Batang Gilas knew it lost the bronze even before the third quarter ended, with China building a 33-point lead before closing the game for third place at the FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Doha, Qatar.
The final score: China 87, Philippines 59.
It was a tough outing for the squad coached by Joshua Vincent Reyes, who less than 24 hours earlier absorbed a 56-point loss to eventual champion Australia.
Australia beat New Zealand, 79-76, in the finals, completing the tournament without dropping a game on its way to a three-peat.
China fired on all cylinders—knocking down 11 three-point shots with a 42 percent clip, making 22 of 42 shots from the perimeter and scoring 16 points off the Batang Gilas’ 12 turnovers. and
China, whose roster had six play standing 6’8’’ or taller, made good use of their size, out rebounding the Philippines, 54-31, and blocking 6 shots compared to one for Batang Gilas.
Keifer Alas, the Batang Gilas’ main man, joined four other players—two from New Zealand and one each from Australia and China—who were named the tournament’s All-Star Five. The 6’2” Alas powered the Philippines against Japan to book a ticket to the semifinals and secure a berth for next year’s FIBA U17 World Cup in Turkey.
In the game against China, Alas scored 13 points while Joaquin Gabriel Ludovice tallied 15 points.
The fourth-place finish matches the performance of the Kai Soto-bannered Batang Gilas during the 2018 FIBA U16 Asian Championship in China.
