Gilas Pilipinas is headed straight to the semifinals after a gritty performance against a determined Vietnamese squad, emerging with a 78-67 victory on Monday at the ongoing Southeast Asian Games.

The Philippine team faced a stiff challenge as Vietnam kept pace in the first half, leading 21-16 after the opening quarter and 41-37 at halftime.

But the homegrown talent of Gilas shone through in the second half, overturning the deficit and taking control in a tightly contested third quarter, 61-60, before pulling away to seal the win.

Team Philippines relied on balanced scoring to power past its Southeast Asian rivals. Poy Erram led the way with 15 points, followed closely by Matthew Wright with 14 and Robert Bolick with 13.

Other key contributors included Malonzo with 10 points and Panopio with 7, providing the support that helped the team rally from behind.

Vietnam’s Huynh Phu and Tran were impressive in their own right, scoring 19 points each, but their efforts fell short as the Filipinos executed their game plan down the stretch.

The semifinal matchup awaits Gilas Pilipinas, who now aim to continue their winning streak and contend for gold in men’s basketball.

Quarterscores:

• Philippines 16-37-61-78

• Vietnam 21-41-60-67