Despite going 6-for-21 from the field, Dwight Ramos ended up topscoring for Gilas Pilipinas in their match against New Zealand in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Dwight Ramos could not help but feel responsible after Gilas Pilipinas failed to complete a comeback against New Zealand, 66-69, in their FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Thursday night, Feb. 26.
While he put up a nonchalant front moments after muffing his last-second heave from halfcourt, Ramos admitted he could not stop thinking about the miss.
“I was trying to bank it in, and it just didn't fall,” said Ramos, whose shot could have sent the game into overtime, during an interview at the mixed zone at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Despite his struggles, Dwight Ramos still topscores for Gilas in its match against New Zealand. | Photo: RM Chua/One Sports
What really got to him, though, was his sloppy play at the onset.
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Like naturalized Filipino Justin Brownlee, Ramos appeared tentative and failed to hit his mark early.
The crowd darling actually got it going only in the fourth period, where he helped bring the team back from 11 points down.
His five points inside the final minute, including a booming three off a broken play, got Gilas to within two, 66-68, with eight ticks left to play.
[RELATED STORY: Cjay Perez, Gilas move on from loss to NZ, brace for Australia in FIBA WC Qualifiers]
Reuben Te Rangi split his shots from the free throw line after that, before Ramos’ missed his three-point attempt.
Still, Ramos wound up with a team-high 16 points from a 6-for-21 clip from the field. He also had eight rebounds, an assist and two steals.
“It's kind of tough because I miss a lot of shots all the time. I missed the last shot, and I feel bad. I wish I were better today,” said Ramos.
"Right now, all I can think about is my mistakes. I feel bad, but we've got to move on to the next game.”
[WATCH: Gilas stumbles vs New Zealand in FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers]
Ramos and the rest of Gilas will look to bounce back when they share the court with Australia Sunday, March 1, at the same venue.
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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.