FIBA World U-17: Gallant Batang Gilas falls to hot-shooting Greece

The Philippine national youth team dropped its second straight assignment in the 2014 FIBA World Under-17 Championship on Saturday, yielding an 85-65 result to Greece in Dubai.

Batang Gilas tried to stay within striking distance after being down by just eight points, 25-17, after the first period.

But Greece ruled the next two quarters, holding the Philippines to just nine and seven points, respectively, in the second and third periods. That gave Greece a 30-point bubble, 63-33, at the end of the third quarter.

Despite the insurmountable deficit, Batang Gilas kept fighting in the fourth quarter to try to cut down the margin to a more respectable number.

Antonis Pefanis scored 26 points to lead Greece, which nailed its first win in the tournament after losing to the United States on opening day.

For the second straight game, sharpshooter Jolo Mendoza led the Philippines in scoring, finishing with 19 points. — JST, GMA News