Gilas Pilipinas Youth launched its FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2026 campaign with a nail-biting 89-88 victory over Chinese Taipei on Thursday evening at the Veer Savarkar Indoor Stadium in Ahmedabad, India.
Philippines Takes Control Early
The Filipinos looked firmly in control from the opening tip, turning an early 15-10 advantage into a commanding 31-12 lead after the first quarter. They continued their offensive surge in the second period and entered halftime ahead, 53-29.
Andrew Chio’s three-pointer helped Gilas stretch the advantage to its largest margin at 60-33 early in the third quarter. Jan Bennett Cagurungan spearheaded the attack, finishing with 21 points on seven three-pointers, while adding 5 rebounds and a steal. Ethan Aguas also delivered a strong all-around performance with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal.
Chinese Taipei Stages Massive Comeback
Despite being in complete control for most of the contest, Gilas suddenly found itself under immense pressure as Chinese Taipei began chipping away at the deficit. The East Asian side outscored the Philippines, 30-21, in the third quarter before continuing its charge in the final period.
Even after Aguas knocked down a three-pointer to restore an 83-68 Gilas advantage with just over six minutes remaining, Chinese Taipei responded with a 15-1 surge. That run turned the game completely around, putting them ahead, 84-83, with 3:31 left.
Cagurungan answered with another three before Li-An Chuang responded from beyond the arc, setting up a tense finish.
Ethan Aguas Delivers the Game-Winner
With only seconds remaining, Carter Coleman converted a transition basket to give Chinese Taipei an 88-87 lead with 6.6 seconds on the clock. Gilas immediately turned to Aguas, who calmly floated home the go-ahead shot with roughly 2.5 seconds remaining.
“It was a miracle shot,” Aguas said after the game.
Chinese Taipei still had one final opportunity, but Ting-Kuan Liu could not convert his potential game-winning attempt as the final buzzer sounded.
Prince Cariño contributed 10 points and 9 rebounds, while Bruce Tubongbanua Jr. also scored 10 for Gilas. Liu paced Chinese Taipei with 23 points and 6 rebounds, while Coleman added 22 points and 7 boards. Jia-Han Huang chipped in 15 points and 9 rebounds.
Gilas Youth Set for Australia Showdown
The dramatic victory puts the Philippines level with Australia at the top of Group A. Australia opened its campaign earlier in the day with a dominant 102-32 victory over Thailand.
Gilas Pilipinas Youth will next face Australia on Saturday, August 15, at the same venue. The matchup will be crucial in determining the Group A standings, with the pool winner earning an outright spot in the quarterfinals while the second- and third-placed teams advance to the qualification phase
