Gilas Pilipinas failed to protect homecourt against New Zealand and Australia, finishing with a 0-2 mark in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers second window.
“It was a very painful one.”
Those were the first words Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone told reporters after a deflating 66-93 loss to Australia in their FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers clash Sunday night, March 1.
“It was a very painful one. It was a painful second half, painful to be a part of, painful to watch especially in front of our home crowd. We want to be better than that,” said Cone during the post-game press conference at the Mall of Asia Arena.
[RELATED: Gilas Pilipinas overwhelmed in 2nd half by Australia in FIBA World Cup qualifiers]
Despite Justin Brownlee hitting his mark with 20 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, Gilas appeared helpless after the Boomers turned things up a notch in the second half.
After a relatively close first half, Australia came out of the dugout moving the ball better and allowed guys like Elijah Pepper to get hot from deep.
Pepper and Mitch Creek combined for 17 of Australia’s 30 points in the third period, sparking the breakaway.
The misery continued for the Filipinos in the final frame where they could only manage 13 points.
Brownlee’s output was a solid bounced back from his four-point game against New Zealand.
Meanwhile. Quentin Millora-Brown submitted 11 points and seven rebounds for the Filipinos, but it was not enough as Gilas lost both games during this window for a 2-2 overall record.
Dwight Ramos shot 2-of-10 from the field for nine points, while AJ Edu had six points and six rebounds.
“We did everything we wanted defensively. We held guys down but when they started to stretch the lead a little bit, I think we just deflated and lost our energy,” said Cone.
Pepper fired 28 points on five triples for Australia, while Tanner Krebs put up 18 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
Creek finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block for the Boomers, who preserved a pristine 4-0 card.
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.