E-Gilas falls to Australia in FIBA Esports Open II opener

Australia flashed its dominance over the Philippines with a convincing 70-53 victory in the opener of the FIBA Esports Open II Southeast Asia/Oceania conference on Saturday, November 14.

Point guard Benjamin “Waruk” Clobas led the way for Australia with 26 points, while center Max “Squoogs” Ellwood dominated the paint and chipped in 24 points as E-Gilas Pilipinas had a difficult time defending the E-Boomers’ all-around play.

Leading by only 6 points at halftime, 34-28, Australia shifted to high gear and outscored the Philippines, 36-25, in the final two quarters to notch its first win.

Point guard Aljon “Shintarou” Cruzin topscored for E-Gilas Pilipinas with 22 points on 6-of-9 shooting from downtown, but his production was not enough to lead his team to a victory.

Rial “Rial” Polog and Philippe “IzzoIV” Herrero IV added 13 and 10 points, respectively, while Clark “Clark” Banzon and Custer “Custer” Galas conjoined for 8 points in the loss.

All games are played in the ProAm mode of the NBA 2K21 with five-minute quarters. – Martin Mendoza/Rappler.com