FEU Dominates Gilas Youth in Preseason Showdown

Far Eastern University displayed complete control over Gilas Pilipinas Youth, securing an 83-58 triumph in the 19th Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup on Monday at the Playtime Filoil Centre in San Juan.

Janrey Pasaol ignited the Tamaraws’ strong start, scoring six of his 13 points in the first quarter and sinking three of five three-pointers. FEU maintained a wire-to-wire lead, expanding it to as much as 28 points.

Kirby Mongcopa contributed 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Jedric Daa added 11 points. Blue-chip rookie Cabs Cabonilas impressed with nine points and nine rebounds.

“Really proud of Cabs—he brings some extra power to our squad,” FEU coach Sean Chambers remarked. “I was actually a bit nervous about today’s game because we now have 12 players who can contribute, so managing the rotation is something we need to figure out.”

For the national youth team, Bruce Tubongbanua shone with 16 points, including two three-pointers. Shaun Lucido added eight points and two rebounds, while Eoin Braga chipped in seven points and four boards.

Elsewhere, Jose Rizal University stunned Letran, 90-80, and Benilde relied on a strong fourth-quarter surge to overcome Perpetual, 71-62, in the NCAA Bracket.

Ivan Panapanaan led the Heavy Bombers with a double-double—15 points and 12 rebounds—shooting a perfect 7-of-7 from the field. Transferees Lawrence Mangubat and Chris Hubilla also made an immediate impact, with Mangubat scoring 13 points and grabbing nine rebounds, and Hubilla contributing 10 points and two steals.

“Good start. Credit goes to the players—they really executed our practice plans. But we still have lapses, especially on defense, and our team chemistry isn’t fully fluid yet,” said head coach Nani Epondulan.

Jimboy Estrada carried Letran with 18 points, but the NCAA Season 101 runners-up fell in their preseason opener.

Benilde’s Blazers exploded for 24 fourth-quarter points, including seven from NCAA Season 101 MVP Allen Liwag, who finished with 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. That surge helped them recover from a poor third quarter, during which they scored only eight points and allowed Perpetual to erase a 14-point halftime lead.

“Our offense got a little off rhythm with too many turnovers, letting Perpetual get their running game going. Fortunately, we bounced back in the fourth quarter,” said Blazers coach Paolo Layug.

Jhomel Ancheta contributed 13 points and four assists for CSB, while SJ Moore added eight points and three rebounds off the bench.

For Perpetual, Angelo Gelsano led with 13 points, and LA Casinillo and Ray Allen Maglupay each added 10 points in the losing effort.