Gilas Pilipinas Women faced a tough defeat in their 2023 William Jones Cup journey, succumbing to a sharp-shooting Busan BNK team with a final score of 59-65 on Tuesday afternoon at the Heping Basketball Gymnasium in Taipei.
The team’s record now stands at 1-3 as they approach their penultimate match in the competition.
Earlier, the Philippines suffered defeats against Chinese Taipei in two matches, 85-89 and 83-94. However, it managed to secure a breakthrough victory against Iran, winning 64-60.
Trailing by 16 points at the start of the fourth quarter, Gilas made an impressive comeback effort, holding Busan BNK’s scoring to just eight points in the quarter. They rallied with an 18-2 run ignited by consecutive three-pointers from Janine Pontejos.
However, despite their surge, the Philippines’ effort fell short. Their final points of the run came from a buzzer-beating layup by debutant Kayce Dela Rosa, resulting in a final score of 59-65.
After a challenging first half where they scored only 24 points, Sohee Lee of Sum turned the tide by sinking three of her five long-range shots in the third quarter alone, pushing Korea to an 18-point lead at 51-69.
Gilas Women struggled with their shooting, converting only 18 of 40 two-point attempts and going 5-of-23 from beyond the arc.
Kaycee Dela Rosa achieved her second double-double of the tournament with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Meanwhile, Janine Pontejos contributed 12 points on an impressive 60-percent shooting rate.
Notably, Jack Animam, a key player for Gilas, was limited to four points and 10 rebounds by Korea’s defensive efforts.
Gilas Women will aim to conclude their Jones Cup campaign on a positive note as they face the Japan basketball club Chanson V-Magic on Wednesday.
Sohee Lee led the charge against the Philippines with a well-rounded performance, delivering 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Minah Kim also contributed with 10 points.
Busan BNK went up to 3-1 for solo second. (Ernest Martin Tuazon)
The Scores:
Philippines 59 – Dela Rosa 14, Pontejos 12, Bambrick 7, Ozar 6, Joson 6, Del Carmen 4, Animam 4, Bade 2, Roman 0
Korea 65 – Lee 19, M. Kim 10, J. Kim 9, S. Park 7, Jin 4, Moon 2, An 2, G. Park, 2, D. Park 0
Quarterscores: 8-18, 24-40, 41-57, 59-65.
