Philippine International School-Qatar continued to wave the country’s flag high and proud after barging into Mini World Cup inaugurals’ semifinals.
The Phoenix advanced to the final four of the meet that serves as a school-level simulation of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 in Qatar following an 80-66 victory over Alandalus Private School at the QBF Indoor Hall, Wednesday.
Johann Rafael Buenafe led the way with a game-high 25 points, spiked by four of his team’s six three-pointers, alongside three rebounds and nine assists.
Gabriel Adonis delivered 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Rhyss Marasigan came through with his own double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The trio helped set the tone early as they spearheaded the roaring 19-2 assault that turned a narrow two-point edge to a 30-10 lead at the end of the first.
Alandalus did try to come back and knocked within seven during the third but Adonis and Buenafe pushed their lead to 60-47 before the period ended, effectively restoring order as they went on to pull away for good.
PIQS will face GEMS American Academy in the semis on February 11, where they’re coming in undefeated with a 6-0 win-loss record overall thus far.
Coach Arsenio Lacson’s charges swept all of their three games in Group A, and sustained their winning ways in the second round to top Group I with a 5-0 card. Then came the 14-point win against Alandalus in the quarters to advance.
The Mini World Cup marks the first-ever edition of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa, organized under the supervision of FIBA, in collaboration with the Qatar Basketball Federation and the Qatar School Sports Association.
The competition, which began in November last year, forms an integral part of the Schools Olympic Program for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons, serving as a platform that merges athletic excellence with educational development.
