Gilas Girls go 0-2 in FIBA U16 Asia Cup after falling to Chinese Taipei

Gilas Pilipinas Girls remained winless in their debut campaign in Division A after suffering a 74-48 blowout loss to Chinese Taipei in the 2025 FIBA U16 Asia Cup on Tuesday at the Arena Seremban, Malaysia.

The Filipinas, who earned the coveted Division A promotion two years ago after sweeping the 2023 FIBA Under-16 Women's Asian Championship, will now drop to a 0-2 card in Group A following a tough 123-42 beating at the hands of three-time defending champion Australia on Monday.

?Against Chinese Taipei, 15-year-old Ella Smith was among the bright spots for the Julie Amos-coached crew after she posted a double-double effort of 14 points and 10 rebounds together with four assists, four steals, and two blocks even after hurting her right ankle late in the third quarter on a drive to the basket. Smith made up for her two-point outing during their opening-day loss to the Sapphires.

Another 15-year-old rising star in 6-foot-1 Tiffany Anne Reyes gave the Philippines some positives, pouring 12 markers, two boards, and a block in the 26-point defeat.

With the loss, the Philippines is in a must-win situation ahead of its final group play match against South Korea (0-2) on Wednesday, where the winner will remain alive in the tournament.

The top team from each of the two groups will earn an outright semifinals ticket while teams that finish second and third in their groups will duke it out in the qualification to semifinals.

But there's a lot more at stake in the competition as the four semifinals cast will book a spot in the prestigious FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup 2026.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News