Gilas Pilipinas once again failed to crack the Australia code, as the Boomers proved to be a puzzle the nationals could not solve in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Tim Cone and his wards stayed within striking distance early before running out of steam in the second half, eventually absorbing a 93-66 loss on Sunday night, March 1, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
The defeat marked their second straight setback in Window 2, leaving them winless in their home stand, and Cone admitted the loss was difficult to endure.
“It was a very painful one. It was a painful second half. Painful to be a part of, painful to watch, especially in front of our home crowd,” he said.
Despite the setback, Gilas has already secured a spot in Round 2 following New Zealand’s 99-67 win over Guam prior to the Philippines-Australia match.
Justin Brownlee bounced back with 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Quentin Millora-Brown and Dwight Ramos added 11 and nine points, respectively.
Still, it was not enough as the Philippines dropped its seventh game in eight all-time meetings against Australia.
For Boomers head coach John Peter Rillie, their intensified defensive effort in the second half, along with finding their offensive rhythm, made the difference.
“It stemmed from our defense. The ability of our players to be disruptive on defense, and once we made the advantage, we did a great job of keeping that advantage,” he said.
And that proved to be the case. After only leading by just five at halftime, 38-33, the Boomers caught fire in the second half. They stretched the lead to 80-57 midway through the fourth quarter following a three-pointer by Tanner Krebs with 5:34 remaining.
Australia extended its lead to 29, 88-59, after a Tom Wilson triple with 3:09 left, and that was more than enough to seal the victory and spoil the evening for the Filipino faithful.
Elijah Pepper paced Australia with 28 points on five three-pointers, while Tanner Krebs chipped in 18 as the Boomers stretched their winning streak to four games after sweeping New Zealand in Window 1 and defeating Guam last February 26. (ABS-CBN News)