Gilas Boys rout Malaysia, set up duel with Korea in QF qualifiers

Gilas Pilipinas Boys dismantled Malaysia, 75-52, in the FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Doha, Qatar, early Wednesday.

The young Gilas squad relied on a strong start as it finished the first quarter, 29-8. The Philippines led by 34 points, 72-38, with 4:04 left before clinching their second victory in the three games of the group stage after falling to China and winning over Kazakhstan.

All fielded players were on the score board with Kiefer Alas posting 15 points and 13 rebounds. Kurt Velasquez, meanwhile, had 13 points and seven boards. Bonn Ervin Daja had seven points and 10 rebounds.

Gilas finished second in Group D to proceed to the qualification for the quarterfinals. China, the top team in the said group, advanced directly to the top eight.

The Philippines will face Korea in the qualification for the quarterfinals scheduled on Thursday. The winner of the said matchup will face Japan in the quarters, while the losing team will play in the classification round.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News