Gilas Girls outgunned by Australia in Division A debut at U16 Asia Cup

The Gilas Pilipinas Girls received a harsh welcome to Division A of the FIBA U16 Women’s Asia Cup, suffering a 123-42 defeat at the hands of powerhouse Australia in their opening game at the Karisma Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Fresh off their Division B championship in 2023, the young Filipinas quickly found themselves on the back foot, falling behind 14-4 in the opening minutes before Australia widened the gap to 62-22 by halftime. 

The Aussies’ size, speed, and relentless pace proved too much for Coach Julie Amos’ squad to overcome.

Makena Ramos led the Philippines with 16 points, while Ryanna Roman added 10, the only two Gilas Girls to finish in double digits. 

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Makeena Ramos and Gilas Pilipinas Girls suffered a defeat to Australia in their Division A debut at the FIBA #U16AsiaCup 2025#ReadMore https://t.co/TIRVHMq3a6#LabanPilipinas

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— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 22, 2025

On the other side, the Sapphires flexed their depth with five players hitting double figures, led by Marianela Fakalata’s 19 points on an efficient 8-of-9 shooting.

Fakalata was also flawless from long range, going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, including a dagger triple that pushed Australia past the century mark at 101-32 to start the final quarter.

Madison Ryan tallied 17, while bench contributors Sophie Richardson and Laura Seiz each dropped 15. 

Richardson’s hot start, with 10 first-quarter points, helped Australia seize early control of Group A.

Eden Ctip chipped in 12 as all 12 Australians scored in the wire-to-wire win, powered by 36 team assists. In stark contrast, Gilas managed just four assists while committing 24 turnovers.

Coach Tom Garlepp’s side, eyeing an unprecedented fourth straight title, made it clear from the start that they are determined to dominate this year’s competition.

The Gilas Girls, meanwhile, will try to regroup quickly as they take on another tough assignment in Chinese Taipei on Tuesday, September 23, at 2:00 p.m., hoping to put up a stronger fight in their second Group A outing.

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