The Philippines had to fend off a gritty opponent in Indonesia before going away with a 76-51 win.
Indonesia’s game plan was to slow down the tempo and limit possessions which they did well from the start. The score at halftime was only 30-22, which meant that Indonesia was still within range of pulling off an upset.
The second half started with Indonesia closing in to as close as 5 points, but the Philippines picked up the pace from there as they applied pressure on the Indonesia guards.
The Philippines forced Indonesia into making 17 turnovers, while also limiting their shooting to only 31.5 percent from the field.
Coach Tab Baldwin’s squad also had issues scoring efficiently but made up for it with their hustle. The Philippines nearly doubled Indonesia’s total on the boards with 58 rebounds to 31.
The big men enjoyed the bulk of the scoring for the Philippines with Justine Baltazar and Ange Kuoame recording 11 points each to lead the team.
Lester Prosper was the main man for Indonesia once again with 22 points.
The Philippines have already secured Asia Cup qualification and now have an undefeated 5-0 record heading into their rematch against Korea. Indonesia drops to 1-4 and will later face Thailand. (FIBA)