Tag: Gilas

Gilas girls enter topflight Fiba company after China romp

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The Gilas girls, with program director Pat Aquino (second from right), erupt in celebration as the final buzzer sounds. —FIBA ASIA PHOTO

The Gilas Pilipinas crew crushed one foe after another on its way to the Fiba U18 Asia Cup for Women’s finale, but on the eve of its most important game, national coach Julie Amos assured everyone that this band of hard-fighting girls still has another gear in it.

And they did just that on Sunday, ripping Lebanon to shreds, 95-64, at Futian Sports Park in Shenzhen, China, to complete a riveting quest that not only secured a Division A promotion but also completed the program’s redemption story.

Alyssa Rodriguez starred for the young Nationals with 22 points built on six triples. Alicia Villanueva, Naomi Panganiban, Sophia Canindo and Ava Fajardo also came through with twin-digit scores as the young Filipinos repeated over the Lebanese after dismantling them in the group phase.

“Now the seniors, U-18, and U-16 programs are all in Division A. We know there’s a lot more to work on. We celebrate now [but] prepare for the future,” Amos told the Inquirer shortly after the triumph.

“We are so happy for the girls and the program. With the support of the [Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas], especially executive director Erika Dy and president Al Panlilio, we wouldn’t have made this happen,” assistant coach and women’s program director Pat Aquino said in a separate message.

Breaking away

The Nationals got to work in the second period, scoring 33 while limiting the enemy to just nine points. That cutthroat trend carried over to the second half, as the Gilas girls played commendable team basketball with Gabriella Ramos, Jolzyne Impreso, Aubrey Lapasaran, Ashlyn Abong, Tiffany Reyes, Margarette Duenas and Venice Quinte all contributing.

The triumph atoned for the Filipinos’ botched attempt two years ago in Bangalore, India, where the National Five ran into Malaysia in the semifinals, eventually falling short of tabbing a promotion.

The Gilas girls can now compete in the main tournament where Asia’s traditional powerhouses are at. Australia and China are battling for the Division A crown at Longhua Cultural and Sports Center as of press time.

“We’ve had an amazing run from the Seaba to the Asia Cup. We hope that we continue to give honor to our country and kababayans,” Aquino said. INQ



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Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

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Gilas Pilipinas begins its Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) campaign. –SBP PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas takes its final shot to make it to the Paris Olympics slated for next month as it competes in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga.

There will be four OQTs played from July 2 to 8 across the nations of Latvia, where Gilas Pilipinas is competing, Puerto Rico, Greece and Spain.

Gilas is bracketed with Georgia and host Latvia in Group A while Brazil, Cameroon, and Montenegro make up Group B.

READ: Paris 2024 or LA 2028, Tim Cone wants Olympic stint for Gilas

The Philippines qualified for the Olympic qualifiers despite just racking up a sole win in the Fiba World Cup the country hosted last year. The outright Olympic berth from Asia went to Japan as the highest-ranked team from the continent.

Gilas Pilipinas group stage schedule at Fiba OQT (Philippine time)

Gilas Pilipinas first clashes with host Latvia, ranked sixth in the world missing its NBA star Kristaps Porzingis, and then Georgia, which has NBA players  Sandro Mamukelashvili and Goga Bitadze.

Another schedule will be based on the results of the group phase.

Gilas Pilipinas group stage schedule at Fiba OQT (Philippine time)

Gilas Pilipinas group stage schedule at Fiba OQT (Philippine time).

July 4, Thursday

  • 12am – Latvia vs Philippines
  • 8:30pm – Philippines vs Georgia

Full Fiba OQT Riga, Latvia group stage schedule

Full Fiba OQT Riga, Latvia group stage schedule

July 2, Tuesday

  • 8:30pm – Brazil vs Montenegro

July 3, Wednesday

  • 12am – Georgia vs Latvia
  • 8:30pm – Montenegro vs Cameroon

July 4, Thursday

  • 12am – Latvia vs Philippines
  • 8:30pm – Philippines vs Georgia

July 5, Friday

  • 12am – Cameroon vs Brazil

July 6, Saturday

July 8, Monday

Gilas Pilipinas Final roster for the Fiba OQT

Gilas Pilipinas is down to 11 men when it competes in the Olympic qualifiers with coach Tim Cone’s trusty longtime point guard Scottie Thompson and young big man AJ Edu out due to injuries.

