Gilas Pilipinas may have come up short in the second window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, but the Philippines is still alive in the hunt for Round 2.

The national team suffered its second defeat against Australia (66-93), extending their winless streak in Group A on Sunday, March 1 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Despite the setbacks, Gilas Pilipinas secured advancement thanks to their two victories over Guam in the first window.

Even in a worst-case scenario where Gilas and Guam finish tied, the Philippines would still qualify as one of the top three teams, behind Australia and New Zealand, who automatically move on.

During the post game interviews, Coach Tim Cone acknowledged the sting of the home defeats but expressed optimism for the next round.

“It's painful again. At home it was painful. We had higher hopes and it didn't work out for us. But, you know, we're going to look forward to July and it's just a, it is so honorable to play and be with this team,” Cone said.

Despite the loss, Cone praised the team’s defensive improvements in the first half, saying, “You know, for a game and a half, I couldn't have been more proud about our defense. And that was one of the things we really wanted to correct coming into this window.”

Gilas guard Dwight Ramos echoed the sentiment, reflecting on what went wrong and what lies ahead.

“On the first half, we played good defense. The game was close, you know,” Ramos said.

“You just gotta keep improving. We’re gonna play them again in July, we gotta be better by then,” he added.

Gilas now turns their attention to the July window, hoping to recalibrate and return stronger for a renewed push in the Asian Qualifiers.