Gilas Pilipinas Youth fell to Bahrain, 79-66, in the qualification round for the quarterfinals of the FIBA U16 Asia Cup in Mongolia on Thursday.
This marks the first time the Philippines will miss the quarterfinals in the tournament’s history.
Gilas trailed 42-37 at halftime, but Bahrain pulled away in the third period, outscoring the Philippines 20-13 to build a 62-50 lead entering the final frame.
The Philippines attempted a comeback and cut the deficit to 72-66 with less than two minutes remaining, but Bahrain responded with a 7-0 run to seal the victory.
Mohamed Adel Abdulla led Bahrain with 22 points, while Ali Husain Mohamed, Hussain Fuad Moosa Sharaf Ghuloom, and Hassan Oshobuge Abdulkadir added 15 points each.
Luisito Joel Pascual was the lone Gilas player in double figures with 10 points, while Jhustin Hallare chipped in nine points.
The Philippines finished the tournament with one win (against Indonesia) and three losses (to Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, and Bahrain).
Prior to this, the country’s lowest finish was 7th place in the 2022 edition.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News