MANILA -- Gilas Pilipinas failed to sustain their two-game winning streak as they faltered against a Lithuania-select team, 90-80, on Tuesday in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Justin Brownlee led the national team with 20 points, seven rebounds, four blocks, and two assists, but Gilas’ slow start hindered the team from moving past the eight-man Lithuanian team.

Aiding him was Ginebra’s Jamie Malonzo who scored 14 points, nine rebounds, six steals, and two assists, while Junemar Fajardo put up 13. This was also the first time Ateneo’s Ange Kouame joined the team for their build-up, putting up four markers in 6:36 minutes of action.

After facing a 36-19 deficit at the end of the opening frame, Gilas cut the lead to 11, 56-45, at the half, after outscoring the Lithuanians, 26-20, in the second quarter.

But Lithuania’s 12 three-pointers were just too much for the Philippines as they failed to close in on their opponents in the second half.

Leading Lithuania was Tomas Zdanavicius who finished with 25 markers on 6-out-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc, alongside seven boards and four dimes.

One thing to look forward to for Gilas though is their good assist-to-turnover ratio, with the Filipinos putting up 21 team assists while only committing nine turnovers, as this can be crucial once they compete in the actual FIBA World Cup in August.

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