Gilas Youth rule SEABA U16 tilt

Gilas Pilipinas Youth capped its FIBA U16 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers campaign with a trophy after a 70-40 victory over Indonesia in the final at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga Friday evening.

Gab delos Reyes came out big for the Philippines as he had a double-double game of 11 points and 13 rebounds as they clinched their sixth straight title and their first under head coach LA Tenorio.

"I'm happy we got the gold but more happy for the boys," said Tenorio, who was listed as an unrestricted free agent by Barangay Ginebra to focus on his coaching duties.

"I'm just here to guide them but they're the ones improving every game. I'm just happy they're able to execute what the coaching staff wants."

Delos Reyes was also named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after averaging 11.0 points, 8.83 rebounds, 3.83 assists, and 2.0 blocks per game. 

Learning a lot from their 77-68 win against the Indonesians last Wednesday, Gilas Youth picked up the pace in the first quarter, finished with a 21-5 lead, and kept their advantage for the rest of the game.

Joining the scoring party for Gilas Youth is Jhustin Hallare as he dropped 13 points in the championship match.

The Philippines will be representing Southeast Asia along with Indonesia and Malaysia in the FIBA U16 Asia Cup in Ulaanbataar this July.