Nervous Greece happy about opening win, Philippines eagerly await Edu status

HERAKLION (Greece) - There was a major mix of emotions for the two teams in the final game of the Day 1 at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2019 as hosts Greece were pleased to have overcome some early jitters to knock off the Philippines 85-69 while the losing side was anxiously awaiting an injury update of one of its top stars.

Greece fell behind by as many as 10 points in the first quarter before taking over in the final 12 minutes for a comfortable win in Group C.

"It’s the first game of the tournament. I think it was obvious that we were a bit nervous in the beginning. We didn’t feel safe during the game," Greece coach Ioannis Kastritis said. "It’s important that we got our first win in the tournament, and let’s keep going for the next days."

The coach said he expects the home fans in Heraklion to be a big help over the course of the tournament.

"It’s exciting. Day by day our players will feel more comfortable with this atmosphere. And I believe they will help us a lot," Kastritis added.

His Philippines counterpart Sandy Arespacochaga meanwhile put on a brave face after his team suffered a tough loss in their first U19 World Cup game in 40 years.

"We gave it our best but some details, especially on defense, we gave up too many offensive rebounds. We fouled too much and sent them to the line. It’s a tough loss. Hopefully we can recover and learn from this game and be better than this game," the coach said.

“IT'S TOUGH BECAUSE (AJ EDU) IS OUR DEFENSIVE ANCHOR. RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST HOPING THAT HE'S OKAY. HOPEFULLY THE MRI IS OKAY. RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST PRAYING FOR GOOD RESULTS.”- Arespacochaga

Much of the focus in Philippines camp now is centered on the health of AJ Edu. The big man went tumbling to the floor just 2:02 minutes into the game with what looked like a twisted knee. He had to be helped off the court by his teammates and did not return.

"It’s tough because he’s our defensive anchor. Right now we’re just hoping that he’s okay. Hopefully the MRI is okay. Right now we’re just praying for good results," Arespacochaga said.

The coach also addressed those who call this group of players the best the country has ever produced, saying: "Some say we are the best Philippines team for this age group but we are up against the best of the world so having the chance to play here is a big honor already."

The coach said he is not overly concerned per se about results in Heraklion but how the team represents its faithful back home.

"The pressure is not on the results but how we play and perform and make our continent proud. Hopefully we will bounce back and have a better game next game," Arespacochaga said.

Philippines return to the court on Day 2 against Argentina while Greece look to make it two for two against Russia.

FIBA