Gilas Pilipinas Women blew past Singapore, 92-59, to secure an outright semifinals berth in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Sunday morning at Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Behind the combined efforts of Afril Bernardino, Kacey Dela Rosa, and Janine Pontejos, the Philippines completed a sweep of its Group B assignments.
The team capped the group stage with a come-from-behind win over Malaysia before cruising to a wire-to-wire victory against the Singaporean dribblers.
With the win, Gilas Women’s title redemption campaign remains firmly on track. They have earned an automatic semifinals spot, marking the program’s 13th consecutive top-four finish in the biennial meet.
In the crossover semifinals, the Philippines will face the winner of the knockout quarterfinal matchup between the second-seeded team in Group A and the third-seeded squad in Group B on Thursday, December 18, at the same venue.
By then, the Filipina dribblers are expected to be at full strength with the arrivals of Ann Pingol and Angel Surada tomorrow. Both are currently with National University in Game 3 of the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Basketball Tournament Finals against the University of Santo Tomas.
“Again, they were comfortable na. Yesterday was like, you know, getting out of the first game, second game, just letting them play a little bit. Which is, you know, they showed how good they are right now,” Gilas Women head coach Pat Aquino said.
“But, you know, we still lack more to do. But, we’re, again, dahan-dahan lang. One game at a time,” he added.
“Lahat naman, sabi ko nga sa kanila, dadaan at dadaan tayo sa butas ng karayom. It’s either Indonesia or Thailand. Both teams are very strong. Both teams are contenders. And, I think, if we pass those two teams, syempre makukuha natin yung gold. The best team, I believe, talagang makakakuha ng ginto.”
Tied at 28-all in the second quarter, Gilas Women seized control behind timely baskets from Bernardino, Pontejos, Dela Rosa, and Ozar. The group unleashed a decisive 13-0 run to head into halftime with a 13-point cushion, 41-28.
The Philippines then put the game out of reach in the third period, opening the quarter with a blistering 19-8 surge — capped by a Monique del Carmen triple — to carry a commanding 66-46 advantage entering the final frame.
That momentum carried into the payoff period. A Louna Ozar three-pointer, a Del Carmen midrange jumper, and a Sophia Dignadice layup pushed Singapore deeper into a 77-50 hole with 5:35 remaining, effectively sealing the rout.
Dela Rosa powered Gilas Women with 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting, six rebounds, and one assist. Sarah Heyn contributed 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, three rebounds, and three assists.
Dignadice finished with 12 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while Bernardino and Pontejos added 10 points each in the winning effort. Khate Castillo chipped in nine points, one rebound, and one steal, and Ozar contributed eight points and two steals.
Singapore will face Malaysia to determine the second and third seeds of Group B ahead of the knockout quarterfinals.
Shermaine See paced the Singaporeans with 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal, while Ariel Loiter added nine points, three rebounds, and one assist.
Edna Lim and Lim Jiamin chipped in eight points each in the losing effort.
The Scores:
Philippines (92) – Dela Rosa 22, Heyn 14, Dignadice 12, Bernardino 10, Pontejos 10, Castillo 9, Ozar 8, Del Carmen 5, Guytingco 2, Cabinbin 0.
Singapore (59) – See 12, Loiter 9, Y. Lim 8, J. Lim 8, Z. Lim 7, Tan 6, Wong 4, Chan 3, Yeow 0, Low 0, Nar 0.
Quarterscores: 25-18, 41-28, 66-46, 92-59.
