Gilas Youth’s hot start not nearly enough against mighty Australia in FIBA Asia U-16 quarterfinals

The Gilas Pilipinas Under-16 team gave mighty Australia a first half scare before eventually falling, 109-83, in the quarterfinal round of the FIBA Under-16 Asian Championships on Friday at the Al-Gharafa Sports Club Multi-Purpose Hall in Qatar.

The Filipinos caught the unbeaten Australians off guard in an explosive performance in the first half, before the powerhouse Aussies got it together and built their own massive lead in the back half of the game.

Australia's Kye Savage led all scorers with 27 points, including six three-pointers, while Lorenzo Competente led the Philippines with a team-high 18 points.

Caelum Harris added 14 points for the Gilas youth squad while Jared Bahay and Alexander Konov both chipped in with 13 markers.

Australia, which was hardly challenged in three blowout wins in the group stages, found themselves on the wrong foot as the Philippines opened on a huge 16-7 run.

A pair of three-pointers from Kristian Porter and two big buckets from Harris made it a 13-point lead for Gilas, 29-16. Despite an 8-0 run by the Australians to close the first period, the Filipinos led, 29-24, after one.

Australia cut the deficit down to three before Konov led a Gilas counter-run in the form of 11 unanswered points, giving the Philippines a 40-26 lead. After a basket on the other end, Konov hit another triple and Bahay chipped in with jumper that gave Gilas their biggest lead at 17 points, 45-28, with 4:20 left in the first half.

But the Aussies buckled down from that point and dominated the rest of the way.

They nearly erased all of the Philippines' lead in the first half, coming back to within four, 51-47, at the break.

They continued on in the third, going on a 13-0 run behind some big threes from Savage and Tristan Devers that gave them a seven-point lead, 60-53. A pair of free throws from Carlin Briggs gave Australia a 68-58 lead with 4:02 left in the quarter.

Despite putting up a gallant stand for as long as they could, the Gilas squad could not keep Australia’s advantage from ballooning to 20 late in the contest.

Australia outscored the Philippines, 29-17, in the third and 33-15 in a lopsided final period.

—JMB, GMA News