MANILA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - It took longer than they wanted, but the Philippines rediscovered their form just in time to bounce back and beat Qatar at home.

The visiting Al Annabi started like a house on fire, hitting one three-pointer after another in a searing first quarter run that helped them lead by as many as 17 points in the first half. The hosts finally righted the ship in the third quarter, outscoring Qatar, 28-12, thanks to some forced turnovers and snappier execution.

Qatar fell into a slew of errors in the second half, and the law of averages eventually caught up with them as their outside shooting went cold. The Filipinos took full advantage of this and proceeded with the double-digit win, 92-81.

Japeth Aguilar sizzled with 16 points and 9 rebounds to lead the way for the victors, while Alex Cabagnot added 16 points of his own. Beau Belga stepped up with 11 points and 3 blocks even as naturalized floor general Stanley Pringle finally made his FIBA Asia debut with 13 points and 6 boards.

Mohd Yousuf Mohammed was Qatar's most productive player with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

The Philippines move up to 5 wins and 3 losses - one full game ahead of Japan for third place in Group E, while Qatar remain at the bottom with their sixth defeat against just 2 wins.

The Philippines next face Kazakhstan also at home on 30 November in the fifth window of the Asian Qualifiers, while Qatar have another road game against Japan also on the same date.

FIBA