GILAS Pilipinas lost to a better team in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025.
Coach Tim Cone said this after the Australian Boomers struck hard in the first period, and sustained the momentum they gained from there for an 84-60 subduing of Team Philippines on Wednesday evening.
“No doubt about Australia’s athleticism and height. When you play them on the court, you realize that they’re superior. And we just had a hard time staying in front of them,” said Cone at the end of the quarterfinals at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Boomers took control early, build a commanding 29-12 lead with Jaylin Galloway setting the early tone with three makes from deep, while Jack McVeigh and Will Magnay chipped in with key plays at both ends.
Owen Foxwell led the Boomers with 15 points, adding 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 three-pointers, while Magnay added 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot.
“We had a hard time challenging their threes and (they) move the ball really well. They got their shots quick,” added Cone.
Kevin Quiambao led the Philippines with a team-high 17 points, 4 rebounds and 5 triples, while Dwight Ramos added 15 points and 7 boards.
Justin Brownlee was limited to 10 points on 3-of-7 field goal shooting.
“They played a really good pace. We were trying to keep it at a slower pace. But we just did not have enough discipline to do that,” said Cone.
