SPORTS
Advocates Philippines
Chinese Taipei Stuns Gilas Pilipinas With Hot Shooting In FIBA Asia Cup Opener
Photo credit: FIBA via PBA
Chinese Taipei delivered a shooting clinic to upset Gilas Pilipinas, 95–87, in a gripping opener at the 31st FIBA Asia Cup held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
From the opening tip, it was clear the Taiwanese squad came prepared. Shooting guard Ying-Chun Chen took center stage at the King Abdullah Sports City, putting up 34 points — half of which came in a blistering first half that left the Filipinos scrambling to keep up.
Chen, standing at just six feet, proved to be a giant problem for Gilas. He torched the defense with a near-flawless 6-of-8 shooting from long range, and Chinese Taipei as a whole sank 12 of their 27 attempts from deep, finishing at an impressive 44% clip.
Gilas fell behind early, 27–10, in the first quarter and never quite recovered. Despite multiple surges, the team couldn’t break through as Chinese Taipei repeatedly answered every rally.
“Obviously, we didn’t play a very good one,” said Gilas head coach Tim Cone postgame. “Disappointed with the way we played. We got behind early in the game and just played on our heels the whole way — like we were in panic mode for 40 minutes.”
Justin Brownlee spearheaded Gilas’ offense with 19 points and seven rebounds, keeping the squad within striking distance during a rough first quarter — including a crowd-pleasing buzzer-beater from half court to narrow the gap to 27–16. However, his night ended prematurely as he fouled out during the final stretch, just as Gilas was threatening again at 80–74.
Two-time UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao gave the team a strong second-half spark, contributing 17 points in just 16 minutes off the bench. Scottie Thompson and Dwight Ramos also stepped up with 16 points apiece, with Thompson adding seven rebounds and five assists.
But Chinese Taipei wasn’t just about Chen. Naturalized player Brandon Gilbeck nearly posted a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds, further cementing their back-to-back wins over the Philippines — dating back to their last Asia Cup qualifier clash in February.
With this loss, Gilas Pilipinas will need to regroup quickly as they prepare to face New Zealand next. The Tall Blacks are coming off a dominant 100–78 win over Iraq and will be a tough hurdle in Group D.
“We have to see if we could come back from this and move forward,” Cone emphasized. “That’s the only thing we can do at this point.”
As the tournament heats up, Gilas knows it can’t afford another misstep — not with pride and qualification on the line.
From the opening tip, it was clear the Taiwanese squad came prepared. Shooting guard Ying-Chun Chen took center stage at the King Abdullah Sports City, putting up 34 points — half of which came in a blistering first half that left the Filipinos scrambling to keep up.
Chen, standing at just six feet, proved to be a giant problem for Gilas. He torched the defense with a near-flawless 6-of-8 shooting from long range, and Chinese Taipei as a whole sank 12 of their 27 attempts from deep, finishing at an impressive 44% clip.
Gilas fell behind early, 27–10, in the first quarter and never quite recovered. Despite multiple surges, the team couldn’t break through as Chinese Taipei repeatedly answered every rally.
“Obviously, we didn’t play a very good one,” said Gilas head coach Tim Cone postgame. “Disappointed with the way we played. We got behind early in the game and just played on our heels the whole way — like we were in panic mode for 40 minutes.”
Justin Brownlee spearheaded Gilas’ offense with 19 points and seven rebounds, keeping the squad within striking distance during a rough first quarter — including a crowd-pleasing buzzer-beater from half court to narrow the gap to 27–16. However, his night ended prematurely as he fouled out during the final stretch, just as Gilas was threatening again at 80–74.
Two-time UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao gave the team a strong second-half spark, contributing 17 points in just 16 minutes off the bench. Scottie Thompson and Dwight Ramos also stepped up with 16 points apiece, with Thompson adding seven rebounds and five assists.
But Chinese Taipei wasn’t just about Chen. Naturalized player Brandon Gilbeck nearly posted a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds, further cementing their back-to-back wins over the Philippines — dating back to their last Asia Cup qualifier clash in February.
With this loss, Gilas Pilipinas will need to regroup quickly as they prepare to face New Zealand next. The Tall Blacks are coming off a dominant 100–78 win over Iraq and will be a tough hurdle in Group D.
“We have to see if we could come back from this and move forward,” Cone emphasized. “That’s the only thing we can do at this point.”
As the tournament heats up, Gilas knows it can’t afford another misstep — not with pride and qualification on the line.
Aug 6, 2025
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