MANILA – Gilas Pilipinas rolled to a dominant 87-46 victory over Guam to open their campaign in the first window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Friday (Manila time) in Guam.
Justin Brownlee powered the national men’s basketball team with 22 points, along with two rebounds, two assists, and two steals, setting the tone for Gilas’ strong start.
Dwight Ramos added 10 points, majority in the third quarter, while Ariel John Edu and June Mar Fajardo chipped in eight each.
Quentin Millora-Brown impressed in his senior national team debut, finishing with six points and nine rebounds. Rhon Jay Abarrientos, returning to Gilas duty, contributed five.
Gilas trailed 8-12 early before responding with a 9-0 run to seize a 17-12 advantage. Guam answered with five straight to tie the match at 17-all.
The hosts briefly regained the lead at 25-24, but Gilas closed the half on a surge led by Brownlee and Kevin Quiambao to secure a 40-29 cushion.
The Filipinos tightened their grip in the second half, holding Guam to just seven points in the third quarter while stretching the lead to 64-36 entering the final period. The onslaught continued as Gilas wrapped up the game with a 41-point winning margin.
Ilonggo Jericho Cruz led Guam with 17 points, while Tai Wesley finished with 14. Fil-Guamanian guard Isaiah Africano went scoreless in limited minutes.
The two teams meet again on Monday night, this time at the Blue Eagles Gym in Quezon City./PN
BOX SCORE:
PHILIPPINES 87 — Brownlee 22, Ramos 10, Edu 8, Fajardo 8, Quiambao 7, Thompson 7, Perez 7, Millora-Brown 6, Abarrientos 5, Tamayo 3, Newsome 2, Aguilar 2.
GUAM 46 — Cruz 17, Wesley 14, Galloway 8, Johnson 4, Guzman 3, Fegurgur 2, Africano 0, Calvo 0, Blas 0, Hechanova 0, Simon 0, Osborn 0.
Quarterscores: 17-17, 40-29, 64-36, 87-46.
