Jones Cup: Gilas 5 nips Taiwan for 3rd triumph

HSINCHUANG City – Marcus Douthit asserted his presence inside and towed Smart Gilas-Pilipinas to a thrilling 96-93 overtime win over host Chinese-Taipei late Sunday night in the 32nd William Jones Cup at the Hsinchuang Gymnasium in Taipei County here. The 6-foot-10 American topscored for the national team aspirants with 33 big points, including a jumper and a split from the foul line, that gave the team a 95-91 lead with 5.9 second to play in the extra period. Cheered on by a large crowd, the Taiwanese threatened for the last time at 95-93 on Lee Hsueh-Lin’s basket. But the national team hopefuls preserved the win as Chris Tiu hit a free throw and then JV Casio stole the ball in Chinese-Taipei’s final possession to seal the win for the Filipinos, who are also being supported by GMA Pinoy TV. Regulation ended at 80-80 as Chen Shun-Hsia tied the game in the final 5.6 seconds. The Filipinos notched their third win – and second in a row - in four outings and will next play Japan on Monday. They cap their campaign in the tournament honoring the former FIBA secretary-general (Williams Jones) with a game against Asian power Lebanon on Tuesday. Chinese-Taipei lost for the third straight time after winning its first two outings. The teams that emerged with the best record at the end of the meet will emerge champion. – RCJ, GMANews.TV