SEA GAMES: Gilas Men and Women strike gold, repulse host Thailand

The kings and queens of Southeast Asian basketball have been crowned. Gilas Pilipinas Men and Gilas Pilipinas Women, despite facing fierce opponents, a hostile home crowd, and constantly-changing eligibility rules, repulsed host Thailand for the Men's and Women's basketball crowns.

It wasn't smooth sailing for both Gilas teams. Philippine basketball organizers had to scramble in putting together player lineups as host Thailand kept flip-flopping on eligibility rules up to the last minute. The lineups of Gilas Men and Gilas women were changed every time a new rule came out. There was either little left in the original lineup or key players all of a sudden became ineligible.

Thailand's basketball teams were no pushovers either. Gilas men trailed 32-19 in the first quarter until the Philippines fought back to trail at 38-29 at the half. After the game was tied at 41-all in the third quarter, Gilas never looked back and dominated the rest of the game with a 70-64 victory.

Gilas Women, who played before the Men's game, eked out a 73-70 victory against a gritty Thai squad. Despite having a 10-point lead in the last few minutes of the fourth, Thailand fought back to trail by just two points, 72-70 with barely a minute left in the game.

A block from Kacey Dela Rosa and a free throw from Chack Cabinbin held back the Thais with 16.9 seconds left. A three-point attempt by Thailand at the last second failed as Gilas Women and Filipino fans in the crowd and outside the stadium erupted in celebration.

The men's team defended their crown while the women's team got back theirs.

Riz Pulumbarit/Paraluman News