Gilas Pilipinas Youth found its range when it mattered most, firing its way into the quarterfinals of the FIBA U18 Asia Cup in India with a 72-63 victory over Syria on Thursday.
The Filipinos started slowly, surrendering the opening quarter, 15-13, as both teams searched for a rhythm. But once the shots began falling, Gilas turned the game into a long-distance shooting clinic.
George Aidan Green, the 6-foot-4 guard from Spire Academy in the United States, helped settle the Philippine attack while manning the point. Then, with five seconds left in the first half, Lino Tubongbanua Jr. capped a steal-and-score sequence by knocking down a three-pointer that nudged Gilas ahead, 32-31, at halftime.
From there, the youngsters refused to give the lead back.
Gilas won the third quarter, 19-13, then closed out Syria, 21-19, despite a game that featured nine lead changes. Syria actually controlled the scoreboard for more than 24 minutes, compared with only 13 minutes for the Philippines, but the Filipinos had the better finish.
Green led the charge with 18 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Tubongbanua added 10 points, while Far Eastern University guard Jan Bennett Cagurungan supplied 12 points on a sizzling 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc.
The Philippine youngsters finished 12-of-34 from three-point territory, comfortably outgunning Syria’s 5-of-22 showing.
The battle was otherwise tight, with Gilas holding a slim 36-35 rebounding edge and forcing 11 turnovers against Syria’s eight.
The victory sent Gilas into the quarterfinals after a 2-1 group-stage record, with wins over Chinese Taipei and Thailand.
Waiting on the other side is no small hurdle. The Philippines will face China, an 11-time champion, while defending champion Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea have also secured quarterfinal berths.
For Gilas, the tournament has just moved from promising to serious.
