and a steal.
The Filipinos finished in 14th place with a 1-6 record, their only win coming at the expense of China.