BATANG Gilas settled for fourth place in the FIBA U16 Asian Championship after absorbing a tough 59-87 debacle against China early Monday in Doha, Qatar.

Joaquin Ludovice led the Philippines losing campaign, tallying 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

The Filipinos young guns had it so good in the first quarter where they only trailed by only three points at 17-20 at the close.

But they were overshadowed by China in the subsequent two quarters, outscoring the Philippines, 50-20, during this period.

The taller Chinese nationals floored the pedal to the metal in the third canto, by putting in 26 points while limiting the Batang Gilas side to only eight buckets.

Entering the final quarter with a commanding 33-point lead at 70-37, China held their advantage and secured a third-place finish in the tournament.

Australia takes the crown

Australia emerged as the champions of the competition, defeating New Zealand, 79-76, in the final match.

Kiefer Alas also made significant contributions with 13 points and five rebounds, while Irish Chua added 10 points for Gilas.

Despite their fourth-place finish, Batang Gilas secured a spot in the U17 World Cup in Turkey next year due to their semifinals appearance in this Asian tournament.

China’s Boyuan Zhang was a formidable opponent, scoring 34 points on an impressive 12-of-17 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds. Sinan Huan also had an outstanding performance with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists, and Ziheng Wang contributed 12 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists.