JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) – The Philippines booked their place in the Qualification to Quarter-Finals with a gritty 66-57 victory over Iraq in Group D action at the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 on Friday at the King Abdullah Sports City.
Dwight Ramos powered Gilas with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 triples, while AJ Edu anchored the paint with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks in a statement defensive performance. Ali Ismael paced Iraq with 13 points, 6 rebounds and 3 triples, but his side fell to 0-3 and were eliminated from contention.
Iraq started hot, capitalizing on defensive lapses to hit three triples in the opening quarter, two of them from Ismael. The Philippines, meanwhile, struggled to find their rhythm, missing open looks and seeing Edu and Chris Newsome land in early foul trouble. With Justin Brownlee scoreless, Iraq closed the first period up 18-12, looking the sharper side.
The momentum began to shift in the second quarter. Carl Tamayo came off the bench to knock down back-to-back triples, giving Gilas their first lead at 22-21. CJ Perez added spark with a quick three and an alley-oop assist to Kevin Quiambao, but Iraq’s Demario Mayfield and Abdullah Hayder Alibraheemi responded to edge ahead 33-29. Brownlee finally got on the board from the free-throw line, and Ramos tied the game at 33-all with a clutch triple before halftime.
Then came the decisive stretch. After Mayfield opened the third quarter scoring for Iraq, the Philippines erupted on a 22-5 tear. Ramos drilled consecutive triples to push Gilas ahead, Brownlee connected from deep for the first time, and Edu’s defense at the rim ignited transition chances. Newsome’s three and Brownlee’s putback capped the surge, sending the Philippines into the final frame with a commanding 55-40 lead.
Iraq threatened a late comeback with a 10-2 burst to start the fourth, fuelled by two triples from Thulfiqar Hamoodi and a finish inside from Mohammed Al-Khafaji. But Calvin Oftana’s timely three stopped the bleeding, and Brownlee’s putback restored the double-digit cushion. Ramos sealed the result with a reverse layup in the closing minutes as Gilas clamped down defensively, holding Iraq to just 7 points over the final six minutes.
"Well, it was a tough one because both teams were really desperate for a win, so there was a lot of desperation in that basketball game," said Philippines coach Tim Cone. "I thought both teams came out and played tremendously hard. They hit some shots early in the game and jumped out on us and certainly worried us, but we were able to get back into the tie at halftime and then we came out and rode the hot hand of Dwight over here and that got us a little bit of a lead. We gave it up a little bit, but we held on and so it was a big win for us."
The win lifts the Philippines to 1-2, good for a place in the Qualification to Quarter-Finals, where they will aim to ride their third-quarter form for another victorious result. Iraq exit the competition winless but having shown flashes of resilience in each outing.
FIBA