AS SALT, AMMAN (Jordan) - New Zealand will be entering the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024 Quarter-Finals with an unblemished slate following their 75-58 victory over the Philippines on Wednesday evening at the Arena Complex.
The Junior Tall Blacks jumped to a 17-6 lead to open the ball game but it wasn't until the following quarter where they would break the game wide open en route to finishing as the no. 1 seed of Group D with a pristine 3-0 record.
The rout also enabled the crew to reach the Quarters for the second time, having done so in their first foray in 2018 where they eventually went to the Final.
Carter Hopoi shone brightly in the conquest by finishing with a huge double-double of 23 points and 16 rebounds with 4 blocks, netting an efficiency of 29.
Tama Isaac finished with 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Kahu Treacher added 11 points and 4 blocks as the usual suspects came through again.
New Zealand wasted the Herculean effort of Earl Medina in lifting the Filipino dribblers, as he finished with a game-high 30 points on 27 EFF in a losing effort.
It was the most points by a Philippines player in the U18 Asia Cup since Kiefer Ravena dropped 37 points in a 91-86 win over Japan back in 2010 in Yemen.
Mark Esperanza backed him up with 14 points for Gilas, who showed some signs of life late in the game when it got to within a baker's dozen, 69-56, only for Hopoi and Isaac to arrest that mini run by scoring four straight to restore order.
Jordan, on the other hand, finished as the second seed of the pool following a come-from-behind 82-59 victory over Indonesia for win no. 2 of the tournament.
The young Falcons saw themselves on the losing end of Timnas' hot 24-11 start, but with the help of the supportive home crowd at the Prince Hamza Hall, gradually chipped away the deficit before opening the floodgates in the final period.
Saif Al-Deen Saleh gave them the 41-40 lead with less than six minutes to go in the third, before the troika of Rawhi Kelani, Sanad Ghazal, and Hadi Alshammi came through for the pivotal run that gave them a 61-49 lead after the said stanza.
Shortly after, it became a lopsided affair in the hosts' favor, with Ahmad Ababneh pushing their lead to its highest at 26 with a jumper inside the last two minutes.
A total of five players finished in double figures for the Jordanians, with Saleh leading the way once again with 15 points and 10 rebounds for 20 EFF.
Altayyeb Kassem scored 15 as well alongside 6 rebounds. Kilani and Ghazal made 13 each, with the former adding 6 rebounds and 9 assists to his line. Alshammi added 10 as the crew are bound for the Qualification for Quarter-Finals with a 2-1 card.
Justin Patrick Alex, meanwhile, had a game-high 19 points to lead Indonesia, who concluded their campaign winless in three outings.
FIBA