Salazar powers Gilas rally to U16 Challenge Cup bronze

Gilas Pilipinas Boys erased a 14-point deficit to defeat Fukuoka, 78-72, and capture the bronze medal in the 2026 B.League Under-16 Challenge Cup on Thursday at Sumida City Gymnasium in Tokyo.

The Filipinos trailed by double digits for much of the contest and were still down 68-58 with under seven minutes remaining before mounting a dramatic comeback.

Gilas clamped down defensively in the closing stretch, holding Fukuoka to just four points over the final minutes while finishing the game on a decisive 20-4 run.

Brielle Salazar ignited the rally, tying the game at 70-all with a driving layup before stealing the ensuing inbound pass and converting an and-one play to give Gilas a 73-70 lead with 2:36 remaining. It marked the Filipinos' first advantage since the opening half.

Fukuoka closed within one after Takumichi Uchida knocked down a jumper with 2:12 left, but Sam Esomchi split a pair of free throws before Salazar scored on a euro-step layup to extend the lead to 76-72 with 45.5 seconds remaining.

Following another defensive stop, Dwayne Madrigal grabbed an offensive rebound off an Esomchi miss and converted the putback to seal the six-point victory.

Salazar led Gilas with 18 points, four steals, three rebounds, and two blocks, while Esomchi registered a double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds. Hisham Mampao also contributed 11 points, five rebounds, and two steals.

Uchida paced Fukuoka with 23 points, while Ryuki Shinozuka added 18.

The bronze-medal finish capped a strong campaign for Gilas, which advanced to the third-place game after finishing second in its group with a 2-1 record. The Filipinos opened the tournament with a 91-81 victory over Chiba, fell 73-66 to Ryukyu, and responded with a 105-79 win over Tachikawa to earn a place on the podium.