Gilas teens end up fourth; Alas gains ‘All-Star’ honors

MANILA, Philippines — World Cup-bound Gilas Pilipinas boys settled for a fourth-place finish after an 87-59 loss to China in the FIBA U16 Asian Championship bronze-medal match yesterday at the Al-Gharafa Sports Club Multi-Purpose Hall in Doha, Qatar.

Like in the semifinals against eventual champion Australia, Gilas misfired and bled for only eight points in the third quarter that doomed its podium-finish hopes.

The Filipino teens were outscored by their Chinese counterparts, 26-8, in the third period and never recovered from there on the way to the 28-point defeat.

Joaquin Garbriel Ludovice top-scored with 15 points as ace player Kieffer Louie Alas tallied 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and four steals for the wards of coach Josh Reyes, who nonetheless improved on their seventh-place finish last year.

Alas, behind averages of 15.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists, made it to the FIBA U16 All-Star Five led by MVP Oscar Goodman of New Zealand.