Gilas Pilipinas U16 Bows to Bahrain, Misses Asia Cup Quarterfinals for First Time
The Gilas Pilipinas Youth campaign in the 2025 FIBA U16 Asia Cup came to a heartbreaking end after falling to Bahrain, 79-66, in the qualification to quarterfinals on Thursday, September 4, at the MBank Arena in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The defeat marked a historic low for the Philippines, which failed to reach the Asia Cup quarterfinals for the first time ever. Since the tournament’s inception in 2009, the Filipinos had always advanced to the final eight, highlighted by a silver medal finish in 2013 and a semifinal run in 2023 that secured a FIBA U17 World Cup berth in 2024.
Gilas Youth’s Late Rally Falls Short
After a tight first half, the game was knotted at 44-all early in the third quarter when Andwele Cabañero hit a pull-up jumper. But Bahrain responded with a 7-0 run capped by Hussain Fuad Moosa Sharaf Ghuloom’s layup for a 51-44 lead.
Although Jhustin Hallare drained a three to stop the bleeding, Bahrain surged again with an 11-0 burst that stretched the gap to 62-47.
Gilas showed resilience in the closing minutes, trimming the deficit to just six, 72-66, with 1:41 left thanks to Brian Orca Jr.’s floater. Orca scored 5 of his 8 points in that late run, but the Filipinos went scoreless the rest of the way as Bahrain sealed the win with seven unanswered points.
Leaders for Gilas
- Luisito Pascual paced the Philippines with 10 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal.
- Hallare added 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steal, and 1 assists.
- Everaigne Cruz had 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assists.
- Prince Cariño contributed 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
- Travis Pascual chipped in 6 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block.
- Orca grabbed 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.
Bahrain’s Big Performers
Bahrain advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2013 behind Mohamed Adel Abdulla’s dominant outing of 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals. He received plenty of support as Ali Husain Mohamed, Hussain Ghuloom, and Hassan Abdulkadir all scored 15 points each.
The victory set up Bahrain’s quarterfinal clash with powerhouse China.
Historic Early Exit for Gilas
The loss ended the Philippines’ run with a 1-3 record in the tournament. Gilas’ only win came against Indonesia, while it suffered defeats to Chinese Taipei, New Zealand, and Bahrain.
The early exit also meant the end of the Philippines’ hopes of returning to the 2026 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in Turkey, as only the top four teams in the Asia Cup qualify.
It was a stunning downfall for a program that had just finished fourth in 2023, while Bahrain had placed 15th out of 16 teams in that same edition.
For Gilas Youth, the 2025 campaign closed with disappointment, but the experience will be crucial for the next generation of Filipino hoopers as they aim to bounce back stronger.
