Gilas Pilipinas Women bowed out in the quarterfinals after suffering an 83-71 loss to Chinese Taipei in the women’s 5-on-5 basketball event of the 20th Asian Games at the Aichi International Arena on Thursday.
The Philippines showed flashes of brilliance in the second and third quarters after a slow start but failed to mount a meaningful comeback as Chinese Taipei maintained the pressure to secure a spot in the semifinals.
Afril Bernardino led the fight for the Philippines with 23 points and seven rebounds.
Gilas Pilipinas’ woes were compounded by a cold shooting night and a glaring disadvantage on the boards. The Philippines shot just 36 percent from the field, converted only 18 of its 27 free-throw attempts, and was outrebounded by Chinese Taipei, 52-34.
Janine Pontejos and Stefanie Berberabe added 12 points apiece, while Kent Pastrana chipped in 11.
Naturalized player Elizabeth Means, meanwhile, struggled against Chinese Taipei and was limited to just four points on 1-of-10 shooting from the field, along with three rebounds.
Hsiao Yuwen led Chinese Taipei with 14 points and 17 rebounds.
Huang Lingchuan finished with 13 points, while Han Yaen and Lin Yuting contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively, in the victory.
