Gilas Youth routs Malaysia to secure FIBA Asia Cup ticket

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Gilas Pilipinas Youth team put on a masterclass after annihilating Malaysia, 130-54, during their semifinal clash in the FIBA Under-18 Asia Cup Southeast Asia Basketball Association Qualifiers on June 13, 2026, at the Chan Ka Pho Gymnasium in Krabi, Thailand.

With the victory, Gilas formalized its entry into the main draw of the Asia Cup, set Aug. 13-23 in Ahmedabad, India.

After three consecutive one-sided affairs against Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand, the Gilas Boys picked up where they left off, dominating Malaysia from start to finish.

Gilas got off to a red-hot start after blitzing to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, forcing Malaysia’s coaching staff to call back-to-back emergency timeouts while altering its usual player rotation in hopes of finding answers.

Despite Malaysia opting for an unconventional 1-3-1 zone defense, the young Filipino hoopers kept pounding the rock and didn’t give the opposition any room to breathe.

By the start of the second half, Gilas smelled blood and executed full-court man-to-man defensive pressure to perfection, helping them open the third quarter with a momentum-boosting 14-2 run.

Malaysia picked up its 3-point shooting rhythm in the final two minutes of the third period, but JB Cagurungan and Prince Cariño teamed up to help Gilas restore order.

It was pretty much over when Gilas ballooned its lead to 70 points, with Malaysia throwing in the white towel early with seven minutes still remaining in the high-stakes matchup.

Cagurungan led the charge for the red-hot Gilas squad with 26 big points built on seven drained 3-pointers, alongside six rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Cariño continued his consistent offensive output in the tournament after dropping 21 markers without a single miss in 10 attempts, while Joquin Tovera added 15 points and seven boards.

Kyle Sardon, a product of St. Robert’s International College of Iloilo from Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, delivered seven points for Gilas.