Gilas Pilipinas fell short of seizing an outright quaterfinals spot in the 2024 FIBA U18 Asia Cup in Jordan.
The Filipinos suffered their second loss in the tournament after falling to New Zealand, 75-58, on Wednesday, September 4.
John Earl Medina scored 30 points and Mark Esperanza added 14 markers but cannot carry the Philippines to victory against the Kiwis, which remains undefeated in the competition.
In the first quarter, the Filipinos trailed behind by 12 points, 23-9.
New Zealand continued to widen the deficit at the second period, and enjoyed a 17-point advantage, 43-26, at half-time.
Carter Hopoi finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds, while Tamatoa Isaac contributed 16 points for New Zealand that went up by 19 points in the match.
Gilas Pilipinas still has a chance to advance to the quarterfinals and will seek to emerge victorious against Japan on Friday, September 6, in order to remain in contention for the title.
