Gilas Pilipinas Beat Iraq, Trail Canada for 1st Place in 2017 William Jones Cup

Gilas Pilipinas returned to their winning ways in the 2017 William Jones Cup on Thursday with an 84-75 win over Iraq at Taipei Peace International Basketball Hall in Taipei, Taiwan.

The Philippines improved to 4-2 with the win and moved within one game of first-place Canada, while Iraq dropped to 3-3.

Offensive balance was the biggest difference for Gilas, as five players reached double figures in scoring, including big man Michael J. Myers, who logged a double-double with 16 points and 18 rebounds.

Demario Aquan Mayfield was nearly unstoppable for Iraq with a game-high 29 points, but only one other Iraqi player topped 10 points.

The Philippines' biggest edge came on the glass, as it out-rebounded Iraq 43-28, which was something of a surprising result, according to Jutt Sulit of Sports5:

Iraq actually held a 19-15 advantage after one quarter of play, but the second quarter was a story of complete domination for Gilas.

In the second frame alone, the Philippines outscored Iraq 21-3. Gilas shot a somewhat modest 7-of-17 in the quarter, but Iraq made just one of its 11 attempts from the field.

Gilas Pilipinas truly went to work with their interior game during the second stanza, with Myers imposing his will in the paint, as seen in this video courtesy of Sports5:

The Philippines also made three of its seven three-point attempts in the quarter, which was a huge improvement over Wednesday's loss to South Korea in which it went just 1-of-26 from downtown for the entire game.

Gilas are undoubtedly at their best, however, when their guards are breaking down the opposition and getting to the bucket.

Kiefer Ravena was especially strong in that regard Thursday with plays like this:

Ravena finished the contest with 13 points and six assists as four of the Philippines' five starters reached double figures in scoring.

With a 14-point lead entering halftime, Gilas simply needed to play smart basketball the rest of the way to preserve the lead and the victory.

They did precisely that, as Iraq was never able to truly threaten at any point during the second half, falling victim to its worst quarter of the tournament.

Iraq will have an opportunity to bounce back against rival Iran on Friday, while the Philippines will have a huge challenge on its hands in the form of Atletas All-Star Lithuania.