  • Mason Amos
  • Chris Newsome
  • Calvin Oftana
  • CJ Perez
  • Dwight Ramos
  • Justin Brownlee
  • Carl Tamayo
  • Kai Sotto
  • June Mar Fajardo
  • Japeth Aguilar
  • Kevin Quiambao

Fiba OQT format

The format of the OQTs makes every game a must-win for Gilas Pilipinas with only the champion in each qualifier advancing to the Paris Olympics men’s basketball competition from July 27 to August 10.



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There are six teams in each OQT. They will face each other in a single-round robin format with the top two of per group advancing to the knockout Final Phase.

In the semifinals, the first place for each group battles the second place from the other group with a berth in the Finals at stake.

The winners of each OQT will join the eight teams who have qualified for the Paris Olympics, namely host France, United States, Canada, Australia, South Sudan, Japan Serbia, and Germany.

Gilas girls earn Division A promotion after whipping Lebanon

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Gilas Pilipinas girls celebrate after beating Lebanon in the Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup final and earning a Division A promotion.–Photo from Fiba

On the eve of Gilas Pilipinas’ most important game, coach Julie Amos vowed that her charges intend to do better.

The young Nationals made good on that promise on Sunday afternoon, dismantling Lebanon, 95-64, to rule and complete its redemption story in the Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup.

Alyssa Rodriguez shot the lights out in the finalé at Futian Sports Park in Shenzen, China, hitting six triples on the way to finishing 22 team-best points.

READ: Gilas girls enter Fiba U18 Asia Cup Finals, move closer to promotion

Alicia Villanueva chipped in 15 points, Naomi Panganiban, 13 while Sophia Canindo and Ava Fajardo 10 each in the repeat win over the Lebanese—a side Gilas beat by a big margin during the group phase.

The triumph completes the Filipinos’ atonement arc after falling short of a Division A promotion in Bangalore, India, nearly two years ago.

Gilas can now compete in the main tournament where Asia’s traditional powerhouses compete. Australia and China are set to dispute the crown tonight at Longhua Cultural and Sports Center, which is 40 minutes away from where the Filipinos stamped their class.

READ: Gilas girls crush Maldives by 123 points in Fiba U18 Asia Cup Division B

The Nationals kicked things up a notch in the second quarter, outscoring the enemy 33-9 for a pace that pretty much held up until the final buzzer.

Gilas enjoyed leads as big as 41 points with each of Amos’ players—from Gabriella Ramos, Jolzyne Impreso, Aubrey Lapasaran, Ashlyn Abong, Tiffany Reyes, Margarette Duenas, to Venice Quinte—all making contributions to the effort.

Reem el Ghali had 31 points, while Maygen Naassan added 19 for the Lebanese who settled for 2nd place.

Meanwhile, Samoa defeated Iran, 64-59, to salvage a 3rd-place finish in the earlier contest.



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Gilas Pilipinas fightback falls short vs Poland ahead of OQT

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Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee defends Poland’s Jeremy Sochan during a tune-up game. Photo from Wojciech Figurski / Polish Basketball Federation

Gilas Pilipinas’ comeback machine faded anew on Sunday morning (Manila time) in its third and final friendly geared toward the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

The Nationals fell to world No. 15 Poland, 82-80, at Sosnowiec Arena, unable to pocket a win in Europe right before plunging into the all-important OQT in Riga, Latvia, that will send one team into the Paris Summer Olympic Games late next month.

Justin Brownlee was the tip of the Gilas spear once again, finishing with 30 points. Dwight Ramos chipped in 16 points and nine rebounds after turning in just four in the loss against EuroBasket-bound Turkey two nights ago.

READ: Moral wins don’t count for Gilas Pilipinas in OQT buildup

Looking dead in the water with about three minutes left in the final period, the Filipinos went on a cutthroat run behind Ramos to pull within five, 82-77.

