The win ended a four-game slump for the Elasto Painters.
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters playmaker Anton Asistio launched a 3-pointer from way out off an Ange Kouame screen on top of the key. It was nothing but net.
A couple of possessions later, Asistio drove right, drew a couple of defenders, and dumped the rock to an open Kouame for an easy basket, 95-88, with 41.5 ticks to go
Those plays pretty much sealed Rain or Shine’s 98-90 win in second overtime over Iran—its first in the 42nd Williams Jones Cup at the Taipei Heping Gymnasium in Taiwan.
More importantly, the victory put an end to the woes of the Elasto Painters, who dropped their first four games in the invitational tournament.
Probably frustrated as losses piled up for the team, the Elasto Painters raced off to a 12-2 start and were in control until the final five minutes of regulation.
After Nick Evans made it a 14-point advantage for Rain or Shine with 5:40 remaining in the fourth frame, the Iranians went on a 16-2 spurt to force an overtime.
Ange Kouame went to work in the extra period, but he botched 3-of-4 shots from the foul line that proved costly in the end as Santi Santillan also missed one free throw that could have ended it the affair.
Refusing to give each other an inch, the two teams traded barbs at the onset of the second overtime before Asistio and Kouame’s 1-2 punch ultimately salvaged the Elasto Painters from the jaws of defeat.
Kouame paced the team with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Andrei Caracut pitched in 19 markers, while Santillan and Asistio scored 17 and 9, respectively.
Rain or Shine still has Anyang KGC, Japan U-22, and University of California, Irvine in its calendar.
(GM)