‘Got to be better’: Dwight Ramos eyes bounce back against Australia after cold shooting

MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas star Dwight Ramos admitted he simply has to be better as the Philippines looks to move past its narrow loss to New Zealand in the second window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. 

Despite scoring a game-high 16 points, Ramos wished he could’ve done more for the Filipinos after they fell to 2-1 in Group A following the tight 69-66 defeat at the hands of the Tall Blacks at the packed Mall of Asia Arena on Thursday, February 26.

“Right now, all I can think about is my mistakes. I feel bad, but we got to move on to the next game,” Ramos told reporters after the game as the Philippines gears up for Australia next.

Struggling to find his rhythm offensively all night long, Ramos came alive late in the contest, dropping 5 points in the final minute to keep Gilas Pilipinas within striking distance after the team trailed by as many as 9 points with under three minutes to play. 

After a split by New Zealand’s Reuben Te Rangi at the line in the dying seconds, Ramos even had the opportunity to send the game into overtime, but his three-point heave from near half court failed to hit the mark as time expired. 

“I was trying to bank it in, but it just didn’t fall. But it’s not just about that shot, I missed a lot of other shots, I just got to be better, honestly,” said Ramos.

Overall, Ramos shot just 6-of-21 from the field, including a 1-of-10 clip from beyond the arc, to go with his 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals.

For Ramos, it was all about staying aggressive despite his cold shooting as the Tall Blacks managed to put the clamps on Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player Justin Brownlee.

Brownlee, who averaged 21 points for the Philippines in the opening window, was held to just 4 points on 2-of-10 shooting by New Zealand’s stifling defense. 

“I just try to stay aggressive because, obviously, a lot of the focus is on [Brownlee]. If you just watch him and expect him to do everything, it’s a lot of load on him, so everyone’s got to be aggressive and play their part,” said Ramos.

“I just tried to do mine, but I wasn’t the best today. I have to be better moving forward.”

As Gilas Pilipinas wraps up its two-game homestand on Sunday, March 1, Ramos hopes the Filipinos avoid making the same mistakes as they go up against Australia, which is ranked sixth in the world. 

The Boomers remain undefeated in Group A at 3-0 after defeating Guam, 93-80, on Thursday. 

“We’re going to try to learn from this game” said Ramos. “It was a close game, obviously there’s a lot to learn because every possession counts, so we’re going to check over the mistakes and learn from them.” –Rappler.com