Gilas complete unbeaten New Zealand tune-up campaign

Gilas Pilipinas Men closed out its New Zealand training camp in dominant fashion, defeating Franklin, 94-66, on Tuesday at Franklin Pool and Leisure to complete a perfect two-game sweep of its tune-up schedule ahead of the third window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.

Carl Tamayo once again led the way for the Nationals, finishing with 22 points on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting, including four three-pointers, as Gilas stayed in control from start to finish.

Dwight Ramos also turned in an outstanding performance, scoring 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting while adding five rebounds, five assists, and two steals in just 23 minutes. AJ Edu chipped in 14 points and five rebounds.

The Filipinos established the tone early, racing to a 10-3 start before erupting for 32 first-quarter points. Tamayo accounted for 13 of those markers as Gilas built an early cushion that Franklin never seriously threatened.

Maintaining a double-digit lead throughout the contest, the Nationals stretched the margin to as many as 31 points, 92-61, after a late jumper by Tamayo before cruising to the 28-point victory.

Kevin Quiambao contributed nine points, five assists, and three rebounds, while Juan Gomez de Liaño and Justine Baltazar added eight and seven points, respectively.

Naturalized star Justin Brownlee and Mike Phillips sat out the game.

The victory followed Gilas' 92-61 rout of Manawatu on Sunday, allowing the national team to finish its exhibition schedule in New Zealand with back-to-back convincing wins.

Gilas now turns its attention to the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, where it will face host New Zealand in Auckland on Friday at 3 p.m. before taking on Australia in Perth on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.

Jace Carter led Franklin with 18 points and six rebounds, while Derrin Boyd scored 15 points. Carter Whitt also reached double figures with 11 points for the Bulls, who finished last season with a 9-11 record in the New Zealand National Basketball League.