Gilas Boys finish FIBA U17 World Cup dead last after 62-point loss to Australia
MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas’ under-17 team settled for a last-place finish in the FIBA U17 World Cup after bowing to Australia, 115-53, in the classification game for seeds No. 15 and No. 16 on Sunday, July 7, at the Ahmet Comert Sports Hall in Istanbul, Turkiye (Turkey).
The 16th-place finish marks Gilas Boys’ lowest finish in the U17 World Cup since they qualified for the first time in 2014.
The Philippines ended up 15th in 2014 and 13th in the 2018 edition of the tournament.
Similar to all their previous matches, the Josh Reyes-mentored Gilas Boys were immediately put away by their opponents in just the first two quarters as Australia easily built a 31-16 lead at the end of the first frame, before extending it to a 29-point edge at halftime, 56-27.
Australia’s 6-foot-5 guard Dash Daniels set the tone early for the young Boomers in the opening period, as he almost matched the Philippines’ first-quarter tally with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
Australia kept its foot on the gas pedal and continued to show the Gilas Boys no mercy in the second half as it ended the game with its largest lead at 62 points.
Daniels finished with a game-high 28 points, while Nash Walker added 18 for Australia.
Edryn Morales led the Philippines with a near double-double of 17 points and 9 rebounds, while Joaquin Ludovice tallied 10 markers and 6 assists.
The hapless Gilas Boys – who played without their injured star Kieffer Alas the whole tournament – wrapped up their forgettable campaign with a 0-7 slate.
The Filipinos dropped all seven matches with an average losing margin of 51.2 points.
The Scores
Australia 115 – Daniels 28, Walker 18, Robinson 11, Dickeson 11, Akhuar 9, Beauchamp 8, Nyuon 8, Pilimai 6, Sewell 6, Kuany 5, Cheesman 5.
Philippines 53 – Morales 17, Ludovice 10, Chua 9, Daja 6, Velasquez 3, Banal 2, Arejola 2, Alegre 2, Amos 2, Williams 0, Diao 0, De Liaño 0.
Quarters: 31-16, 56-27, 88-40, 115-53.
– Rappler.com