Game Today
12:15 a.m. – New Zealand vs Batang Gilas
Seven-foot-one Kai Zachary Sotto scored 28 points and pulled down 17 rebounds as Batang Gilas scored its first victory at the expense of perennial African contender Egypt, 70-69, yesterday in the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup at the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional in Santa Fe, Argentina.
After dropping their first five matches, including a 95-59 decision to reigning African Under-16 champion Mali at the start of the classification phase last Saturday, the Nationals held off the Egyptians through Sotto’s four crucial free throws that gave them a 70-66 cushion with eight seconds left.
A quick triple by Mazen Ibrahim pegged the final score.
The Nationals, already assured of surpassing their 15th place showing in the 2014 edition held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will wind up their campaign against Asian Under-16 bronze medalist New Zealand in the battle for 13th place today.
Gerry Abadiano came back to life with 15 points while big man Raven Cortez, inserted back to the starting lineup in lieu of Carl Tamayo, finished with 10 points, the same output of Ateneo guard Forthsky Padrigao, for the Nationals who got off to a rousing start and led by as many as 20 in the first half.
The Scores: (Jerome Lagunzad)
BATANG GILAS 70 – Sotto 28, Abadiano 15, Padrigao 10, Cortez 10, Calimag 5, Chiu 2, Fortea 0, Guadana 0, Pascual 0, Andrada 0, Lazaro 0.
EGYPT 69 – Khalifa 17, Elmadawy 12, Morsy 11, Ibrahim 7, Noureldin 7, Hassan 7, Mahmoud 3, Mohamed 3, Lehitta 2, Helmy 0, Saed 0, Hanafi 0.
Quarters: 17-8, 41-26, 55-50, 70-69.
