Kouame saves best for last as Gilas ascends to Asiad basketball throne
MANILA, Philippines – When it mattered the most, Gilas Pilipinas’ Ange Kouame delivered.
Going up against a strong offensive rebounding team in Jordan in their Asian Games finale Friday night, the seven-foot-tall Kouame provided the necessary inside presence.
He ended up stuffing the stats sheet with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five steals and two blocks.
The team-high 11 rebounds Kouame hauled down were his most in the tournament, while his 14 points were his second-most behind his 15 against Bahrain.
He also grabbed four offensive rebounds and recorded a +8 in the game.
The two teams both recorded 54 boards. But Gilas collected 36 defensive rebounds compared to 29 by Jordan and also dominated the offensive glass 25 to 18.
"Everyone came together and that was a great team effort," said Kouame.
Meanwhile, the former Ateneo Blue Eagle also scored when needed.
With the Nationals’ lead going down to just six, 56-50, with 6:22 remaining, Kouame dumped eight points at a crucial stretch for Gilas.
First, he hit a timely basket to push the Philippines’ lead to eight, 58-50.
After a free throw by Ahmad Al Dwairi to cut the lead to seven, 60-53, the big man sank a pair of free throws to give them a nine-point lead once again.
Following a pair of charities by Ahmad Alhamarsheh with less than two minutes remaining, Kouame cashed in a massive putback with 1:45 left to keep Jordan at bay.
As Al Dwairi tried to intentionally miss a free throw with Jordan trailing by seven, 59-66, in the last 15 seconds, the center secured the defensive rebound and was fouled.
He calmly sank the pair of freebies, sealing the golden victory for Gilas.
It is a historic win for the Philippines, which broke its 61-year gold medal drought in the Asiad.
"It means a lot after all these years, and that's bigger than all of us," added Kouame.
Gilas’ gold is the country’s fourth in the 19th edition of the Games. – With a report from AFP
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