A slow start and a lack of perimeter offense doomed Gilas Pilipinas Boys, who absorbed a 106-82 defeat at the hands of Chinese Taipei to open the FIBA Under-16 Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday evening at the Buyant Ukhaa Sport Complex in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Despite parading the same core that delivered the Philippines its sixth straight SEABA crown last May, the Filipinos fell behind early, trailing 38-57 by halftime. They spent the rest of the contest trying to claw their way back but never found their rhythm.
Prince Cariño and Jeremiah Antolin provided bright spots, but Gilas’ sluggish start, compounded by costly turnovers, sealed their fate. The setback marked the Philippines’ first loss to Chinese Taipei in nearly 12 years, dating back to a 90-95 defeat during the elimination round of the 2013 edition held on September 28 in Tehran, Iran.
The young Filipinos managed to keep pace with Chinese Taipei during the first quarter. However, a different story unfolded in the second as the Taiwanese pulled away, turning a 21-28 lead into a 42-57 halftime advantage.
(C) FIBA.basketball
Such a poor showing in the second frame was the difference maker as Gilas Boys struggled to find their rhythm in the third quarter, falling prey to the offensive firepower of Chen Hung Yu, Lu Shu Wei, and Wang I Le — the Taiwanese troika that sent Gilas Boys down a commanding 25-point, 62-87 hole heading into the final frame to effectively annex the Philippines’ opening day loss.
The young Taiwanese waxed hot from beyond the arc with a 14-of-37 shooting clip, while also scoring 35 points off the Filipinos’ woeful output of 36 turnovers.
In comparison, despite dominating the rebounding department at 55-37, it was the Philippines’ offensive struggles that separated them from Chinese Taipei, only shooting 30-of-67 from the field and marred by a dismal 3-of-13 shooting clip from three-point territory.
With the loss, Gilas Pilipinas Boys slid to the bottom of Group B alongside Indonesia, who earlier suffered a 54-96 blowout loss to New Zealand.
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Carino was the lone silver lining for the Philippines with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting with six rebounds and one assist, while Antolin registered 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting with seven rebounds and one assist.
Everaigne Cruz added nine points, three assists, and two steals, while Brian Orca nearly tallied a double-double with seven points and 13 rebounds alongside two steals and one block.
The young Filipinos will attempt to bounce back tomorrow against Indonesia — a team they have beaten in all five of their previous FIBA encounters — at the same venue and tip-off time.
Wang torched Gilas boys with 24 points on an efficient 10-of-13 shooting clip with five rebounds and three steals, while Hsiao Cheng Che achieved 13 points and four steals.
The Scores:
Chinese Taipei (106) – Wang 24, Hsiao 13, Lu 10, Pan 9, Chen 9, Chen 8, Wang 8, Sing 8, Chang 7, Chou 5, Huang 5, Lin 0.
Philippines (82) – Carino 23, Antolin 11, Tan-Chi 9, Cruz 9, Orca 7, Delos Reyes 5, Cabanero 4, Pascual 4, Hallare 4, Lumagub 4, Restificar 2, Pascual 0.
Quarterscores: 21-28, 42-57, 62-87, 82-106
