The Gilas Pilipinas Boys suffered a 62-56 defeat at the hands of the host team on Tuesday, September 3, in the 2024 FIBA U18 Asia Cup in Jordan.
Only Mark Esperanza, who finished with 14 points, registered double-digits in the first loss of the Philippines in the tournament.
The Filipinos managed to keep up with Jordan throughout the first-half, and even had the lead before Hamzah Shaaban buried a three-point basket for the hosts to go up, 36-34, at the end of the second period.
A three-point play by Saif Al-Deen Saleh allowed Jordan to grab a 12-point lead, 52-40, in the final period.
The Filipinos managed to cut the deficit down to three, 55-52, before Hadi Ammar Alshami made back-to-back baskets for Jordan to stop the bleeding.
Al-Deen Saleh finished with 14 points, while Rawhi Zeid Rawhi Zeid Kilani added 13 points for Jordan, which now has a 1-1 win-loss record.
Filipinos will seek to make a comeback when they face New Zealand, which emerged victorius in their first two games, on Wednesday, September 4.
