U21 Press Release
Cubs lose to Poland, 124-119
The Pilipinas Cubs lost to the Polish U21 squad, 124-119.
Team Pilipinas almost pulled the improbable: Coming back from a 17-point deficit entering the fourth quarter, before running out of time. “We have to give our boys credit, we scored 46 points in the final 12 minutes… If only we didn’t have to do that though, but that’s how the game is,” coach Jeorge said after the game. The Cubs improved their shooting from the three-point line in this game, converting 15 shots of 33 attempts.
The loss to Poland puts the Cubs in a tight situation: Argentina and The Philippines have the same win-loss record, but the Cubs are ranked lower because of the point differential. Both teams will face 1 higher seeded team (Argentina vs Italy, and The Philippines vs Spain) and South Africa. A Cubs loss to Spain, coupled with an Argentina upset against Italy, means the U21 team will be sent home. Also, the Cubs need to have a larger winning margin than Argentina, when facing South Africa. “Basically, not only should we match Argentina’s win-loss record, but we must make sure we get a net point differential of at least 10 points, for us to advance in the next round,” the team spokesperson said, when asked to comment on the matter.