Gilas crushes Kazakhstan to keep Asiad gold hope alive

MANILA – Gilas Pilipinas leaned on Jerrick Ahanmisi and Robert Bolick to crush Kazakhstan, 109-78, and make it to the win column of the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan on Saturday night.

Bolick, who turns 31 Sunday, scored 13 of his 20 points in the first half, before Ahanmisi sustained the effort in the second half by firing 19 of his game-high 22 points at Aichi International Arena.

The Philippines shot 55 percent from three-point range (16-of-29), with Bolick going 4-of-6 and Ahanmisi 7-of-11.

Bolick redeemed himself after being held scoreless behind a 0-for-5 shooting from the floor in their 85-89 loss to Bahrain at the start of their title-retention bid Friday afternoon.

Calvin Oftana again scored in double figures with 12 points and Filipino-American guard Sedrick Barefield also atoned for a scoreless Asiad debut by adding 11 points.

The win evened Gilas’ record to 1-1 heading to its final Group C assignment against China on Monday.

The reigning champion’s 31-point winning margin could serve as a huge advantage in its quest for a quarterfinals berth if the point differential will be applied.

China dumped Bahrain, 105-59, for its second win and the first quarterfinal berth in Group C.

Bahrain is tied with the Philippines at 1-1 while Kazakhstan is out of the race at 0-2.

The top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed teams will advance to the next round.

Zavier Lucero fell a rebound short of a double-double for Gilas with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Adrian Nocum hardly showed the effects of the sprained ankle he sustained late in the match against Bahrain as he finished with four points, three assists and a rebound in 15 minutes of action.

The scores:

PHILIPPINES 109 – Ahanmisi 22, Bolick 20, Oftana 12, Barefield 11, Lucero 10, Abarrientos 6, Arana 6, Baltazar 6, Trollano 5, Nocum 4, Ganuelas-Rosser 4, Bates 3.

KAZAKHSTAN 78 – Bykov 15, Marat 12, Maydekin 12, Neff 11, Rabchenyuk 9, Murzagaliyev 8, Fedchenko 7, Ivanov 2, Sakhipov 2, Severgin 0, Marchuk 0, Kuanov 0.

Quarters: 18-15; 50-37; 82-66; 109-78 (PBA Media/PNA)