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| Kacey Dela Rosa and the rest of Gilas Pilipinas are one win away from the FIBA 3x3 World Cup. SBP |
MANILA--Gilas Pilipinas clinched the top seed in a wild Pool B of the FIBA 3x3 World Cup Qualifiers during the entire pool stages on Saturday in Singapore.
The quartet of the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup Mythical Three member Afril Bernardino, Kacey Dela Rosa, Mikka Cacho, and new recruit Tantoy Ferrer achieved its task of making it to the semifinals despite splitting both its pool stage assignments.
Gilas bowed to Brazil in its first match-up, 13-16, but secured the 21-point knockout against host team Singapore despite nearly blowing a 9-2 lead.
Singapore stunned Brazil in overtime, 15-13, to force a three-way tie at 1-1, but Gilas secured the top seed after all the tiebreakers were computed.
Both Gilas and Singapore ended up with 34 points, while Brazil was sent home after tallying only 29 during the pool stages.
Gilas' head-to-head win secured them the second tiebreaker and the top spot, but it also means it will have to face European basketball giant Lithuania in the Sunday semifinal.
Lithuania needed overtime to survive Egypt, 19-18, to clinch the second seed in Pool A behind 2-0 Hungary, which will have Singapore next in the semis.
Whoever wins in both semifinals will book their places in the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Warsaw from June 1-7.
The losing semifinalists will play in a third-place battle later Sunday called the "Last Chance Game" to determine who completes the cast.
