The Batang Gilas got off to a slow start and paid dearly for it as they got beaten by Egypt 67-92 in the classification phase of the FIBA Under-17 World Championship last Friday at the Al-Ahli Gym in Dubai.
The Batang Gilas just could not get anything going while Egypt waxed hot in the first 10 minutes of action.
That combination led to a 19-32 deficit which the Batang Gilas could not overcome until the final buzzer.
The loss placed the Nationals in danger of finishing dead last in the tournament. The defeat was their sixth straight loss in the 16-nation competition.
Ahmed Khalaf led Egypt with 19 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks.
Mike Nieto led the Philippines with 20 points and six boards while Jollo Go had 17 markers.
The Philippines needs to defeat the United Arab Emirates in its next game in order to avoid the bottom spot.
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