Just when the Pinoy aces thought they moved away from another unfortunate fate, the Boomers ran rampant late.
The Filipinos fell flat to Australia’s second-half surge, absorbing a 66–93 rout that handed them their second defeat in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers on March 1 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Gilas tried to pull away in the second quarter, cutting their trail by one at 33–34, only for Australia to spark 10-point cushions in the next frame through Elijah Pepper’s treys.
The Boomers then ignited a 29-point blowout at 59–88 in the fourth thanks to Mitch Creek and Tom Wilson’s triples before icing the game with Pepper’s own three-point bucket.
In an interview, the Philippines’ coach Tim Cone described their loss as ‘difficult to withstand’.
"It was a very painful one. It was a painful second half. Painful to be a part of, painful to watch, especially in front of our home crowd," he said.
Despite that, Gilas reeled in double digits with Justin Brownlee’s 20 points, while Quentin Millora-Brown and Dwight Ramos clinched 11 and nine points, respectively.
Philippines initally found their groove as Brownlee launched over-the-arc and two-point daggers for a mini 10–9 edge that sparked the home crowd's cheers.
However, Australia sank their counterpart by one point at 13–14 after responding to Quentin Millora-Brown’s floater with a Pepper three-pointer.
The Boomers stretched Gilas’ trail by nine, 21–30 in the second salvo as Pepper unleashed another three with a layup to pry through their foes’ defenses.
Expanding a prior point-lead, Australia then kickstarted the third quarter with a huge 44–61 beatdown of their opponents through Tanner Krebs’ three-point effort.
Brownlee attempted to resuscitate Gilas’ upswing with his own beyond-the-arc offensives — yet it was not enough to crack the Boomers’ code.
Continuing their burst, the Australians converted plays and attacks into easy points before ultimately sealing the deal with a staggering 27-point advantage.
Pepper and Krebs topscored for the Boomers as they chipped in 28 and 18 markers, respectively.
In spite the defeat, the Pinoy ballers will compete in round two of the qualifiers.
Written by Vince Garcia, Insight PH
Vince Garcia, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
