Photo credit: FIBA Asia Cup

The Philippines rallied behind their rising star to secure a remarkable 64-59 victory over Japan, solidifying their spot in the Semi-Finals and earning a coveted berth in the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup set for next year in Turkiye.

The game began with the Philippines displaying their prowess, swiftly jumping to a 7-0 lead. However, Japan retaliated with a surge of their own, overtaking the lead. Japan continued to dominate, amassing a halftime lead as substantial as 10 points.

Then, the spotlight shifted to Kiefer Alas.

Despite a lackluster scoring performance against Korea, Alas managed to contribute 7 points in the first half against Japan. However, it was in the third quarter that he truly seized control, singlehandedly amassing 14 of the Philippines' 21 points, outscoring Japan by himself.

This offensive surge catapulted the Philippines back into the lead, and following an intense back-and-forth battle between the two teams, along with an additional 8 points from Alas, the Philippines managed to maintain their lead until the end.

Both teams struggled to find their mark with shooting, particularly from beyond the three-point arc, where Japan shot a mere 10 percent, and the Philippines at 21.7 percent. Nevertheless, it was the Philippines' disruptive defensive efforts that threw Japan off balance.

While Kiefer Alas shone as the primary scorer, Joaquin Ludovice (11 points) and Kurt Velasquez (10 points) also stepped up in crucial moments. Japan dominated the boards with 58 rebounds, with key contributions from Kenichiro Benedict and Chusonjakku Shiratni, but their offense faltered, particularly with Leon Shingo's early exit due to injury and leading scorer Shogo Takata's disqualification.