After focusing on 3×3 competition since completing her naturalization, Elizabeth Means finally made her much-anticipated debut for Gilas Pilipinas on the 5-on-5 court — and she did so with flying colors.
Means spearheaded the Philippines’ dominant 86-58 win over Kazakhstan, showcasing her inside-out game and defensive prowess in their rousing debut at the 20th Asian Games at Aichi International Arena in Japan.
The 23-year-old Means, whose great-grandfather was born in Naga, Camarines Sur, delivered 23 points and eight steals to go along with four rebounds in her first game for Gilas Pilipinas Women.
“It was so fun,” said Means in an interview with Cignal TV.
“Like, it’s so fun to play with a group of girls that just love basketball so much, and we work hard every single day, so it’s fun that we got to apply it all in the game.”
Her impact, however, came after making a difficult adjustment from 3×3 back to the traditional 5-on-5 game. It is something Means admitted took some getting used to in the days leading up to the tournament.
Means had been competing for the Philippines in 3×3, most notably in the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series, before finally getting the call to suit up for Gilas Pilipinas’ 5-on-5 squad in the Asian Games.
(C) SBP
“It was such an adjustment the first couple of days. Obviously the ball is so different, so it felt like I was playing with a volleyball or something. And just getting used to moving with so many people again,” shared the former Seattle Pacific University standout.
“But I do think that 3×3 made me a stronger basketball player so the adjustment was okay,” added Means, whose most recent FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series stop came in Batam last July.
With Jack Animam and Kacey Dela Rosa both out of the Philippines’ Asiad lineup, the Filipinas needed Means to shoulder a bigger load inside. And she gladly delivered, helping set the tone on both offense and defense against a much bigger Kazakhstan side.
Her ability to play both inside and out also allowed Means to fit seamlessly into new head coach BT Toews’ system, with the 5-foot-8 forward enjoying the freedom to run the floor and move in space.
“I would say it’s a good fit. He definitely loves to run the floor and move in space, and all of that really works well with my game, so I had fun,” she said.
The debut win over Kazakhstan gave the Filipinas an early lead in Pool B with a 1-0 record and significantly boosted their chances of advancing to the quarterfinals if they beat Hong Kong on Sunday.
Still, Means is keeping her focus on the task at hand, taking the tournament one game at a time as the Filipinas look to build on their strong start.
“It’s one day at a time. It’s a long tournament. Obviously, we have two more games just in pool play, and so it’s like head down, one game at a time.”
