In his first game back from a bout with pneumonia, Justin Brownlee hardly looked rusty, powering Gilas Pilipinas to a commanding 87-46 victory over Guam to open Window 1 of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Friday evening at the Calvo Fieldhouse.
After missing Meralco’s first four East Asia Super League games, Brownlee quickly allayed concerns over his fitness. He scored 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting while adding two rebounds, two assists, and two steals in just three quarters of action.
Thanks to Brownlee’s all-around performance, the Philippines now shares the top spot in Group A with regional powerhouse Australia, which narrowly defeated New Zealand 84-79 at the My State Bank Arena.
“The score didn’t indicate it, but we have tremendous respect for the Guam team. What they have been able to accomplish in terms of winning the qualifiers to the Asia Cup, getting to the second round of the Asia Cup — that’s an amazing feat for them,” Gilas head coach Tim Cone said.
“I came in with a lot of trepidation, but we did know that they lost three players from the Asia Cup. We knew that they were a little shorthanded, but that did not stop us from having a lot of trepidation coming in here.”
(C) FIBA.basketball
Tied at 17-all after the opening quarter, the Philippines began to find its footing in the second frame, highlighted by a 16-6 run that turned a slim 24-23 lead into an 11-point advantage at halftime, 40-29.
The game broke wide open in the third quarter. Brownlee, Junemar Fajardo, Dwight Ramos, Scottie Thompson, Quentin Millora-Brown, and Japeth Aguilar all contributed to stretching Guam — limited to just seven points on 3-of-18 shooting — to an insurmountable 64-36 deficit heading into the final period.
The Philippines dominated nearly every aspect of the game, converting 35-of-77 shots. Meanwhile, they held Guam to 17-of-70, outrebounded them 61-36, and dished out 19 assists compared to Guam’s six.
Every Gilas player scored in the contest.
Ramos registered 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting with six rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Fajardo nearly posted a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds, along with one assist and one steal.
AJ Edu also had eight points with eight rebounds and one steal, while Thompson, CJ Perez, and Kevin Quiambao chipped in eight points each.
In his Gilas debut, Millora-Brown posted six points, nine rebounds, and one assist.
Japeth Aguilar, in what could be his final FIBA road game, also scored a basket.
For Guam, San Miguel guard Jericho Cruz carried the fight with 17 points — 13 of which came in the opening quarter — with two rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
Meanwhile, Tai Wesley was limited to 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting with five rebounds, three blocks, and one steal.
(C) FIBA.basketball
“That first quarter was all Jericho Cruz, who we know really well because he plays in our league. We didn’t have an answer for him, but we knew he’d be incredibly motivated against us,” Cone admitted.
“He came out and did some stuff that shocked us, but we know how good he is. Towards the end of the first half, we kind of got our rhythm, came out into the second half defending really well, stretching the lead, and that ended up being the game.”
The victory now ushers Gilas into their home stand against Guam, slated for Monday, December 1, at the storied Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
The Scores:
Philippines 87 – Brownlee 22, Ramos 10, Fajardo 8, Edu 8, Thompson 7, Quiambao 7, Perez 7, Millora-Brown 6, Abarrientos 5, Tamayo 3, Newsome 2, Aguilar 2.
Guam 46 – Cruz 17, Wesley 12, Galloway 8, Johnson 4, Guzman 3, Fergurgur 2, Simon 0, Blas 0, Hechanova 0, Calvo 0, Africano 0, Osborn 0.
Quarterscores: 17-17, 40-29, 64-36, 87-46.