Gilas had 1:43 left to make something. But a Chris Newsome freebie and a late CJ Perez basket were the only plays the Nationals could pull off in that stretch.

June Mar Fajardo added 10 points, while Kai Sotto 8 and 11 boards in the stand that had the Philippines going 1-2 (win-loss) in its preparatory games for the OQT.

The Philippines looked sharp and poised for a commendable outing right off the jump thanks to a balanced attack from Brownlee, Ramos, Fajardo, and Kai Sotto, even putting together a nine-point edge in the opening frame.

But second-period miscues that cost Gilas several good looks and sent the Jeremy Sochan-led Poles to the charity stripe one too many times proved to be the swing the hosts needed to create a gulf that the Nationals would fall short of closing.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas loses to Turkey in tune-up ahead of OQT

Michał Sokołowski and Aleksander Balcerowski led the way for the White and Red with 21 and 10 points, respectively. Sochan, who is plying his trade in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs, added eight points.

The Poles are also priming for the other OQT that will be held in Valencia, Spain. There, they will be battling against Finland and the Bahamas for a chance to take on the winners from the other bracket featuring Lebanon, Angola, and traditional powerhouse Spain.

Gilas’ lone win in its three-game series of friendlies came against the visiting Taiwan Mustangs last Sunday.

The 11-man Philippine squad will play Latvia and then Georgia in Group A of the Riga OQT that gets going at midnight of July 2 (Manila time).

Both Latvia and Georgia have wrapped up their test games as well. The World No. 6 OQT hosts wound up with a 1-1 card winning against Egypt and then losing to Finland. The Georgians, meanwhile, stumbled against Italy and Cameroon before finally prevailing against Egypt.

The Scores:

Poland: Sokołowski 21, Balcerowski 10, Pluta 8, Sochan 8, Ponitka 7, Zyskowski 6, Milicici 5, Dziewa 5, Michalak 5, Nizioł 5, Mazurczak 2, Żołnierewicz 0.

The Philippines: Brownlee 30, Ramos 16, Fajardo 10, Sotto 8, Newsome 6, Aguliar 4, Tamayo 4, Perez 2, Oftana 0, Quiambao 0.



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Quarterscores 16-23, 41-38, 58-56, 82-80.

Gilas girls set up final vs Lebanon, shot at Group A spot

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Gilas Pilipinas girls’ Ava Fajardo during a Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup Division B game against Samoa. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas girls set up final vs Lebanon—and a shot at Group A spot Gilas Pilipinas moved to the doorstep of promotion in the Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup on Saturday following a 71-47 rout of Samoa.

And with the way the young Nationals performed, coach Julie Amos couldn’t ask for more.

“[That] was a game to remember—the team showed so much character until the end of the buzzer. Everyone was into it,” the national mentor messaged the Inquirer on the heels of the rout at Futian Sports Park in Shenzhen, China, that had the Philippines reaching the you-or-me finalé of the tournament.

Amos knows the zest and poise her charges showed in the semifinal are just what they need when they battle Lebanon 2 p.m. on Sunday for a passage to the continental showcase’s topflight division.

The Philippines showed it could smoothen the creases in its game quickly and find another gear for a strong finishing kick in that conquest of Samoa.

After a lethargic second period, the Gilas girls cranked things up in the final half, scoring nearly thrice as much as the enemy in the final period, 22-8.

Ava Fajardo, an integral cog of Gilas’ U16 campaign last year, was at the forefront of the Philippines attack with 19 points, four rebounds, and two assists.

“[W]e had a great mentality and I think that’s what came out in the game, everyone went in, and we all made the most of our minutes, all of our work was out on the floor in that game,” she said.

Naomi Panganiban added 12 points, five rebounds and four steals while birthday girl Sophia Canindo and Alicia Villanueva chipped in 11 points each in a collective effort that had Amos singing praises.

Saturday’s win eased the heartaches off a botched bid in India two years ago, when the Philippines—which dismantled opponents left and right early in the tournament—faltered late against eventual champion Malaysia and missed out on a chance to join continental powerhouses China, Australia and Japan in Division A.

But Amos also knows that this year’s run is far from done.

