ROS-PH fails to sustain Jones Cup winning momentum, bows to Korea in rout
MANILA, Philippines – Rain or Shine’s long-awaited winning run in the 2023 William Jones Cup proved to be short-lived, as the Philippine side dropped its fifth game of the pocket tournament to South Korea, 87-77, in Taipei, Taiwan on Thursday, August 17.
Although the final score somewhat masked the rout that took place thanks to a pair of last-gasp Andrei Caracut threes, the Anyang KGC-boosted Korean side nonetheless flexed its might over the hapless Filipino squad, with Ji Hoon Park leading the way with 25 points in just 23 minutes.
Going through the Jones Cup gauntlet without Filipino import Rhenz Abando, Anyang still threw plenty of weapons at Rain or Shine’s way, as American reinforcement Du’Vaughn Maxwell and Joon Won Jung backstopped Park with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Including his last two long bombs, Caracut paced the losing cause with 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three, while naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame chipped in 15 points and 13 rebounds, 7 coming from the offensive side.
Santi Santillan added 10 points and 3 boards on a team-high 27-minute run, while import Nick Evans scored 9 in just 14 minutes of play.
The Elasto Painters get a much-needed break after six straight game days on Friday, August 18, before trying to end their campaign on a high note with two final assignments against fellow cellar-dweller Japan and undefeated USA. – Rappler.com