Gilas Boys fall to 0-2 in FIBA U17 World Cup after 62-point loss to Spain

MANILA, Philippines – Spain proved why it is ranked No. 2 in the world as it handed the Gilas Pilipinas under-17 team a ruthless 96-34 beating in the FIBA U17 World Cup on Sunday, June 30, at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul, Turkiye (Turkey).

Coming off a 59-point loss to Lithuania in their opening assignment, Gilas Boys were simply no match for Spain right from the get-go as the Spanish immediately broke the game wide open with a 16-0 lead in just the first four minutes of the contest.

Playing minus their go-to guy Kieffer Alas – who suffered a knee injury prior to the start of the World Cup – Gilas Boys struggled mightily on offense as they were held to just 2 points the whole opening period, with their lone basket coming from Joaquin Ludovice at the 5:17 mark of the quarter.

The Philippines managed to score in double-digits in the next three quarters, but the game was practically out of reach as early as the first frame, thanks to Spain’s massive 30-2 start.

Gilas Boys ended the game shooting just 14-of-63 from the field, including a dismal 3-of-30 clip from three-point land.

Aside from steals, where the Philippines tallied 12 versus Spain’s 11, the Spanish dominated all other statistical categories, including a whopping 71-22 difference in the rebounding department and a 52-13 edge in bench points.

For the second straight contest, only one Gilas Boys player reached double figures in scoring, with Bonn Daja dropping 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

Ludovice finished with 7 points, while Elijah Williams and Edryn Morales contributed 4 apiece in the 62-point defeat.

On the other side, Maximo Garcia-Plata led Spain’s onslaught with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Guillermo Del Pino had 14 markers.

Now at 0-2, the Josh Reyes-mentored Gilas Boys return to the drawing board as they wrap up their group phase campaign in Group A versus fellow winless squad Puerto Rico on Tuesday, July 2.