A torrid shooting display from beyond the arc propelled Batang Gilas past South Korea for the first time in FIBA youth competitions, sending the Philippine team to the quarterfinals of the FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Doha, Qatar.
The Philippines dominated South Korea, 95-71, behind Joaquin Ludovice’s 25-point explosion, taking over the scoring chore from Keifer Alas who was held down by the defense to a below-average 11 points. Alas, however, more than made up for his scoring slack by grabbing 13 rebounds and dishing 4 assists.
Batang Gilas head coach Josh Reyes also got major contributions Kirk Velasquez, Bonn Daja and CJ Amos—all scoring in double digits.
The Philippines led by as many as 34 points in the second half and cruised to victory after figuring out early how to play against South Korea’s defense.
Ludovice knocked down seven 3-point shots to tie the FIBA U16 record.
The victory in Doha is the first win by a Philippine youth basketball team against South Korea in 10 matches.
Batang Gilas will meet Japan in the quarterfinals set at 7:30 pm Friday in Doha, which is past midnight in Manila.
