IT WAS sweet revenge for Gilas Pilipinas.

The Philippines came through with a resounding 75-63 victory over Senegal in the 2023 Heyuan WUS International

Basketball Tournament at the Heyuan Sport Gymnasium in Guangdong, China over the weekend.

The win avenged the Filipinos’ 64-72 setback at the hands of the same Senegalese team ranked No. 37 in the world.

Unlike in their previous game, there were a lot of heroes for the Chot Reyes-mentored Filipino team this time

AJ Edu and CJ Perez played crucial roles in the first half, keeping the Filipino team competitive.

Dwight Ramos and Ray Parks took over in the second half where the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas-backed national team demonstrated its true strength and took control with a telling 17-3 scoring run.

The Filipinos’ stifling defense resulted in a second victory in three games in the three-team pocket tournament held as part of their preparations for the FIBA World Cup 2023 scheduled later this month.

Edu was the top gunner for Gilas with 15 points. He made three crucial three-pointers, including one game-clinching shot that gave the Filipinos a comfortable 10-point lead, 70-60, with less than two minutes remaining.

Perez showcased his offensive skills impressively with 14 points, Ramos added 12 points, eight rebounds, and two assists and June Mar Fajardo chipped in 11 points.

Parks did his share as he scored all eight of his points during this period.

“As you can see, we’re playing everyone. It’s really because we want to take a look at various combinations,” Reyes told One Sports’ Carlo Pamintuan.

“The way the guys are playing and [considering] the effort they’re putting on the floor, it’s making it extremely hard for us to make those decisions,” he added.

Gilas Pilipinas is set to play its final game in Heyuan against Iran.

Jean Boissy emerged as the lone double-digit scorer for Senegal, as he contributed 16 points to his team’s total.

The scores:

Philippines (75) – Edu 15, Perez 14, Ramos 12, Fajardo 11, Parks 8, Newsome 4, Abando 3, Pogoy 3, Ravena K. 3, Aguilar 2, Oftana 0, Malonzo 0, Ravena T. 0.
Senegal (63) – Boissy 16, Ndoye 9, Badio 8, Sambe 6, Camara 6, Diop 5,
Sylla 5, Faye 3, Ndiaye 3, Fall 2.
Quarterscores: 16-17, 36-39, 47-53, 75-63.