San Fernando City: Gilas Pilipinas Youth has reasserted the Philippines’ dominance in basketball in the Southeast Asian region. The nationals wrapped up its FIBA U16 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers with a gold medal after defeating Indonesia, 70-40, at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando City, Pampanga province on Friday night.

According to Philippines News Agency, Gilas started the championship match with a strong performance, posting a 21-5 early lead in the first quarter, before extending their advantage to 41-20 by halftime. The young Filipinos maintained their momentum throughout the game, leading by as many as 34 points late in the third quarter.

Carl Gabriel delos Reyes was a standout in the gold-clinching win, achieving a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds, while Jhustin Hallare spearheaded the offense with 13 points. On the Indonesian side, Miracle Christiano led with nine points and three rebounds, but no Indonesian player managed to score in double figures.

Delos Reyes’s performance earned him the title of the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. The Philippine team, guided by first-time coach and former national team member LA Tenorio, completed the tournament with a perfect 6-0 record, boasting an average winning margin of 39 points.

The Philippines will represent Southeast Asia, alongside Indonesia and Malaysia, in the FIBA U16 Asia Cup in Mongolia this July.