Gilas Pilipinas Women absorbed a tough 94-74 loss at the hands of defending champion Japan Universiade, officially bowing out of title contention in the 44th William Jones Cup on Saturday afternoon at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium.
Still reeling from a 58-80 defeat against South Korea the previous day, the Philippines showed promise in the first half but ultimately ran out of steam in the final quarters.
The team falls to a 1-3 record, losing their grip on a possible podium finish in the annual invitational tournament.
Looking to build momentum ahead of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup set for July 13 to 20, Gilas hopes to end its campaign on a high note when it faces WUG CTUSF tomorrow at 4:00 PM.
Fueled by a strong first-half showing that saw them take a narrow 46-44 lead at the break, the Philippines briefly surged ahead in the third quarter. Back-to-back triples from Vanessa de Jesus and Naomi Panganiban helped take a 58-54 advantage.
However, Gilas faltered in the closing minutes of the third frame, allowing Japan to go on a 12-0 run — capped by a layup from Maho Awatani and a three-pointer from Takako Sato — that gave the defending champions a 66-58 edge heading into the final period.
A layup by 19-year-old guard Sumayah Sugapong trimmed the deficit to 71-65 early in the fourth quarter, but Japan responded with a timely 14-2 blast. A highlight triple and an and-one conversion from Maika Miura, to break the game wide open at 85-67 — an advantage that proved too much for Gilas to overcome.
Despite keeping pace with Japan in the opening half, the Philippines was ultimately outscored 50-28 in the second half.
Jack Animam once again led the way for Gilas with a dominant double-double of 21 points and 16 rebounds, along with two steals and one assist.
Panganiban added 14 points, three assists, and two steals, while UAAP Season 87 Mythical Five member Louna Ozar contributed 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, three rebounds, and one steal.
Sugapong also chipped in 10 points and three boards in the losing effort.
The victory kept Japan’s hopes of a back-to-back Jones Cup crown alive, as they remain undefeated with a 4-0 slate.
Miura paced five Japanese players in double figures with 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists.
Azusa Asahina, Suzuno Higuchi, Haru Owaki, and Ufuoma Tanaka each contributed 11 points to Japan’s balanced attack.
