Courtesy: FIBA
Australia proved too much as it handed Gilas Pilipinas a 43-point beatdown, 92-49 in the third window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Monday at the RAC Arena in Perth.
The Boomers extended their dominance against the Filipinos in international competitions for the sixth straight game dating back to the then 1978 FIBA World Championship, four years after the Philippines last defeated Australia in the same cagefest.
Missing Justin Brownlee due to multiple injuries, the nationals braved the one-sided battle but struggled to hit the cylinders as Dwight Ramos was the only player to score in double digits with nine points.
Kevin Quiambao and June Mar Fajardo had eight points apiece for Gilas. Juan Gomez De Liaño, on the other hand, put up only seven points after leading the team with 23 markers in their sorry 106-102 defeat to New Zealand last Friday.
Bryce Cotton waxed hot from beyond the arc with five to finish with 21 points and deliver the Australians to a perfect conclusion of the first round of the qualifiers.
Australia advanced to the second round as the no. 1 team in Group E with a 6-0 record.
The Philippines, meanwhile, also made it to the next stage in the same bracket with a 2-4 slate in fifth spot.
With its dangerous position because of four straight losses, Gilas must win their second round games against Iran (5-1), Jordan (5-1), and Syria (2-4) to keep its world cup hopes alive.
Only the top three teams in Group E and F as well as the best fourth-placed team will make it to the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar.
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