“We hope to continue doing the work as a team,” the longtime member of the Gilas women coaching staff said. “[W]e’ll prepare even harder. The mission is not done yet.”

Men’s team update

There is reason to hope that the mission will be successful: The Filipinos dismantled Lebanon in the group stage, 89-63, behind Panganiban’s 25 points.

Over at the other side of the globe, the men’s team took on World No. 15 Poland hoping to apply the finishing touches on its preparations for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT). The Nationals, who refused to feel good after a narrow loss to higher-ranked Turkiye last Friday, played against a Polish side also plotting and priming for the OQT.

The White and Red, led by San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan, are bunched in Group B of the other OQT that will be played in Valencia, Spain.

Meanwhile, the Latvians finally tasted defeat in their own series of test games, stumbling against Finland, 90-84, going 1-1 ahead of hosting Gilas on their home turf this July 2.



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Georgia, on the other hand, finally tabbed its first win in its string of friendlies after crushing Egypt, 78-46. The Crusaders, who wrapped their preps with a 1-3 win-loss record, are also slotted with Gilas in Group A of the Riga OQT.

Gilas Girls enter Fiba U18 Asia Cup Finals, closer to promotion

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Gilas Pilipinas girls’ Ava Fajardo during a Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup Division B game against Samoa. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas bucked a wobbly second quarter and then played full of zest the rest of the way to dismantle Samoa, 71-47, in the Final Four of the Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup Division B on Saturday.

The Young Nationals regained their bearings in the third period and held the Samoans just eight points in the final period of the clash at Futian Sports Park in Shenzen, China to inch closer to a promotion to the tournament’s top-flight division.

Ava Fajardo, one of the noteworthy players from the Gilas Girls program pipeline from last year, delivered 19 points to lead all of the Filipinos in a victory that exorcised the demons of two years ago.

READ: Gilas girls crush Maldives by 123 points in Fiba U18 Asia Cup

The Philippines faltered against Malaysia in overtime in the same phase during the Bangalore, India edition of the showcase in 2022, eventually settling for a third-place finish and falling short of a Division A ticket after crushing left and right early into the tournament.

The Philippines enjoyed leads as big as 26 points and was in control of the contest save for the first 2:12 of the opening frame, where the Filipinos were trying to rediscover their groove after a two-day break.

Naomi Panganiban added 12 points, while Sophia Canindo and Alicia Villanueva chipped in 11 each for the Julie Amos squad that will now face the winner of the other semifinal duel featuring Lebanon and Iran.

READ: Gilas girls return to work, shoot for promotion in China

The Philippines picked apart Lebanon, 89-63, in their previous encounter in the group phase last Tuesday.

Iran, meanwhile, was the finest squad of Group A, sweeping its way into the semifinal phase.

The Lebanese and Iranians tangle as of this writing at the same venue.



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Mylaani Sione led the way for the Samoans with 18 points. Kira-May Filemu added 12 points, but was the only other player to finish for the squad, which will be relegated to the battle for 3rd place.

Gilas boys get crushed by Lithuania in Fiba U17 World Cup opener

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Gilas Pilipinas boys’ CJ Amos against a Lithuanian defender in the Fiba U17 World Cup. –FIBA BASKETBALL

MANILA, Philippines—Lithuania proved to be too much to handle for the Gilas Pilipinas Boys, scoring a dominant 107-48 win in Group A of the Fiba Under-17 World Cup at Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday (Manila time).

Backed by a strong opening, the Lithuanians dealt the Philippines an insurmountable lead that Gilas couldn’t come close to cutting down for the remainder of the game.

Already holding a 46-29 at the intermission, Lithuania torched the Philippines with a 13-2 run to open the third period capped off by a Majus Bulanovas triple at the 7:34 mark.

 SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba U17 Basketball World Cup

The third quarter was Gilas’ worst frame as the Filipinos only scored seven points while the Lithuanians fired on all cylinders with 35.

Height is might and the Lithuanians showed just that, as they demolished the Philippines in the rebounding department, 61-32.

Lithuania hounded the Gilas boys on defense with 10 steals and eight blocks overall, as a team, limiting the Nationals to a measly 21.9 percent field goal shooting clip while shooting 53.5 percent as a squad.

