Gilas Men’s 3x3 Asia Cup Run Ends with Narrow Loss to South Korea

Gilas Pilipinas Men’s strong campaign in the 2026 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup came to a heart-wrenching end on Sunday, as they were defeated 15–18 by South Korea in a nail-biting quarterfinal clash at OCBC Square in Singapore.

The game was a tightly contested affair from start to finish, with both teams having already battled through the qualifiers. After Jerrick Ahanmisi hit a two-pointer to level the score at 9-all, South Korea began to take control.

A foul by Sean Alter on Lee Donggeun gave Korea the lead, and a quick drive by Lee Juyeong pushed their advantage to 14–10.

Ahanmisi kept the Philippines in the hunt, bringing them back to within one point at 16–15, but Ku Mingyo responded immediately, extending Korea’s lead again by two points.

In the final moments, costly turnovers—including one from Chris Koon, a block by Donggeun on Ralph Cu, and a shot-clock violation—sealed Gilas’ fate. Juyeong then nailed the game-winning basket with seconds remaining.

Lee Donggeun led South Korea with eight points, including three two-pointers, while Juyeong and Ku combined for nine more.

For Gilas, Ahanmisi finished with eight points, all from beyond the arc, while Koon and Alter each scored three points. Cu struggled offensively, scoring just one point on 1-of-9 shooting.

Despite the loss, the Philippines’ run in the Asia Cup was their best in four years. After finishing fourth in 2022, Gilas Men had not made it past the group stage in subsequent tournaments.

The team’s journey to the quarterfinals was impressive, as they first defeated Maldives 21–16 and then edged out Thailand 17–15 in the qualifiers. In the main draw, Gilas fell just short against top-ranked Mongolia, 21–19, but bounced back with a dominant 21–13 win over Chinese Taipei to reach the knockout stage.

Photo Credits to FIBA