The race for a spot in the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Under-23 World Cup remains wide open for Gilas Pilipinas Boys despite a mixed showing in Stop 2 of the Asia 2 Conference on Tuesday at Hextar World Empire City in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
The Philippine squad settled for a split in its two assignments, falling to Japan before bouncing back with a convincing win over host Malaysia to remain firmly in the hunt as the week-long Nations League reached its second stop.
The day’s results left Gilas Boys tied with Japan for third place in the overall conference standings with 140 points each. New Zealand joined Belarus atop the leaderboard with 170 points after edging Japan, 21-20, in the Stop 2 championship game.
The Philippines opened its campaign with a tightly contested battle against Japan that remained deadlocked at 17-all late in the game.
Suguru Ishiguchi broke the tie with a clutch two-pointer to put Japan ahead, 19-17, with just over a minute remaining.
Jhuniel Dela Rama, who stepped in for Cabs Cabonilas in Stop 2, answered with a basket to trim the deficit to one, but Ishiguchi delivered another dagger from beyond the arc with 45 seconds left to seal Japan’s 21-18 victory.
Koji Buenaflor led the Filipino charge with eight points, while Dela Rama and Earl Medina contributed four markers apiece.
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A WILD FINISH FOR GILAS PILIPINAS
Team Philippines secured their first win with a 22-17 triumph over New Zealand, shutting down an early Kiwi buildup with a masterclass in defense!
Strong start to the tournament. #LabanPilipinas
Video credit: FIBA 3X3 pic.twitter.com/yinWYjs4M2— solidkojibuenaflor (@solidkojib) July 13, 2026
Refusing to dwell on the setback, Gilas responded with authority in its second outing.
The Nationals overwhelmed Malaysia from start to finish, cruising to a 21-8 victory behind an eight-point explosion from Jedric Daa to close the day with a 1-1 record.
The Gilas Girls also split their assignments in Stop 2.
The Philippines opened with a solid 16-9 victory over New Zealand as Marga Villanueva and Elaine Patio combined for 11 points to power the offense.
Malaysia, however, once again stood in the Filipinas’ way.
After defeating Gilas in Stop 1, the hosts completed another victory with a 21-13 decision. Patio finished with six points, while Kristan Yumul added four.
The result kept Gilas Girls in fifth place in the conference standings with 110 points as Belarus continued to strengthen its grip on the top spot after another successful stop.
The competition resumes on Wednesday with another opportunity for both Philippine squads to climb the standings.
Gilas Boys will battle New Zealand and Singapore in Pool B of Stop 3, while the Gilas Girls take on Japan and Singapore as they continue their chase for valuable conference points.
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