READ: Kieffer Alas out of Gilas boys roster for Fiba U17 World Cup

With Kieffer Alas out of the lineup due to a knee injury, CJ Amos led the Philippines with 10 points and three assists but to no avail. Kurt Velasquez struggled mightily for his eight points, sinking just three of his 14 tries from the field for Gilas.

Arturas Butajevas finished just a rebound shy of a double-double with 22 points and nine rebounds for Lithuania. Kajus Mikalauskas scored 15 while Erikas Sirgedas and Dovydas Buika finished with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Up next for the Gilas Boys is Spain at the same venue on Sunday at 8:30 pm.



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Gilas Women’s 3×3 run is an ‘eye opener,’ says Sam Harada

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MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas Women’s 3×3 team may not have gotten the the best result in its Europe stop in the Fiba 3×3 Women’s Series, but Sam Harada is keeping a positive outlook.

While it may have been hard to absorb the last losses, the 3×3 squad is still grateful for the “eye-opening” experience and will be carrying it in their next stops said Harada.

“Our experience there was an eye-opener because the competitions that we faced were really all world-class,” said Harada in Filipino.

READ: SEA Games 2023: Gilas Pilipinas Women settle for silver in 3×3 basketball

“Even if we did not get the results that we wanted, we know that we will just keep on improving.”

The Philippines failed to advance in the group stages of their forays in Clermont-Ferrand and Orleans, France.

The Gilas squad had silver linings, though, as it reached the quarterfinals in its Ulaanbataar stop of the series.

“We have to improve on a lot of things, from individual skills, strength, discipline and patience for the system that we’re running. As Pinoys, we’re small so we need to learn how to fight with taller teams.”

Harada played with Kaye Pingol, Hazelle Yam, and Allana Lim in those first three stops while they were backed by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and Uratex Dream.

Lim, though, will be replaced by Angel Surada in the Wuhan iteration of the series but it poses no problems for the squad, according to Harada.

“The good thing is, we have chemistry and we’re getting exposed to these kinds of competition,” explained Harada.

“We won’t quit and we will show how Filipinos play beautiful basketball.”



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Moral wins don’t count for Gilas in OQT buildup

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Gilas Pilipinas’ June Mar Fajardo and Justin Brownlee flank as Turkey player during a tune-up game in Istanbul ahead of the Fiba OQT. –TURKEY BASKETBALL FEDERATION

Gilas Pilipinas wasn’t too keen on framing Friday’s valiant stand against Turkiye as a moral victory.

And for good reason.

“We only have one shot at [making] it to the Olympics, and we cannot be satisfied with [a result of] almost winning,” team manager and national assistant coach Richard del Rosario said in a bulletin released by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas following an 84-73 defeat at the hands of the World No. 24 hosts in Istanbul on Friday.

“While others may see it as a satisfying first game, our team mindset is: Almost is not enough,” he added of the friendly that had the Philippines dropping to 1-1 in its series of preparatory games geared towards the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia, set July 2.

With just 11 players making the trip, Gilas managed to keep it close with the Turks for most of the contest at Besiktas Akatlar Culture and Sports Complex. But saddled with frosty shooting and fouls, the Nationals eventually kissed their hopes of taking down the Dev Adam side preparing for the EuroBasket.

Justin Brownlee and June Mar Fajardo starred for the Filipinos, with the naturalized ace turning in 21 points and the PBA’s seven-time MVP chipping in 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Young and towering big man Kai Sotto was limited to just seven points, no thanks to fouls that shelved him with three minutes remaining. Fellow cornerstone Dwight Ramos managed to toss in just four points as he focused on playmaking, further highlighting gaps left by the absences of AJ Edu and Scottie Thompson—two mainstays grounded by injuries.

Cold shooting

The Filipinos hit only five triples while the Turks converted 14 of their own, which could very well be a preview of how OQT host Latvia and Georgia would take on Gilas in Group A of the Riga showcase next week.

