Gilas Pilipinas Women exorcised the ghosts of the past, dethroning defending champion Indonesia, 66-55, to advance to the gold medal match of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Thursday at Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Led by Afril Bernardino and Kacey dela Rosa, the Philippines delivered their best performance of the tournament, stunning the Indonesian squad — the same team that handed Gilas Women their lone loss in the 2023 SEA Games, a defeat that denied the country a historic three-peat.
Beyond exacting revenge, the Philippines has secured a top-two finish for the 10th time in 15 SEA Games appearances.
Gilas Women swept the group stage to earn an outright semifinals berth, while Indonesia crushed Singapore by 40 points in the quarterfinals, ensuring their spot in the top four.
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“I’m just so proud of the girls — they never gave up again. They are just trying to do their best all the time and believing they can do it. I know this was a tough game, Indonesia’s been preparing so much for this [and] they are the defending champion. We’re just so happy that we won this game,” Philippines head coach Pat Aquino said.
“That [first quarter run] was big because every time we started slowly. We told them that we have to start with this team na going all the way agad. That was an easy part on us, but then again, they were coming back and getting physical already. We tried na maging handa sa ginawa nila,” he added.
Eager to set the tone early, Gilas Women opened the contest with a 30-16 lead after the first quarter. Two inside hits by Bernardino and Louna Ozar, along with a triple from Sophia Dignadice, expanded the advantage to 37-18 at the 7:16 mark of the second frame.
Indonesia, however, fought back with a 17-6 run to close the half, cutting the deficit to eight points at 43-35.
That would be the closest the Indonesians would get. Key free throws by Dela Rosa and a Dignadice layup helped the Philippines maintain an 11-point, 55-44 cushion heading into the final period.
Gilas Women effectively sealed the win with back-to-back inside conversions by Bernardino, followed by a clutch triple from Janine Pontejos, sending Indonesia into an insurmountable 63-50 hole with 3:27 left on the clock.
Dela Rosa led the Philippines with a double-double, finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks, four steals, and two assists. Meanwhile, Bernardino contributed 14 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Pontejos added 10 points and one steal, and Khate Castillo chipped in nine points, including three triples.
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Now at full strength with the return of National University duo Angel Surada and Season 88 MVP Ann Pingol from UAAP duty, the Philippines will await the winner of the other semifinal clash between host nation Thailand and Malaysia to determine their opponent in the finals.
The gold medal match is set for tomorrow at 5:30 PM (Philippine time) at the same venue. A victory would secure the Philippines’ third title in the past four editions of the biennial meet.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s bid to retain the title has ended. They will face the losing team from the Thailand-Malaysia semifinal for the bronze medal, also scheduled tomorrow at the same Bangkok arena.
Adelaide Wongshojardjo paced the Indonesians with 18 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and three steals but committed 10 turnovers. Faizzatus Shoimah added 13 points, three rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
The Scores:
Philippines (66) – Dela Rosa 21, Bernardino 14, Pontejos 10, Castillo 9, Dignadice 6, Ozar 4, Heyn 2, Cabinbin 0, Surada 0, Guytingco 0, Pingol 0, Del Carmen 0.
Indonesia (55) – Wongsohardjo 18, Shoimah 13, Dewi 8, Kahol 4, Orville 4, Antonio 3, Retong 3, Madafa 0, Aritonang 0, Candra 0.
Quarterscores: 30-16, 43-35, 55-44, 66-55.
