FIBA World U-17: Underdog Batang Gilas loses game, but wins Team USA's admiration in blowout

 

The Philippine national youth team suffered a 124-64 beatdown at the hands of the United States in the FIBA World Under-17 Championship on Monday in Dubai.

 

A big key was the height difference; US players had an average height of 6-foot-8, seven inches taller than Batang Gilas' 6-foot-1 average.

 

But to hear top Team USA players tell it, the game was not quite as easy as the game suggests.

 

"Oh they're tough, they're really tough," said USA forward Terrence Ferguson in an interview with the USA Basketball website.

 

"I even talked to them after the game and told them they were probably the toughest team we played against. They’re always on. They’re running full speed the whole game. I don’t think they get tired, I really don’t think so."

 

Tyus Battle expressed admiration for the effort of the overmatched Batang Gilas side.

 

"They played really hard. They have some really good guards. I was just impressed at how hard they played. They were diving on the floor, tapping the ball back out, fighting for loose balls, they played really hard," said Battle.

US coach Don Showalter echoed his players' assessment.

 

"If they had a big man, they’d be a much better team from a rebounding standpoint," he said of the Philippines. "Obviously our size was too much for them."

 

The Philippines is yet to win in the tournament after also dropping their preliminary round assignments against Angola and Greece. Batang Gilas again faces long odds in the knockout rounds as it takes on France, which grabbed the top seed in Group B.

 

For the Philippine team, however, qualifying for the world stage after winning silver in the Asian championship last year. While they have no victories to show, the teenagers have certainly won the respect of their opponents.

 

"If they had a couple more inches, it would have been a great game," said Ferguson. — JST, GMA News