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Australia Hands Gilas Fourth Straight Loss In World Cup Qualifiers
Photo credit: FIBA
Gilas Pilipinas wrapped up the first round of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers with another setback after falling to Australia, 92-49, on Monday night at Perth Arena.
Playing without injured naturalized player Justin Brownlee, the Filipinos struggled from the opening tip as the Boomers raced to a 20-8 lead midway through the first quarter. Australia stayed in control the rest of the way, building a 19-point advantage after the opening period before cruising to a dominant victory.
The loss came just three days after Gilas suffered a heartbreaking double-overtime defeat to New Zealand, 106-102, in Auckland.
Head coach Tim Cone admitted his team had a difficult time recovering from the emotional and physical toll of that game.
"We were shell-shocked coming out. Playing on the road, coming off a tough game. You see this all the time in pro leagues – the NBA, the NBL, the PBA where we play. Coming off a tough game and then going on the road," Cone said.
"And then the other team is chomping us a bit, coming out and chomping us a bit, and came out of the gate really well."
Bryce Cotton led Australia with 21 points, including 13 in the first half, while Tyrese Proctor added 16 as the Boomers completed a perfect 6-0 sweep of Group A.
With Brownlee sidelined due to a hamstring injury and other physical concerns, Gilas failed to produce a double-digit scorer. Dwight Ramos paced the team with nine points, while June Mar Fajardo finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Mike Phillips grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds before leaving the game because of cramps.
The defeat dropped Gilas Pilipinas to a 2-4 record heading into the second round of the Asian Qualifiers, which begins in late August.
Playing without injured naturalized player Justin Brownlee, the Filipinos struggled from the opening tip as the Boomers raced to a 20-8 lead midway through the first quarter. Australia stayed in control the rest of the way, building a 19-point advantage after the opening period before cruising to a dominant victory.
The loss came just three days after Gilas suffered a heartbreaking double-overtime defeat to New Zealand, 106-102, in Auckland.
Head coach Tim Cone admitted his team had a difficult time recovering from the emotional and physical toll of that game.
"We were shell-shocked coming out. Playing on the road, coming off a tough game. You see this all the time in pro leagues – the NBA, the NBL, the PBA where we play. Coming off a tough game and then going on the road," Cone said.
"And then the other team is chomping us a bit, coming out and chomping us a bit, and came out of the gate really well."
Bryce Cotton led Australia with 21 points, including 13 in the first half, while Tyrese Proctor added 16 as the Boomers completed a perfect 6-0 sweep of Group A.
With Brownlee sidelined due to a hamstring injury and other physical concerns, Gilas failed to produce a double-digit scorer. Dwight Ramos paced the team with nine points, while June Mar Fajardo finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Mike Phillips grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds before leaving the game because of cramps.
The defeat dropped Gilas Pilipinas to a 2-4 record heading into the second round of the Asian Qualifiers, which begins in late August.
Jul 7, 2026
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