HOME SWEEP HOME
There was very little doubt that Gilas Pilipinas would handle things properly at home and finish with a sweep against Guam in their two-game series in the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
But after the Filipinos struggled to sustain a fast start and needed a strong finish to ice a 95-71 victory at Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym on Monday night, it was clear there was a lot more to be done before big matches against infinitely better squads early next year.
“We didn’t play our best game tonight, especially on defense,” national coach Tim Cone said. “But the bottom line is, we took care of business.
“This is what we talked about at the very beginning, about how crucial it was for us to win these two games, whether it’s a one-point win, a 20-point win or a 40-point win,” Cone added. “It really didn’t matter [as long as] we won. So we took care of business and now we move on.”
The moving on part is going to be difficult.
The Philippines will play Oceania heavyweights Australia and New Zealand starting with home games early next year and will do so minus a vital veteran presence.
Japeth Aguilar, who has been with the program since 2009, has announced that the match against Guam was his last in a Gilas Pilipinas jersey.
Aguilar, who had three points, one rebound and one steal in 10 minutes as a starter, can now hand the baton to young bigs who he feels would do well in his place.
“It’s very fitting for me to hang it up because we’re already building a core,” Aguilar said.
Gilas OG
Aguilar was handed a framed replica of his Gilas jersey before the game started, a simple gesture to honor the high-leaping, athletic forward who was part of every World Cup campaign of Gilas.
He was joined at center court by his pregnant wife, Cassy and their two kids.
Aguilar was among the first batch of Gilas Pilipinas players under Rajko Toroman and was part of the team that won the gold medal in the 2022 Asian Games, a first for the country in decades.
The future of the Gilas frontline was on the floor against Guam on Monday, with the 6-foot-10 Quentin Millora-Brown showing a glimpse of his potential after finishing with nine points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes. AJ Edu, a 6-foot-10 forward, added four points and seven boards.
The centerpiece of that tall national team frontline, the 7-foot-3 Kai Sotto, could make his return from injury in February, when Gilas opens hosting of the Oceania squads.
Justin Brownlee led the team with 20 points while Dwight Ramos added 19 for Gilas, which tied Australia atop Group A on a similar 2-0 slate. Australia beat New Zealand twice in their series.
