By ADRIAN STEWART CO

The Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 national men’s basketball team failed to progress into the main draw of the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup after a 21-11 defeat to India at the OCBC Arena in Singapore on Thursday, March 27.

The squad composed of Negrense Jeff Manday, Joseph Sedurifa, Joseph Manlangit, and Anton Eusebio failed to sustain their strong start against the Indians as they fell short of their goal in the tournament.

Holding to a slim 8-6 lead early in the game, the Indian trio of Kushal Singh, Pranav Prince and Harsh Dagar dominated inside with an 11-3 scoring run to secure the much-needed win.

Manday led the Philippines with four points, while Eusebio chipped in three.

Sedurifa and Manlangit were held to just two points apiece.

Heading into the match, both the Philippines and India held identical 2-0 records, making the game a must-win to secure a spot in Pool B alongside China and Chinese Taipei.

The Philippines’ previous worst finish in the tournament was 11th place last year, with a lineup featuring Sedurifa, Yutien Andrada, Ping Exciminiano, and Chester Saldua./ASC, WDJ