THE Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 squad went to Singapore with guarded optimism that it would surpass a surprising fourth place finish last year in the same tilt.
Instead, the wards of coach Lester del Rosario will go home empty-handed.
Gilas 3×3 absorbed a sorry 18-21 loss to Qatar last Friday and kissed its title hopes goodbye in the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup at the Singapore Sports Hub OCBC Square.
Down 7-14, Almond Vosotros, Samboy de Leon, and Jorey Napoles combined in a fiery 11-4 blitz that pegged an 18-all count.
But the Qataris, powered by 6-foot-10 Souley Ndour, who banged in a two-pointer and the game-winning free throw, held their ground to show the door on the Filipino cagers.
Ndour led Qatar with 14 points in the triumph that enabled it to finish with a 1-1 mark in Group D and join Iran (2-0), which edged Gilas 14-11 earlier, in the quarterfinals.
Vosotros carried the fight for Gilas 3×3 with nine points, while de Leona and Napoles had five and three, respectively.
Gilas sent top seed Mongolia packing in the quarterfinals on Vosotros’ game-winning two-pointer last year but lost to New Zealand in the semifinals and fell to China in the battle for third.
In women’s play, Gilas 3×3 reached the Last 8 but suffered a 10-17 setback yesterday at the hands of a taller New Zealand side.
Janine Pontejos canned two freebies that pulled the Filipinas to within 10-11 with 2:41 to go but the Kiwis retaliated with a 6-0 binge capped by a Esra Lisa McGoldrick deuce, only 51.0 ticks left.
Pontejos paced the Patrick Aquino-mentored Gilas 3×3 women quartet with six points, while Afril Bernardino got three markers.
Gilas 3×3 women wound up winless after failing to make it to the main draw and lost to Jordan and Thailand in the qualifying draw.
