Gilas secures 2nd-round berth in World Cup qualifiers despite loss to Australia

Gilas Pilipinas absorbed a 93–66 defeat to Australia but still clinched a spot in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers at Mall of Asia Arena, March 1.

The Filipinos advanced hours before tipoff after New Zealand routed Guam, 99–67, ensuring the Philippines would finish inside the top three of Group A regardless of the result against the Boomers.

Australia, however, showed why it remains unbeaten in the group. 

The Boomers pulled away in the second half after a competitive opening two quarters that saw Gilas trail by just five, 38-33, at halftime.

Australia carried a 68–53 advantage into the fourth before blowing the contest wide open.

A Tom Wilson 3-pointer pushed the margin to 88–59 with under three minutes remaining, putting the result beyond doubt as the Boomers improved to 4–0 in Group A.

Justin Brownlee paced Gilas with 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, bouncing back from a quiet outing in a 69–66 loss to New Zealand. 

But the Filipinos struggled to sustain their rhythm offensively against Australia’s length and ball movement.

Elijah Pepper erupted for a game-high 28 points to lead the Boomers, while Tanner Krebs added 18 and Mitch Creek chipped in 13.

Despite the setback, Gilas remains firmly in the hunt for its eighth FIBA World Cup appearance and fourth straight since 2014. 

The Philippines slipped to 2-2 in Group A but moved on with another first-round window still to be played.


Following the conclusion of the sixth and final qualifying window in March 2027, a total of seven teams from the Asia-Oceania region will secure their berths on the world stage to join the automatically qualified host, Qatar, in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.