Gilas huddles one last time at Meralco Gym in Pasig City on Saturday, before its flight for Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where it will try to reclaim the gold medal in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games. | Denison Rey Dalupang/PDI
MANILA, Philippines-The 12-man Gilas Pilipinas roster tasked to reclaim the basketball gold in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) is set.
Naturalized Filipino Justin Brownlee is set to lead the bunch that includes 2019 gold winners Christian Standhardinger, Marcio Lassiter, and Chris Ross.
Joining the squad are other pros in CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, and Arvin Tolentino.
Rounding out the cast are varsity standouts Mike Phillips, Jerom Lastimosa, and Mason Amos.
The list was released by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Sunday. Among those making their national team debut are Tolentino, Ganuelas-Rosser, Phillips, and Lastimosa.
The Philippines’ road to redemption will begin against Malaysia at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Gilas then battles the hosts 6 p.m. on Thursday before wrapping up the group phase against Singapore at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Finishing 1st or 2nd in the opening round will send Gilas to a crossover semifinal with either of the other group’s heavyweights in Thailand and defending champion Indonesia.
The Philippines lost the title to Indonesia in the gold medal match of last year’s SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.