Gilas Pilipinas Youth held off a tough challenge from Indonesia, securing a hard-earned 77-68 victory in the FIBA U16 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers on Wednesday night at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga.
Unlike their dominant performances against Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore, the Filipinos were tested for the first time in the tournament. Still, they proved their composure under pressure with a balanced scoring effort—five players finished in double digits.
The win gave Gilas a 4-0 record, making them the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far.
The game was tight early, with Gilas holding a slim 32-28 lead at halftime. They managed to build a 10-point cushion by the end of the third quarter, 57-47, but Indonesia, led by top scorer Benjamin Piet Hernusi, refused to go away.
Despite the Indonesian rally in the final period, the young nationals remained composed and fended off every comeback attempt.
Prince Cariño led Gilas with 15 points and six rebounds. Travis Pascual followed with 13 points, Luisito Joel Pascual added 12, while Carl Gabriel Delos Reyes and Everaigne Cruz contributed 10 each.
Gilas wraps up the preliminary round with a game against Malaysia on Thursday, with the top seed within reach.