MANILA, Philippines – The Gilas Pilipinas under-18 team crashed out of contention in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024 after absorbing an 85-61 loss to Japan in the qualification to the quarterfinals stage at the Prince Hamza Sports Hall in Amman, Jordan on Friday, September 6.
With the loss, Gilas Boys not only missed out on a chance for a podium finish, but also saw their hopes of qualifying for the FIBA U19 World Cup 2025 in Switzerland come to a heartbreaking end.
After being down by only 4 points, 19-23, at the end of the first chapter, the Filipinos failed to keep in step with the Japanese in the second quarter as the latter built a 40-28 separation with 1:01 to play in the opening half.
Gilas Boys showed signs of life in the third frame, cutting Japan’s double-digit lead to just 6 points, 47-53, off a Kurl Figueroa layup at the 4:03 mark of the quarter.
However, the Japanese had answers to every Gilas Boys rally as they entered the fourth period with a 64-50 edge.
Japan never looked back the rest of the final salvo as it finished the match with its biggest lead at 24 points.
Leon Watanabe showed the way for the Japanese with 15 points, while Riku Segawa and Teruchika Naito poured in 13 and 10 points, respectively.
On the other side, Mark Esperanza topscored with 16 points for Gilas Boys, who suffered their third straight loss in four matches.
Fresh from a 30-point performance in the Philippines’ 17-point defeat at the hands of New Zealand, Earl Medina helped Esperanza carry Gilas Boys’ scoring cudgels with 11 markers.
The Filipinos will now see action in the classification for the fifth to eighth seeds on Sunday, September 8.
The Scores
Japan 85 – Watanabe 15, Segawa 13, Naito 10, Wada 8, Sugeno 7, Togaeri 7, Shiratani 7, Fukasawa 5, Benedict 5, Takata 4, Sembo 4, Shimizu 0.
Philippines 61 – Esperanza 16, Medina 11, Cabonilas 8, Perez 8, Burgos 5, Esteban 5, Manding 3, Lorenzo 3, Figueroa 2, Velasquez 0, Ludovice 0, Santos 0.
Quarters: 23-19, 40-31, 64-50, 85-61.
– Rappler.com