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| Gilas Youth made quick work of Malaysia, but a playoff showdown against South Korea looms. FIBA (file photo) |
MANILA--Gilas Pilipinas Youth made quick work of Malaysia, 75-52, in their FIBA U16 Asian Championship game early Wednesday (Philippine Time) at the Al-Rayyan Indoor Hall in Doha.
Gilas Youth set the tone early on by racing to a 29-8 lead against Malaysia in the first quarter, and they never looked back from there despite their offense slowing down a bit in the end.
Kieffer Alas led Gilas Youth, which finished second in Group D at 2-1, with 15 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal.
Kurt Velasquez added 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Chua Yen Joon, Brandon Kho, and Elvin Hoo each scored seven points for Malaysia, which fell to third at 1-2.
Gilas Youth will have to play South Korea in the first round of the playoffs early Friday (Philippine Time) after the team was stunned by Jordan, 62-59, on Tuesday night.
In effect, Jordan plays Malaysia in their own playoff first-round encounter.
The Gilas Youth-South Korea winner takes on Japan in the quarterfinals.
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