World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers: Gilas defends home, sweeps Guam for rousing start

Gilas Pilipinas completed an opening-window sweep of Guam in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers following a resounding 95-71 home rout at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym on Monday, December 1. Justin Brownlee (197-F-1988, college: St.John's) led a balanced offensive attack with 20 points to go with 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals as the Philippines improved to 2-0 to gain a share of the lead in Group A with Australia. Hosting the Guamanians this time after scoring a dominant 87-46 win on the road last Friday, November 28, the Filipinos went on a 22-6 run within the first six minutes then cruised the rest of the way. Dwight Ramos (193-G-1998, college: CPP) backstopped Brownlee with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals, scoring 8 of his total output in that blazing start. The Philippines’ lead swelled to its biggest at 47-20 off a Quentin Millora-Brown (208-F-2000, college: Citadel) basket before Guam slowly worked its way back into the game, cutting its deficit to single digits at 44-53 following a Jericho Cruz (182-G-1990) foul shot. But Brownlee restored order as he knocked down a pair of three-pointers that pushed their advantage to 68-54 with a little over a minute left in the fourth quarter. The win was a fitting sendoff for veteran forward Japeth Aguilar (206-C-1987, college: WKU), who played his final game for the national team after being in service for over a decade, representing the country in three World Cup editions. A starter for head coach Tim Cone, the 38-year-old Aguilar tallied 3 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal in 10 minutes of action. Gilas resumes its campaign in the February-March window, where it will face New Zealand and Australia in a pair of home games.
Courtesy of: rappler.com