Gilas Boys absorbs beating from powerhouse Australia in U18 Asia Cup
At A Glance
- The Nationals managed to keep in step through the first frame but quickly lost steam against the world No. 8 squad.
The Gilas Pilipinas boys team suffered its first taste of defeat after getting blown out by Australia, 107-69, in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup at the Veer Savarkar Stadium in Ahmedabad in India on Saturday, Aug. 15.
The Nationals managed to keep in step through the first frame but quickly lost steam against the world No. 8 squad.
Down only five after the first 10 minutes, 19-25, the Filipinos struggled against the defense of their bigger and more athletic counterpart, who broke the game wide open with a 32-15 scoring in the second frame.
Australia, which led by as many as 42, never looked back from there to remain undefeated through two games. Gilas, meanwhile, dropped to a 1-1 slate.
Luke Atacador and George Aidan Green paced Gilas with 12 points apiece while first-game hero Ethan Aguas was limited to just six points on a 1-of-6 shooting from the field.
Seven players scored in double figures for Australia led by Yahya Basarang, who fired 17 points, while John Aryang and Bailey Hanson added 16 and 14 points, respectively.
Gilas takes a day break before taking on Southeast Asian rival Thailand in a crucial tiff where a spot in the qualification for the quarterfinals is at stake.