KUALA LUMPUR — Gilas Pilipinas Girls couldn’t sustain a good start and ultimately bowed to Chinese Taipei, 74-48, as they remained in search of a victory in the FIBA U16 Women’s Asia Cup 2025 on Tuesday at the Karisma Arena here.
Coach Julie Amos’ charges kept in step with their counterparts from East Asia and even forged a deadlock at 9-all, but the latter responded with 13 unanswered points before finishing the opening quarter with a 22-12 advantage.
The former bronze medalists broke the game open in the ensuing period, never letting up as they sent the opposition reeling to its second loss.
Ella Smith led the Philippine team with 14 points and 10 rebounds, adding four assists, four steals, and two blocks to complete a full line.
Tiffany Reyes chipped in 12 points as only two players finished in double figures for the Southeast Asian side, similar to their blowout loss to Australia.
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Now at 0-2, the Gilas Girls have no choice but to win against another winless team in Korea tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. to stay in contention.
Chang Yu-Tung top-scored for Chinese Taipei with 17 points and eight rebounds as she sparked the decisive run that turned the game around.
Hsieh Ai-Tung and Lin Nian-Zhen contributed 12 points apiece, while Tsai Yu-Yen added 11 markers as the quartet bannered their balanced attack.
A four-time medalist, Chinese Taipei earned its second win in as many games and gained a share of the top spot in Group B with Australia, whom it will face next on Wednesday in a battle for the no. 1 spot in the pool.
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The Sapphires were the first to go 2-0 earlier in the day following a 119-40 win over the Koreans, extending their unbeaten streak to 20—a run that dates back to the 2017 competitions in Bengaluru, India.
Five players finished in double figures for Team Australia, with Sophie Richardson leading the way with a game-high 20 points.
Isabel Smith followed with 18 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Marianela Fakalata added 14 points, Lily Mapp had 12, while Jemyma Manyok contributed 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Seeking an unprecedented four-peat, the Aussies hardly broke a sweat in dismantling the four-time tournament medalists, scoring the first 13 points of the game before finishing the opening quarter with a massive 38-5 lead.
