Gilas Pilipinas Boys dominated their way into the 2026 FIBA U18 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers final after crushing Malaysia, 130–54, on Saturday evening at the Chan Ka Pho Gymnasium in Krabi, Thailand.
The Philippines will face Thailand in the tournament final, with both finalists securing spots in the Asia Cup proper, set from August 13 to 23 in Ahmedabad, India.
The championship clash is a rematch of their group-stage encounter, where Gilas prevailed, 93–63, last Friday.
The young Filipinos coached by Juno Sauler delivered a masterclass against Malaysia, with every player who saw action getting on the scoresheet.
FEU-Diliman guard JB Cagurungan led the way with 26 points, knocking down seven triples, while fellow Baby Tam Prince Cariño continued his fine form with 21 points on a perfect 10-of-10 shooting performance.
Joquin Tovera, a UP commit, added 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Louis Razon chipped in 14 points, Ethan Aguas (formerly of UE) contributed 12 points and eight rebounds, while Andrew Chio added 10 points.
The Filipinos were in complete control from the start, racing to a 32–11 opening frame and eventually building a lead as large as 76 points.
They held Malaysia to just 28 percent shooting from the field while forcing 19 turnovers that led to 34 points.
Lim Kuanyit was the lone double-digit scorer for Malaysia with 10 points.
Prior to the final, Vietnam and Laos will battle for sixth place, followed by Malaysia and Indonesia in the bronze medal match. Singapore finished fifth in the tournament with a 2–2 record.
