Andy Gemao showed the way once again as Gilas Pilipinas Boys took down Indonesia, 87-64, to complete its clean sweep of the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024 SEABA Qualifiers, Sunday at the MABA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The star guard finished with 29 points, including 12 in the first quarter alone to steer the Philippine team to a 29-22 lead, eventually taking full control of the game on the way to topping the tournament with a perfect 3-0 record.
Gemao shot 45-percent from the field, spiked by four three-pointers, and also collected 12 rebounds and eight assists in 27 minutes of action.
Thanks to him, Gilas will be representing Southeast Asia in the tournament proper — scheduled on September 2-9 in Amman, Jordan — alongside the Indonesians, as they emerged as the two best teams of the Qualifiers.
Both squads actually clinched their spots on Saturday, going 2-0 after acing their respective assignments.
Gilas dominated Thailand, 87-53, before the Indonesians dealt the host nation a 77-64 beating.
The two losing sides went 0-2 following the results, allowing the Philippines and Indonesia to seal their places with hardly any complications.
Others contributed solidly as well in Sunday’s win, with big man Cabs Cabonilas flirting with a double-double as he tallied 16 points and nine rebounds.
John Earl Medina fired a quartet of triples for 14 points, while Charles Esteban added 10 as he missed only one of his six shots from the floor.
Serving as the lone bright spot for the young Timnas in the loss, on the other hand, was Cliffton Wijaya as he made 12 points and six rebounds.
The Philippines and Indonesia will be joining reigning champions Korea, hosts Jordan, Japan, China, Chinese Taipei, Mongolia, Australia, New Zealand, Kazakhstan, India, Iran, and Lebanon to the youth showpiece.
The two remaining tickets via the Gulf Region, meanwhile, are up for grabs in the GBA Qualifiers scheduled on July 29-August 2 in Kuwait.
The Scores:
Philippines (87) – Gemao 29, Cabonilas 16, Medina 14, Esteban 10, Lorenzo 7, Manding 5, Esperanza 2, Santos 2, Hunter 2, Burgos 0, Ludovice 0, Castillejos 0.
Indonesia (64) – Wijaya 12, Hady 9, Kristanto 8, Yudha 8, Putra 8, Putera 4, Sundinata 4, Boentara 3, Aritonang 3, Alex 2, Auliarizal 2, Krisnanjaya 1.
Quarterscores: 29-22, 50-31, 68-47, 87-64.
