Batang Gilas falls to China in FIBA Asia U-18 battle for third

The Philippines fell short of a podium finish after falling to China, 76-57, in the battle for third place in the FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship on Saturday in Thailand.

Batang Gilas fell into a big hole early, ending the first period with a 27-14 deficit.

China never led by less than 12 points the rest of the way to take the bronze medal.

It was a disappointing result for Batang Gilas, which scored an 87-82 win against the same Chinese squad earlier in the group stage of the tournament.

Despite the defeat, the Philippines is still assured of a spot in next year's FIBA Under-19 World Championship.

The tournament served as a showcase for budding young frontline stars Kai Sotto and AJ Edu, who carried the fight against China. The 7-foot-1 Sotto finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, while the 6-foot-10 Edu had 14 points and eight rebounds.

But second-generation star Dave Ildefonso, who scored 18 points in the earlier win against China, was limited to just nine points in the rematch. --JST, GMA News