Gilas Pilipinas Men 3×3 missed out on a guaranteed seat in the quarterfinals of the 3×3 event in the 19th Asian Games after losing to Mongolia, 21-12, Friday at Hangzhou, China. 

Bismarck Lina led the way with seven points while Bryan Sajonia and John Rey Pasaol contributed two points each. Justine Sanchez chipped in with one point. 

Mongolia raced to a strong start as it led 5-0 after a basket from Batzaya Tsermaa. Gilas got on the scoreboard with a much-needed shot from Pasaol. However, the Mongolians were able to create separation and pull away. 

Tsermaa’s basket extended the advantage to 19-11 with less than three minutes remaining. Gilas scored one more point courtesy of Lina but Mongolia sealed the win at the free throw line with 2:23 left on the clock. 

Despite the loss, the national team still has a chance to advance if they can beat the second-ranked team in Pool D. The Philippines finished third in Group A with a 3-1 record behind Chinese Taipei and Mongolia who also have identical 3-1 records, but have higher point averages.

The Philippines vies for a quarterfinal slot on Saturday at 3:55 PM.