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Photo Courtesy of OneSports+
The first clash between Gilas and Guam was close in the beginning moments, Guam’s Jericho Cruz carried the team on his back, scoring 13 points in the opening minutes to keep his team in the game.
However, after the halftime break, Gilas began to push the pace, further widening the gap and ultimately securing their first win of the tournament.
The second battle between Gilas and Guam was no different, ending with a blowout win for the Philippines.
Gilas was in the driver’s seat early in the match, securing a 17-point cushion to close out the first quarter, and by halftime, Gilas sailed further from Guam with a comfortable 27-point lead.
It was Cruz once again who carried the offense for Guam as they went on a 24-6 run in the third frame to cut the lead to single digits. Brownlee, Ramos, Chris Newsome, and Kevin Quiambao sparked the offense for Gilas to once more take a commanding 17-point lead to enter the fourth.
Gilas bagged the win 88-71, completing the sweep against Guam.
Gilas is set to face formidable foes in the second window of the qualifiers, as they take on New Zealand on February 26, 2026, and Australia on March 1, 2026.
In a postgame interview, Coach Tim Cone of Gilas Pilipinas provided his thoughts on the upcoming matchups, “We know New Zealand pretty well, we played them a number of times, we played Australia in the Asia Cup.”
“We know it’s not going to be easy, but we’re hoping that playing at home will make a difference for us,” he added.