Australia obliterates Gilas Pilipinas by 43 points

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Australian national basketball team spoiled Gilas Pilipinas’ bounce-back attempt after manhandling them, 92-49, during the final phase of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers’ first round on July 6, 2026, at RAC Arena in Perth.

Fresh off a double-overtime loss at the hands of New Zealand, the Filipinos barely had any rhythm against Australia, playing without naturalized player Justin Brownlee, who sat out due to multiple injuries.

Australia immediately dominated the showdown from the get-go as it leaned on the offensive brilliance of Bryce Cotton, who torched Gilas with 13 first-quarter points.

After an 8-all deadlock courtesy of Kevin Quiambao’s early explosion, the Australians suddenly flipped the switch, stunning Gilas with a massive 25-6 avalanche that ballooned their lead to 19 points, 33-14.

Gilas showed some signs of life when the second quarter kicked off as the veteran 1-2 punch of June Mar Fajardo and Troy Rosario helped the Philippines address its front-court woes.

With their intimidating presence inside the shaded lane, Australia quickly got into the penalty limit with six minutes still remaining in the frame.

The shift in the game’s pace neutralized Australia’s high-octane attack as Gilas limited them to just eight points in the quarter to hold slight momentum heading into the second half.

However, Australia dictated the tempo once again, leaving Gilas behind with a dominant 22-10 burst behind a balanced inside-outside attack.

Aside from Cotton, the duo of Mitch Creek and Josh Bannan posed problems for the thinner Gilas front court.

Despite Fajardo checking back in during the final four minutes of the third period, the Australians immediately countered by attacking quickly to repel the Philippines’ half-court defensive sets.

Gilas head coach Tim Cone desperately tried all possible combinations inside, even resorting to a triple-big rotation of Mike Phillips, Carl Tamayo, and EJ Edu, but the more experienced Australian squad moved the ball quicker and relied on its horns execution to free up its shooters from both elbows.

A key factor that Australia also perfectly executed was staying locked in with its full-court defensive pressure from the opening tip until the final buzzer.

With only limited ball handlers in Gilas’ pool, Australia’s full-court trap forced the Filipinos into 19 disappointing turnovers, their worst performance since the first window kicked off on Nov. 28, 2025.

“We couldn’t get into our offense,” said Cone after Gilas’ one-sided loss.

“They did such a great job of defending. Credit to their defense. That keyed their transition game, their ability to hit three-point shots, and they just kind of snowballed on us. And that was the result.”

Despite the loss, Gilas’ World Cup dream is still alive after qualifying for the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.