Gilas sends off Japeth Aguilar with 24-point home win over Guam

December 2 ------ GILAS Pilipinas completed a sweep of Guam, 95-71 in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers at the Blue Eagle Gym in perhaps Japeth Aguilar's final international game. The Nationals went on a 17-3 run to start the game and led by as many as 27 points which proved enough to begin the qualifiers for the next World Cup in Qatar with a 2-0 win-loss record in Group A.

Gilas gained a share of the lead with Australia, which the Philippines will face at home on March 1. Jericho Cruz kept Guam within striking distance and gave Gilas some anxious moments in the second half but the depth of the home team simply proved too much.

Justin Brownlee totalled 20 points, five rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one block to show the way for Gilas Pilipinas and help them weather the storm against the hard-fighting Guam squad. Dwight Ramos added 19 points including a dunk that put Gilas ahead, 88-71, to put the finishing touches on the win. Quentin Millora-Brown continued his solid showing in his first game with Gilas at home with nine points and nine rebounds.

More importantly, the win was perhaps a Gilas swan song for Japeth Aguilar, who was honored before the game in Ateneo where he attended college and played in the UAAP. Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone admitted it wasn’t their best game. “We didn’t play our best game tonight especially on the defensive end. But bottom line was we took care of business, and this is what we talked about from the very beginning, how crucial it was to win these two games,” Cone said. Cruz topscored for Guam with 27 points, while Takumi Simon chipped in 23 points on 7-of-17 shooting from three-point range.

The scores:

Philippines 95 – Brownlee 20, Ramos 19, Quiambao 12, Newsome 10, Millora-Brown 9, Fajardo 7, Thompson 5, Tamayo 4, Edu 4, Aguilar 3, Perez 2, Abarrientos 0.

Guam 71 – Cruz 27, Simon 23, Galloway 10, Wesley 5, Blas 4, Africano 2, Johnson 0, Calvo 0, Hechanova 0, Borja 0, Osborn 0, Fegurgur 0.

Quarters: 32-15; 50-36; 72-55; 95-71.

Source: spin.ph