Preparing for the 2026 SEABA Under-18 Championship, Gilas Pilipinas Youth gained valuable learning experience after falling to Far Eastern University, 83-58, in the 19th Filoil Ecooil Preseason Cup presented by ABC Tile Adhesive on Monday at the Playtime Filoil Centre in San Juan.
FEU controlled the game from start to finish, with Janrey Pasaol spearheading the charge after scoring six of his 13 points in the opening quarter.
The Tamaraws shot the lights out early behind Pasaol’s 3-of-5 clip from beyond the arc en route to a wire-to-wire victory where they led by as many as 28 points.
Kirby Mongcopa also delivered for FEU with 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Jedric Daa chipped in 11 points. Blue-chip rookie Cabs Cabonilas likewise impressed with nine points and nine rebounds.
“Really proud of Cabs because he brings some extra power to us,” said FEU head coach Sean Chambers of his prized recruit.
“I was actually pretty nervous about today’s game because we now have 12 guys that can play, so now you’ve got to figure it out and manage that.”
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Bruce Tubongbanua emerged as one of the bright spots for Gilas Youth, finishing with 16 points built on two triples. Shaun Lucido added eight points and two rebounds, while Eoin Braga contributed seven points and four boards.
Meanwhile, Jose Rizal University stunned Letran, 90-80, while Benilde unleashed a strong fourth-quarter rally to defeat Perpetual, 71-62, in the NCAA Bracket of the preseason tilt backed by Hanes, Buffalo’s Wings N Things, Wallem, BDO, Akari, Smart, Molten, Reyes Barbecue, Nature’s Spring, Tela.com Athletics, Brothers Burger, and Don Benito’s.
Ivan Panapanaan led the Heavy Bombers with a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting from the field.
Transferees Lawrence Mangubat and Chris Hubilla also immediately made their presence felt for JRU, with Mangubat tallying 13 points and nine rebounds while Hubilla added 10 points and two steals.
“Good start. All of the credit, we give back to the players. Tinrabaho naman talaga nila sa ensayo. Pero we still have a lot of lapses, especially sa defensive end and yung chemistry wala pa ring fluidity,” said JRU head coach Nani Epondulan.
Jimboy Estrada paced the Knights with 18 points as the NCAA Season 101 runner-up opened its preseason campaign on a losing note.
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The Blazers, on the other hand, erupted for 24 points in the fourth quarter, seven of which came from NCAA Season 101 MVP Allen Liwag, who finished with 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Benilde’s strong closing run erased a sluggish third quarter in which it scored just eight points and allowed Perpetual to erase a 14-point halftime deficit.
“Our offense kind of got a little funky. We had a lot of turnovers, so that’s where Perpetual got their running game going. But luckily, we were able to recover in the fourth,” said Blazers coach Paolo Layug.
Jhomel Ancheta also stepped up for CSB with 13 points and four assists, while SJ Moore contributed eight points and three rebounds off the bench.
Angelo Gelsano led the Altas in the losing effort with 13 points, while LA Casinillo and Ray Allen Maglupay added 10 points each.
The Scores:
First Game:
Jose Rizal 80 – Panapanaan 15, Mangubat 13, Garcia 13, Laurenaria 11, Hubilla 10, Eligado 6, Salvador 4, Garupil 4, Duque 2, Herrera 2, Masiglat 0.
Letran 70 – Estrada 18, Gammad 10, Montecillo 10, Diamante 10, Santos 10, Hugo 4, Siena 4, Sison-Walker 2, Manalili 2, Buensalida 2, Valdeavilla 0, Lim 0.
Quarterscores: 22-19, 45-37, 60-53, 80-70.
Second Game:
Benilde 71 – Ancheta 13, Liwag 11, Moore 8, Sanchez 7, Jucom 7, Lorenzo 7, Gonzaga 4, Morales 3, Torres 3, Baliquig 3, Podador 2, Go 2, Celis 1, Cajucom 0, Daja 0.
Perpetual 62 – Gelsano 13, Casinillo 10, Maglupay 10, Gojo Cruz 8, Duremdes 6, Pizarro 4, Montemayor 3, Tulabut 2, Corpuz 2, Orgo 2, Thompson 2, Borja 0, Cristino 0.
Quarterscores: 15-14, 39-25, 47-47, 71-62.
Third Game:
FEU 83 – Pasaol 13, Mongcopa 13, Daa 11, Bautista 10, Cabonilas 9, Konateh 8, Burgos 8, Montemayor 4, Nakai 2, Mahmood 2, Hall 2, Felipe 1, Taboctaboc 0, Cabigting 0.
Gilas Youth 58 – Tubongbanua 16, Lucido 8, Braga 7, Basa 6, Aguas 6, Cabañero 6, Chio 3, Cagurungan 3, Teodoro 2, Gaviola 1, Amos 0, Lacson 0.
Quarterscores: 27-15, 49-30, 68-42, 83-58.
