Gilas Youth ended its 2026 FIBA U18 Asia Cup campaign with an 89-78 loss to Chinese Taipei in the seventh-place classification game on Sunday afternoon.
Despite the heroics of Chog Moral for the third straight game, the defeat gave the Philippines an eighth-place finish in the tournament.
Chinese Taipei Turns the Game Around Before Halftime
In their first meeting of the tournament, Gilas pulled off a clutch 89-88 win against Chinese Taipei—but this time, the story was different.
The Philippines came out confident and looked poised to close the campaign on a winning note. After a tightly contested opening period, Gilas turned a 26-24 advantage into a 38-26 lead with 5:41 left in the second quarter.
Strong defense and timely scoring helped Gilas build a double-digit cushion, but Chinese Taipei quickly shifted the momentum.
A massive 23-3 run erased the Philippines’ 12-point lead, as Gilas Youth struggled to convert opportunities while the Taiwanese capitalized on turnovers and pushed the pace in transition. The surge gave Chinese Taipei a 49-41 lead at halftime.
Yu-Sheng Xing and Carter Matthew Coleman spearheaded the comeback, while Chinese Taipei’s defense forced costly mistakes that turned into easy scoring chances.
Philippines Attempts Another Late Comeback
Gilas Youth refused to surrender and mounted another push after halftime.
Ethan Aguas cut the deficit to three, 56-53, midway through the third quarter with a layup, but Chinese Taipei immediately responded to regain control.
An 18-7 run pushed the Taiwanese ahead, 74-60, early in the fourth quarter.
Prince Cariño and Moral combined for back-to-back baskets to trim the gap to 87-78 with 1:17 left, but Gilas’ 18 turnovers proved costly. Chinese Taipei converted those miscues into 18 points and generated 20 fast-break points, staying composed in the closing moments to secure the win.
Chog Moral Leads Gilas Youth in Losing Effort
Moral once again delivered a strong performance, finishing with 22 points, nine rebounds, three steals, and two assists—his third straight game leading Gilas in scoring.
Aguas added 15 points and seven rebounds, while Lino Tubongbanua Jr. contributed 10 points. George Aidan Green chipped in eight points and seven rebounds.
Coleman was the difference-maker for Chinese Taipei, producing a dominant double-double of 23 points and 15 rebounds, along with four steals and two blocks. Xing added 17 points, while Ting-Kuan Liu and Tz-Jie Weng scored 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Gilas Youth Finishes Eighth Place
Despite ending the competition with three consecutive losses, Gilas improved on its 11th-place finish in the 2024 FIBA U18 Asia Cup.
Gilas opened the tournament with a victory over Chinese Taipei before losing to Australia. The Philippines then bounced back with a win over Thailand and followed it up with a victory against Syria to advance to the quarterfinals. The Philippines’ run ended against China in the quarterfinals before suffering defeats to Japan and, most recently, Chinese Taipei in the classification round.
Despite the setbacks, 18-year-old Chog Moral emerged as the brightest spot for the Philippines, showcasing his talent and consistency throughout the tournament.
