Gilas U16 bows to Bahrain, ends Asia cup quarterfinal streak

The Philippines’ U16 squad saw its historic quarterfinal streak come to an end after bowing to Bahrain, 79-66, in the knockout phase of the 2025 FIBA U16 Asia Cup at the MBank Arena in Mongolia on September 4.

After reaching the last eight in the tournament for eight straight editions, including a fourth-place finish in 2023, world No. 35 Gilas Youth fell to No. 91 Bahrain, which snapped its 12-year drought for a quarterfinal appearance.

Louisito Pascual led the Philippines with 10 points, while Jhustin Hallare added nine.

But the lack of scoring depth proved costly as Bahrain had four players in double figures, including Mohamed Adel Abdulla, who poured in a game-high 22 points in a full 40-minute effort. Hassan Oshobuge Abdulkadir also tallied 15 points and 12 boards.

Despite being able to erase a five-point lead from the first half, Gilas sparked a 7-2 run to open the third frame, capped off by Andwele Cabanero’s pull-up jump shot, 44-44.

Hallare was then able to halt a 7-point spree from Bahrain with a three-point shot. However, it was not enough, as no one was able to backstop his efforts.

From there, Bahrain’s frontcourt took control as Hassan Oshobuge Abdulkadir chipped in five points for his team’s 11-3 run at the end of the third quarter, 62-50.

Unwilling to surrender without a fightback, the South East Asia Basketball Association (SEABA) champions mounted a late fightback, cutting the deficit to six after Brian Orca floater made it 72-66.

However, costly fouls and turnovers down the stretch doomed the comeback as Bahrain pulled away with steady free-throw shooting.

With the loss, Gilas ended their Asia Cup run with a 1-3 win-loss slate, with their only win coming against Indonesia, alongside lopsided defeats to Chinese Taipei and New Zealand in the group phase.

For the Philippines, they would be settling for the 9th-12th spot—their lowest standing in contest history.