Rain or Shine fell to a third straight loss in the W. Jones Cup after succumbing to a tight 72-71 defeat to the United Arab Emirates on Monday at the Taiwan Heping Gymnasium.
The Elasto Painters had the chance to steal the victory with 23.2 seconds to go, but Santi Santillan’s attempt off a pass by Rey Nambatac missed its mark.
The UAE later split its free throw attempts, giving the Elasto Painters another chance to tie the game. However, with the inbound coming from the backcourt with only 3.23 seconds to go, Gian Mamuyac was forced to take a half-court shot that completely missed the rim.
Nick Demusis and Nick Evans had 12 points apiece for ROS, while Anton Asistio added nine markers.
Hamid Abdullateef Albreiki paced the UAE with 22 points, six steals, three rebounds, and three assists.
Rain or Shine will next face Qatar on Tuesday.
