Gilas forward Carl Tamayo. FIBA.basketball

MANILA, Philippines -- Gilas Pilipinas big man Carl Tamayo believes that all is not lost for the Philippines despite a disappointing start to their campaign in the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup.

The Philippines couldn't sustain a strong start and struggled defensively in a 95-80 loss to Lebanon, Wednesday night in Jakarta, Indonesia. They trailed by as much as 22 points in the game, with a scoring flurry in the fourth quarter falling short.

"I think it was too late when we were doing the right things," said Tamayo, who scored 10 of his 15 points in the final period to fuel Gilas' last-ditch rally.

"When we're down by 20 in this kind of game, it's kind of hard to cope up with that kind of a lead," he admitted.

The University of the Philippines forward showed no quit, serving as the spark for Gilas in the fourth quarter as he helped the team cut the lead down to nine points. The young forward also added six rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and a steal to his stat line while playing nearly 25 minutes.

But they ran out of time to complete the rally, and a poor stretch defensively in the second quarter cost them the game.

"I think we have to improve our composure, especially when the pressure is coming to us," said Tamayo. "We're a young team, and those are the things we need to learn and adjust."

Gilas will play again on Friday against India, with a win keeping them in contention for the knockout phase.

Tamayo vowed that the Filipinos will give a better account of themselves in that match.

"Kinapos tayo ngayon, pero lalaban tayo," he said. "Hindi pa tapos 'yung liga. Lalaro tayo hanggang dulo."

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