Gilas Pilipinas Boys refused to let their campaign in Japan end on a sour note, producing one final comeback to leave the 2026 B.League Under-16 Challenge Cup with a bronze medal.
After missing out on a place in the championship game, the young Filipinos showed resilience on Thursday, overcoming a 14-point deficit before pulling away late for a 78-72 victory over Fukuoka at Sumida City Gymnasium in Tokyo.
The triumph capped a memorable tournament for Gilas, which recovered from an early setback in the competition and once again displayed the grit that has become its trademark.
Things looked bleak early as Fukuoka dictated the pace and built a double-digit cushion, stretching the lead to as much as 14 points. Even midway through the fourth quarter, Gilas still faced a daunting 68-58 deficit with less than seven minutes left.
Instead of folding, the Filipinos delivered their best stretch of basketball when it mattered most.
Their defense suffocated Fukuoka down the stretch, limiting the Japanese side to just four points the rest of the way while Gilas unleashed a game-changing 20-4 run.
Brielle Salazar sparked the turnaround, tying the contest at 70-all with a driving layup before coming up with a crucial steal on the next possession. He raced coast-to-coast, absorbed contact, and completed a three-point play that handed Gilas its first lead of the second half, 73-70, with 2:36 remaining.
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Fukuoka refused to go away as Takumichi Uchida answered with a jumper to cut the deficit to a single point, but Gilas remained composed.
Sam Esomchi calmly split a pair of free throws to extend the lead before the defense came through with another stop. Salazar then delivered another huge basket, slicing through the lane for a euro-step layup that pushed the advantage to four with under a minute left.
After Uchida misfired on Fukuoka’s next possession, Dwayne Madrigal cleaned up an Esomchi miss with a putback basket that officially sealed the bronze medal for the Philippines.
Salazar paced Gilas with an all-around performance of 18 points, four steals, three rebounds, and two blocks, while Esomchi continued his impressive tournament with a 17-point, 14-rebound double-double.
Hisham Mampao also provided solid support with 11 points, five rebounds, and two steals.
Uchida finished with 23 points for Fukuoka, while Ryuki Shinozuka added 18 in the losing effort.
The bronze-medal finish capped a strong showing for Gilas Pilipinas Boys, who advanced to the third-place game after placing second in Group A with a 2-1 record. The Filipinos opened the tournament by defeating Chiba, 91-81, stumbled against Ryukyu, 73-66, before bouncing back in emphatic fashion with a 105-79 rout of Tachikawa.
Although a finals berth slipped away, Gilas ended its campaign on a high note, proving its resilience once again with a comeback victory that showcased the promise of Philippine basketball’s next generation.
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