MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas Men marched to the 2022 FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup with a pair of wins against Jordan and Indonesia in the qualifying draw on Thursday, July 7 in Singapore.

The Pinoy stalwarts escaped Jordan, 21-19, in the first game, before outgunning Indonesia, 21-15, in the second.

PBA 3×3 champion guard Almond Vosotros sparked the Gilas offense from downtown as he scored 11 points built off multiple deuces in each of their two games while Joseph Eriobu provided a much-needed inside presence.

The Philippines now faces host country Singapore on Saturday, July 9 at 3:35 pm and Group H top seed China in the last game of the day at 9:25 pm for a shot to advance to the Asia Cup knockout playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Gilas Pilipinas Women were not as fortunate as their male counterparts as they fell to Thailand in a tightly-contested affair, 11-13, after blowing out Jordan, 21-9.

Despite the losing effort, Afril Bernardino showcased her post scoring prowess on a bigger regional stage, while Khate Castillo, Trina Guytingco, and Camille Clarin provided a consistent outside spark.

With the women’s side now out of contention due to the Thailand loss, it is now up to Gilas Men to bring the fight to Asia’s best and hope to start a Cinderella run to the top.

– Rappler.com