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Gilas Crushes Guam In Dominant 87-46 Qualifiers Debut
Photo credit: PBA
Gilas Pilipinas opened its FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers campaign with a statement win, overwhelming debuting Guam 87–46 on Friday night.
The hosts kept things tight early, but the momentum shifted fast. Gilas exploded with seven unanswered points courtesy of Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos, and Kevin Quiambao, pushing the Philippines ahead 31–25 and taking full control from there.
Fresh off a month-long battle with pneumonia, Brownlee lit up the court with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting, plus two rebounds and two assists. Ramos chipped in 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists, providing steady play on both ends.
Despite the blowout, head coach Tim Cone admitted the team entered the matchup cautiously.
“We knew they’re a little short-handed. Still, that didn’t stop us for having a lot of trepidation,” Cone said.
“But towards the end of the first half, we kinda got our rhythm. Came out in the second half and defended pretty well, stretched the lead, and that ended up being the game.”
Gilas’ big men were just as impactful. June Mar Fajardo and AJ Edu scored eight points apiece, hauling down 10 and eight rebounds, respectively. Newcomer Quentin Millora-Brown added six points and 10 boards in his impressive national team debut.
Overall, Gilas controlled the paint, dominating the rebounding battle 61–36 — a number that now stands as a new Asian Qualifiers record.
For Guam, San Miguel Beer guard Jericho Cruz led the way with 17 points in the team’s first-ever appearance in the World Cup qualifiers.
Gilas returns home with confidence — and momentum — as it looks ahead to tougher battles in the next qualifying windows.
The hosts kept things tight early, but the momentum shifted fast. Gilas exploded with seven unanswered points courtesy of Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos, and Kevin Quiambao, pushing the Philippines ahead 31–25 and taking full control from there.
Fresh off a month-long battle with pneumonia, Brownlee lit up the court with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting, plus two rebounds and two assists. Ramos chipped in 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists, providing steady play on both ends.
Despite the blowout, head coach Tim Cone admitted the team entered the matchup cautiously.
“We knew they’re a little short-handed. Still, that didn’t stop us for having a lot of trepidation,” Cone said.
“But towards the end of the first half, we kinda got our rhythm. Came out in the second half and defended pretty well, stretched the lead, and that ended up being the game.”
Gilas’ big men were just as impactful. June Mar Fajardo and AJ Edu scored eight points apiece, hauling down 10 and eight rebounds, respectively. Newcomer Quentin Millora-Brown added six points and 10 boards in his impressive national team debut.
Overall, Gilas controlled the paint, dominating the rebounding battle 61–36 — a number that now stands as a new Asian Qualifiers record.
For Guam, San Miguel Beer guard Jericho Cruz led the way with 17 points in the team’s first-ever appearance in the World Cup qualifiers.
Gilas returns home with confidence — and momentum — as it looks ahead to tougher battles in the next qualifying windows.
Nov 28, 2025
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