Taking on some of his PBA teammates at Gilas Pilipinas, Jericho Cruz dropped 27 points for Guam in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
Jericho Cruz balled out like he always does at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym Monday for the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Though he was rocking Guam threads, Cruz said going up against rivals Scottie Thompson and Chris Newsome over at the side of Gilas Pilipinas is like playing in the PBA.
“For me it’s pretty much the same. It’s just we had different teammates,” he said when asked if there’s any difference in competing against the likes of Thompson and Newsome in a FIBA-sanctioned competition.
“When it comes to the court, it’s war time for me. I got to roll with my boys which are the Guam boys.”
[RELATED STORY: Japeth Aguilar is retired from Gilas Pilipinas, but Tim Cone would call him if needed]
The same can be said about the burly guard’s San Miguel teammates June Mar Fajardo and Cjay Perez.
“Same with Cjay. Every time I play with Cjay, June Mar, [it’s just] like how we practice. But when it comes to game time, it’s war for me,” he said.
"But at the end of the day, I respect those guys."
Respect was evident, as the reigning PBA Philippine Cup Finals MVP poured 27 points for Guam, making things interesting for the higher-ranked Gilas team.
[ALSO READ: Japeth Aguilar cherishes friendship with Gilas Pilipinas buddy June Mar Fajardo]
Though trailing the entire way, Cruz powered Guam’s offense and they were able to come within nine in the second half.
But the Philippines just proved too much and came through with a 95-71 home win to sweep Guam in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
“We don’t have the same group as Gilas but we did our best. We tried our best. Hopefully the next windows we’ll do good,” Cruz said.
—
Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.