Gilas completes sweep of Guam to hike FIBA WC Qualifiers record to 2-0

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Gilas Pilipinas men’s national basketball team successfully swept all of its games against Guam, replicating its masterclass in the first game during the rematch, 95–71, in the ongoing FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Dec. 1, 2025, at the Blue Eagle Gym.

Boosted by the cheers from their Filipino fans, Gilas immediately buckled down to work and went off to the races after opening the game with an early 15-point lead in the first 10 minutes of action.

Unlike their first encounter on the road, where Gilas had to endure a sluggish start, the chemistry from Dwight Ramos, Justin Brownlee, and June Mar Fajardo helped the national team jump ahead in the driver’s seat, with little resistance from the disoriented Guam squad.

Gilas also executed some major adjustments, particularly on the defensive end, when they deployed a mixed 1-2-2 zone and a 2-3 filled coverage to slow down Guam’s three-point production.

The defensive mix-up eventually took a toll on Guam’s offensive execution, as Gilas limited them to just three points in the first five minutes of the opening quarter.

From that point, Gilas never looked back, following it up with another scoring barrage in the second quarter, courtesy of a balanced attack from the national team’s second stringers.

Gilas ballooned its largest lead of the ballgame to 27 points, but Guam showed some life when its offense got going in the remaining three minutes before the first half ended.

Eager to claw their way back, Guam received some timely baskets from its frontcourt rotation, but it was Takumi Simon who brought them back to life after drilling huge three-pointers.

Just when Gilas thought they could cool down Guam’s surging come-from-behind attempt, Jericho Cruz neutralized their plans as the current San Miguel Beermen guard joined Simon on offense, helping his team get close to within nine points twice in the third quarter.

When an energetic Blue Eagle Gym suddenly went anxious, Brownlee took matters into his own hands, as the naturalized player scored two crucial counter baskets that prevented Guam from trimming the deficit to seven points.

Unfortunately, in the fourth and final frame, Guam lost its firepower and entered a cold shooting spree—countered by a much-needed scoring lift from Gilas, which found its stroke to build another 20-point advantage.

Guam never trimmed its deficit to single digits again, en route to a flawless 2-0 start from Gilas, which is gunning for another FIBA World Cup main draw ticket.

Brownlee once again top-scored the Filipino hoopers for the second consecutive game against Guam, dropping 20 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals.

Meanwhile, Ramos, who caught fire in the first quarter, delivered 19 markers, seven boards, and two steals, while Chris Newsome and Quentin Millora-Brown chipped in 10 and nine points, respectively.