FOR the first time since 2006, the Gilas Pilipinas Boys will not be playing in the quarterfinals of the FIBA U18 Asia Cup.
The countryโs Under 18 team was shown the exit door after it lost badly to Japan, 61-85, on Friday, September 6, at the Prince Hamza Hall in Amman, Jordan.
The Josh Reyes-coached Gilas suffered its third straight defeat, falling into a major slump after starting the tournament with a convincing win over Indonesia.
The eliminated Gilas was relegated to the classification round. By failing to advance to the Final 4, Gilas also missed the chance to earn a return trip to the U18 World Cup in Hungary next year.
In pulling off the easy win, Japan exploited its massive size and length advantage to the hilt with 6-foot-8 center Leon Watanabe imposing his towering presence to finish with 15 points and six rebounds.
Riku Segawa added 13 points for Japan while Teruchika Naito pitched in 10 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Mark Esperanza led Gilas with 16 points while John Earl Medina, who exploded for 30 against New Zealand in the last game, was held down to just 11.
Gilas was down by just four in the opening period but Japan slowly pulled away and took a 14-point lead after three quarters of play. The Japanese dribblers completely put the game away in the fourth where they led by as many as 24 points.(CCM)