MANILA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - Gabe Norwood has not played home-and-away games since his university days but he is relishing taking part in those clashes again in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers.

"The home and away aspect was a new dynamic, which was interesting," he said.

Norwood returned to the Gilas Pilipinas roster for the 10th time this year, starting at small forward and serving as the team's main defensive stopper at the wings. The 6ft 5in (1.94m) Filipino-American veteran was rock solid in the Philippines' two games in the first window, putting up 10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals against Japan in their opener before tallying 5 points, 6 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals in a tight win over Chinese Taipei at home.

Playing in Japan on November 24 and then returning to Manila to host Chinese Taipei was the kind of experience the 32-year-old had not been through since playing for George Mason University in the US NCAA.

Norwood currently plies his trade for the Rain or Shine Elasto-Painters in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), which is one of very few leagues around the world that do not have teams based in different cities. The first window gave Norwood and the rest of Gilas Pilipinas a glimpse of the kinds of adjustments they would have to make for years to come in the new competition system.

"It was really a test of mental strength - to travel and compete then turn around and do it again days later," he explained.

The highlight for Norwood, not surprisingly, was playing in front of rabid Filipino hoop nuts at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, where more than 10,000 home fans witnessed their national team notch their first home victory in the Qualifiers.

The cheers and thunderous applause from the crowd motivated Norwood and his teammates, but on a deeper level, it served as a unifying factor for the Gilas Pilipinas players. It gave them an important rallying point, and it served as a prime opportunity to continue deepening the roots of the game of basketball in the country.

"Naturally, it (the new system) provides more opportunities to perform in front of your home crowd," Norwood said. "That in itself will unify us on and off the court to move the sport forward in the country."

FIBA