“We had our first taste of the type of opposition we will be facing in the OQT,” said Del Rosario. “We move on to the next game with a [more firm] belief that we can hold our own against higher-ranked teams with a real chance of reaching our mission of making it to Paris.”

Foes priming up

Gilas’ unsatisfied outlook may be warranted, especially with how the Philippines’ OQT assignments are faring in their respective preparatory matches.

Latvia, the sixth finest squad on the planet, gave its home crowd a preview of how well they could play on both ends with an 84-63 rout of Egypt behind Charlotte Hornet Davis Bertans and now-healthy Arturs Zagars. And they did so without Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis, who will be out for about six months after going through foot surgery.

The Latvian power forward suffered a “rare” leg injury in Game 2 of the NBA Finals earlier this month and will go under the knife to repair the problem.

“The injury doesn’t allow for consistent play at the level required for Olympic competition. Surgery will be performed in the coming days, and further updates will be provided when available,” the Celtics said.

They may have won in runaway fashion, but national coach Luca Banchi—as if putting opposing nations on notice—feels his squad has so much more to offer.

“It wasn’t our best game, but there were good episodes both for individual players and for the whole team when we found our rhythm,” he said in a report published by the Latvian Basketball Association. “We will try to take the next steps forward in Tampere.”

Georgia may have lost in their last two friendlies, bowing to Italy, 79-68, and then narrowly to Cameroon, 67-66. But a closer look at those defeats shows the Crusaders—especially NBA players Sandro Mamukelashvili and Goga Bitadze—thriving under the system brought by new Serbian coach Aleksandar Dzikic.



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Gilas moves to Poland; Latvia, meanwhile, tackled Finland in Tampere; while Georgia played Egypt on Friday night (both Manila time) for their final tune-up matches. —with a report from AFP

Kieffer Alas out of Gilas boys lineup for Fiba U17 World Cup

On: By: admin


Gilas Pilipinas Boys’ Kieffer Alas is named in the All-Star Five at the Fiba U16 Asian Championship in Doha, Qatar.–FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas boys will compete in the 2024 Fiba Under-17 World Cup in Istanbul without its star guard Kieffer Alas.

In Fiba’s final roster released ahead of Saturday’s opening game day, Alas was not part of the lineup due to a knee injury he suffered in the Gilas boys’  last tune-up game against Canada.

“On initial examination by our team doctor, he had a functionally stable knee and the official result of his MRI determined Kieffer has a sprained ACL,” said head coach Josh Reyes. “His knee is swollen and he’ll be out for three weeks. We will be monitoring his situation closely.”

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba U17 World Cup

Alas, a member of the UAAP Season 86 boys’ basketball Mythical Five, will sit out the competition but fellow La Salle Zobel standout Irus Chua will still add a hue of Green and White to the roster.

“It’s a tough break for us but the rest of the team is motivated to play together. We’re praying for good results on Kieffer’s MRI but we have to move forward and quickly figure out how to play without him,” Reyes said.

READ: Kieffer Alas makes Fiba Asia U16 All-Star Five

“Kieffer was doing a great job in playmaking, rebounding, and playing defense and this is his value to the squad, more than his scoring.”

Dominic Arejola took Alas’ spot for the Gilas boys, who will play Lithuania on Saturday in their first assignment in the World Cup.

University of Santo Tomas talents Joaquin Ludovice and Kurt Velasquez were also included in the lineup.

Ludovice made noise not too long ago by cracking the NBTC 24 list, an annual ladder of the best high-school players in the country. He was listed as the 20th-best high school player.

They will be joined by 5-foot-11 athletic guard Elijah Williams, Blue Eagle star Mason Amos’ younger brother CJ and lanky 6-foot-4 wing Edryn Morales.

Also joining the pack are Davao Bulldog Bonn Daja, the tallest man in the lineup at 6-foot-6 in Paul Diao, UP Integrated School Talent Jaime Gomez de Liaño and California-bred Samuel Alegre.

Rounding out the lineup is Noah Banal, who, alongside Williams, Amos, Morales, Daja, Diao, de Liaño, and Alegre finished fourth in the U16 Asian Championship.



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Gilas is grouped in Pool A with Spain, Puerto Rico and Lithuania.