Bank of Guam men’s national basketball team’s hopes are still alive in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifier 2025, but their chances of advancing took a sharp left turn after a 113-73 loss to Chinese Taipei Wednesday night at the University of Taipei Tianmu Gymnasium in Taiwan.
In this latest three-team window, only the top two teams advance.
“We didn’t do good enough on defense – tonight – to play against their 3-point shooting,” said Team Guam head coach EJ Calvo.
Without professional players Jonathan Galloway and Takumi Simon on Wednesday’s roster, who were both fulfilling other obligations with their professional squads, and only 4 points from Tai Wesley, but a 22-point performance from Earnest Ross Jr., Team Guam is one loss away from being eliminated in the Asia Cup 2025, which will take place later this year in Saudi Arabia. For Guam to remain in the tournament they needed to defeat Thailand on Thursday.
“We don’t have any professional league in Guam, so for our basketball players to experience high-level basketball, they must seek opportunity in different places,” Calvo said. “Unfortunately, their clubs restricted them from coming on this window.”
In the loss to Chinese Taipei, Guam's Mark Johnson Jr. scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds. Ben Borja II had 9 points and six rebounds. Reo Aiken, who finished with a pair of 3-pointers, had 6 points, and Jericho Cruz had 8 points and three assists.
“We have to move on from tonight,” Calvo said.