WHEN Gilas Pilipinas faces Australia on Wednesday in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, they will look finally win against that squad from Down Under for the first time in 51 years.
According to FIBA records, the last time the Philippines won against Australia in a game sanctioned by the international federation was during the 1974 World Championship for Men via a 101-100 scoreline in San Juan, Puerto Rico on July 8, 1974.
The team was led by Ramon Fernandez and Robert Jaworksi, and also had some of the greats of Philippine basketball in Abet Guidaben, Francis Arnaiz, Bogs Adornado, Yoyong Martires, Manny Paner, Jimmy Mariano, Joy Cleofas, Tembong Melencio, Alberto ‘Big Boy’ Reynoso, and Dave Regullano.
READ Four decades before Gilas, this PH team held its ground at World Cup
Adornado led the team to victory with 20 points for the Philippine squad that won the ABC Championship, now FIBA Asia Cup, in Manila the previous year to book a ticket to the World Championship.
Since then, the Philippines has been on the losing end in their next four games against Australia, all in lopsided fashion.
The Philippines lost to Australia twice in the 1978 World Championship for Men that the country hosted - a 97-52 decision in the semifinal round, and a 92-74 scoreline in the final round.
The next game came 40 years apart when the Boomers defeated Gilas Pilipinas, 84-68, in their home court.
That infamous brawl last July 2, 2018 marred the most recent time that the Boomers and Gilas squared off at the Philippine Arena. The away team again beat the home squad in blowout fashion, 89-53.
Can Gilas finally arrest its skid over the Boomers? We will find out.
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