CAGAYAN DE ORO—After an emphatic debut win on Wednesday night, the Batang Gilas national squad returns to action Friday against Thailand n the Seaba Under-16 Championship at Xavier University gym.
The Filipinos struggled to find their rhythm early versus Malaysia, but pulled away starting in the second period to prevail, 106-69.
Forward Joseph Tibayan and point guard Sanjosef Belangel led the Batang Gilas with double doubles.
Tibayan topscored with 22 points on top of 11 boards.
Belangel, the high-scoring guard from Taytung High School, contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds. He also added six assists.
Despite the win, team skipper Belangel wasn’t satisfied with the way they played. The Filipinos will be facing a Thailand team that blasted Brunei, 118-25.