The Gilas Pilipinas men’s team swept its assignments in the pool play while the women’s side recovered from an opening game hiccup to both advance to the semifinals of the 3x3 basketball event in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games at the Morodok Techno National Stadium on Saturday, May 6.

Almond Vosotros and the Gilas Pilipinas men's 3x3 team sweep the pool play in SEAG. File/Fiba Photo)

The men’s team bannered by PBA 3x3 players Almond Vosotros, Joseph Eriobu, Joseph Sedurifa, and Lervin Flores broke no sweat and dominated Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia to claim the top seed in Pool A with a pristine 3-0 record.

The Filipinos were quick to flex their muscles inside the paint against a much smaller Laos team, cruising to an easy 21-5 victory. Eriobu led the charge with eight points while Vosotros fired five markers.

Riding the crest of its first game win, Gilas then stunned last year’s silver medalist Vietnam, 21-13. This time, it was Vosotros who waxed hot from deep, firing nine points while Eriobu provided support with six points.

Lervin Flores then put on the finishing touches to Gilas’ dominant run, steering the Filipinos to a 21-11 victory over Indonesia. He finished with nine points while Vosotros remained steady with five.

On the distaff side, a heartbreaking 19-21 overtime defeat at the hands of silver medalist Vietnam seemed to have triggered the women’s team as the crew of Jack Animam, Janine Pontejos, Afril Bernardino and Mikka Cacho went on a rampage in the next two games and even took down defending champions Thailand, 14-8, in their final assignment.

The Filipina dribblers went off to a hot start, building an early 9-4 lead before shrugging off a late resistance from the Thais in the end game to end the pool play on a 2-1 standing.

The Gilas Women earlier defeated Laos, 21-6, a fitting bounce back from their opening game loss where Thi Ngoan Huynh delivered the game-clinching deuce as Vietnam finished the pool undefeated.