By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Gilas Pilipinas young cadets proved their place as members of the national team as they impressed in their 100-70 dominating victory against Indonesia in the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers.
With five amateur players included in the 12-man lineup of Gilas, the mix of young guns and veteran players meshed well after battling the Indonesian squad on their home floor in Jakarta.
King Eagle Thirdy Ravena shone the most after putting up a staggering 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks performance including an insane personal scoring rally of his own in the third frame.
In a game where the Indonesians thought they had the momentum after cutting the deficit to just 4, 51-55, Ravena put out Indonesia’s fire after scoring five straight points in his 13-point third quarter.
Ravena’s defensive presence was also a key factor after swatting two shots away while communicating magnificently during switches with his teammates.
Meanwhile, the other youngsters from the promising pool in Juan Gomez de Liaño and Dwight Ramos had an efficient night as well.
Juan GDL showed his scoring prowess in front of a hostile crowd with 10 huge points while Ateneo’s versatile forward Ramos filled the stats with 5 points, 5 boards, and 2 steals.
