Gilas open New Zealand camp with dominant win over Manawatu

Gilas Pilipinas kicked off its New Zealand training camp on a strong note, rolling to a convincing 92-61 win over Manawatu on Sunday at Fly Palmy Arena in Palmerston North in the first of two tune-up games ahead of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.

Former National University-Nazareth School teammates Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao led the balanced attack, rediscovering their chemistry to set the tone for the Nationals.

Tamayo finished with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting, along with four assists and three rebounds, while Quiambao added 13 points and two boards as Gilas built control early and never looked back.

The Philippines jumped ahead quickly, taking a 25-12 lead after the first quarter before widening the gap to 67-45 heading into the final period. A tight defensive finish in the fourth quarter saw Gilas extend the margin to as many as 31 points en route to a comfortable victory.

Troy Rosario was perfect from the field, going 5-of-5 for 11 points, while Juan Gomez de Liano directed the offense with nine points, seven assists, and two steals.

Mike Phillips impressed in his Gilas debut with eight points and nine rebounds, while Dwight Ramos also added eight points and seven boards. Head coach Tim Cone saw every player in uniform contribute to the scoring column in the blowout win.

Naturalized forward Justin Brownlee did not suit up as part of the coaching staff’s decision to rest him.

Manawatu, which finished 5-10 in the previous New Zealand National Basketball League season, was paced by Kazlo Evans with 11 points and Jameer Reed with 10. Team captain Jamal Poplar added six points and a game-high 17 rebounds.

The victory gives Gilas early momentum as it continues preparations for the third window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.

The Filipinos will next face Franklin in another tune-up game on June 30 before taking on host New Zealand on Friday at 6:30 p.m. (Manila time).