Gilas Pilipinas Boys saw their 2026 FIBA Under-18 Asia Cup campaign come to an end after falling to China, 117-103, in the quarterfinals on Friday at the Veer Savarkar Indoor Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, ending their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 Under-19 World Cup.
The Filipinos will now shift their focus to the 5th-8th classification phase, where they are assured of a higher finish than their 10th-place showing in the 2024 edition of the tournament, which was led by Cabs Cabonilas, Mark Esperanza, and Earl Medina.
(C) FIBA
Chog Moral delivered his best game of the tournament with 26 points and six steals, providing one of the few bright spots for a Philippine side that struggled to contain China’s size and offensive firepower throughout the contest.
The Filipinos tried to keep things within striking distance after halftime, trailing 59-45, but China stepped on the gas in the second half to pull away and put the game out of reach, building a lead as large as 24 points.
Luke Atacador added 14 points, while Ethan Aguas and JB Cagurungan tallied 12 points apiece in the defeat.
Aidan Green, the team’s top offensive weapon, registered 11 points.
(C) FIBA
The Philippines will head to the classification round on Saturday, where it will battle for the best possible finish after missing out on the U19 World Cup berth.
Wang Zichao paced China with 23 points and four assists, while Chen Yuxiu scored 23 points to go along with six assists.
Hao Xuan tallied 16 points and eight rebounds, while Zhang Yizhaojie put up 16 points and six rebounds as well.
The Scores:
China 117 – Wang 23, Chen 23, Hao 16, Yi. Zhang 16, Li 8, Yang 8, C. Zhang 6, Yu. Zhang 6, Yao 4, Lyu 3, Zhao 2, Liu 0
Philippines 103 – Moral 26, Atacador 14, Aguas 12, Cagurungan 12, Green 11, Chio 9, Tubongbanua 8, Pasinos 5, Carino 4, Gish 2, Roquid 0
Quarterscores: 33-20, 59-45, 87-68, 117-103
