Gilas Pilipinas Women’s dream of reaching their first-ever FIBA Asia Cup Division A semifinals was crushed after a 71–104 defeat at the hands of a red-hot Korean squad, Friday at the Shenzhen Sports Center in China.
Fresh off a breakthrough 73–70 victory over a bruising Lebanese team, the Filipinas struggled to contain Korea’s deadly perimeter shooting, which turned the game into a lopsided affair.
Leading 19–16 with three minutes remaining in the first quarter, Korea’s Kang Yoolim caught fire, draining back-to-back three-pointers. Teammates Lee Haeran and Park Jihyun followed suit, fueling a 14–0 run that extended into the second quarter and broke the game wide open.
Korea never looked back, finishing with 16 triples overall and building a lead that ballooned to as much as 34 points late in the game.
The Koreans also clamped down defensively, especially on Gilas centerpiece Jack Animam, who was held to just three points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field.
(C) FIBA.basketball
“First of all, I’d like to congratulate the Korean team. They played really well today and shot excellently from the outside,” said Gilas Women head coach Patrick Aquino.
Lee Haeran led Korea with 24 points, while Kang Yoolim added 21 points built on six three-pointers. Park Jihyun also delivered an all-around performance with 15 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
Park Jisu chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds.
With the win, Korea advances to the semifinals to face powerhouse Australia. Meanwhile, the Philippines will battle New Zealand in the 5th–6th classification game.
“We’ll play stronger than we did today. We now know where we are. It’s a matter of how the girls compete, and with the experience we’ve gained, it’s about showing up tomorrow and playing our best,” Aquino added.
Naomi Panganiban paced the Filipinas with 19 points, while Vanessa De Jesus added 15. UAAP standouts Kacey Dela Rosa and Louna Ozar contributed 10 points each.
The Scores:
Philippines 71 – Panganiban 19, De Jesus 15, Ozar 10, Dela Rosa 10, Pastrana 8, Sugapong 4, Animam 3, Surada 2, Castillo 0.
Korea 104 – Lee H 24, Kang 21, Park JH 15, Park JS 14, Shin 9, Heo 7, Choi 6, Lee M 6, Hong 2.
Quarterscores: 16-30, 32-59, 49-78, 71-104.
