Gilas Pilipinas suffers back-to-back blowouts to Korea ahead of Asian Games

DRIVE. Gilas Pilipinas' Sedrick Barefield and South Korea's Lee Hyun-jung during their tune-up game in Suwon, South Korea, on September 6, 2026.

Korea Basketball Association

Gilas Pilipinas fails to win either of its two tuneup games against South Korea — losses that underscore the daunting task of defending its Asian Games throne

MANILA, Philippines – Another slow start doomed Gilas Pilipinas as it absorbed a second straight loss to host South Korea, 69-42, to close out the Hana Bank Invitational in Suwon on Sunday, September 6. 

The Nationals managed just four points in the opening quarter and never came within striking distance the rest of the way, failing to win either of their two tuneup games against the Koreans just days before opening their Asian Games campaign in Nagoya, Japan.

Sedrick Barefield put the Philippines on the board first with a midrange jumper before Korea unleashed a 19-0 run that set the tone for the blowout, mirroring its 81-55 rout of the same opponents two days earlier. 

Led by Yu Ki-sang and Yeo Jun-seok, Korea enjoyed a lead as big as 37 points midway through the third quarter, 53-16, as it coasted to the breezy triumph.

Yu fired a game-high 15 points on a 5-of-8 clip from three-point land, Yeo finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds, while Lee Hyun-jung turned in an all-around outing of 11 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. 

Zavier Lucero paced the Philippines with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, but lacked sufficient help as no other Filipino player scored in double figures.

Adrian Nocum finished with 9 points and 3 assists, while Sedrick Barefield and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser chipped in 7 points apiece in a defeat that underscored the Filipinos’ daunting task of defending their Asian Games crown.

With only 11 players in the lineup, Gilas Pilipinas has its fingers crossed that Justin Brownlee, the hero of the 2023 championship squad, will make it to the quadrennial showpiece.

From Korea, the Nationals will fly to Japan for the Asian Games, where the men’s basketball tournament runs from September 10 to 20.

Bunched in Group C, the Philippines will open the Asian Games against Bahrain on September 11, then tangle with Kazakhstan and China on September 12 and 14, respectively. – Rappler.com