Gilas Pilipinas Boys dropped into a share of third place in the Asia 2 Conference of the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League after finishing second in their pool in Stop 2 on Tuesday at Hextar World Empire City in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
The Philippines opened the day with a 21-18 loss to Japan before bouncing back with a dominant 21-8 victory over Malaysia.
Japan, however, fell to New Zealand, 21-20, in the Stop 2 final.
With the results, Gilas Boys and Japan are tied for third in the conference standings with 140 points apiece, while New Zealand and Belarus share the top spot with 170 points heading into Wednesday’s Stop 3.
Against Japan, the game was tied at 17-all before Suguru Ishiguchi drained a two-pointer to give his side a 19-17 advantage with 1:09 remaining.
Jhuniel Dela Rama, who replaced Cabs Cabonilas for the stop, answered with a basket to cut the deficit to one, but Ishiguchi buried the game-clinching shot with 45 seconds left to secure the victory.
Koji Buenaflor paced Gilas with eight points, while Dela Rama and Earl Medina added four points each.
The Philippines responded emphatically in its next outing, routing Malaysia, 21-8, behind Jedric Daa’s eight-point performance to finish the day with a 1-1 record.
On the girls’ side, Gilas opened with a 16-9 victory over New Zealand as Marga Villanueva and Elaine Patio combined for 11 points.
However, Malaysia once again proved to be a tough matchup, handing the Philippines a 21-13 defeat. Patio finished with six points, while Kristan Yumul chipped in four.
Gilas girls remain fifth in the conference standings with 110 points, while Belarus continues to hold a commanding lead.
In Wednesday’s Stop 3, Gilas Boys will face New Zealand and Singapore in Pool B, while Gilas Girls are grouped with Japan and Singapore.
