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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Gilas tangles with Guam anew in WC qualifiers home debut

Gilas tangles with Guam anew in WC qualifiers home debut

Published Nov 30, 2025 02:32 pm

At A Glance

  • Gilas Pilipinas hopes to follow up its big win against Guam when it takes on the same foe for its home debut in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers at the Blue Eagle Gym on Monday, Dec. 1.
AJ Edu and Gilas looks to asserts its size anew in the rematch with Guam. (FIBA)
AJ Edu and Gilas looks to asserts its size anew in the rematch with Guam. (FIBA)
Gilas Pilipinas hopes to follow up its big win against Guam when it takes on the same foe for its home debut in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers at the Blue Eagle Gym on Monday, Dec. 1.
Riding the crest of their huge 87-46 victory at the opponent’s turf, the Nationals gun for a 2-0 start to their World Cup bid at the end of their 7:30 p.m. affair.
Gilas head coach Tim Cone however doesn’t want his players to get a little too high nor too low, knowing how they can dominate Guam just based on their previous meeting.
“That’s the big thing about the home and away. You got to follow it up,” said Cone.
“If you're looking at the score, we’re gonna look at ourselves and have that opportunity to relax and not gonna come with it the second time around,” he added.
Although Gilas was nothing short of dominant in the first game, Cone expects Guam to put up a better fight and he is hoping for the home crowd to rally behind the Nationals to fend off the fightback.
“They’re gonna be very motivated but hopefully the home crowd can get us pumped up,” said Cone.
“We love our basketball back home and we're gonna have a big sellout whenever Gilas plays so we don't play at home often so if we do, everybody’s excited, everybody’s watching and we are hoping that will be the thing that could generate our excitement to follow up this win,” he added.
Size will be the biggest asset of Gilas as the triple towers of June Mar Fajardo, Quentin Millora-Brown and AJ Edu towed the Nationals to an Asian qualifiers record of 61 rebounds.
But there’s a lot of room for improvement for Gilas still after only shooting just four triples in the contest on a 25-percent shooting from the field.
Guam, though, aims to make adjustments as after keeping in step with Gilas, 17-all, in the opening frame, the team seemingly lost steam as Jericho Cruz, Tai Wesley and Jonathan Galloway were all contained by the Gilas team.
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