Gilas Women closed their FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament campaign on a high note, holding off Senegal, 79-75, on Friday morning.
Already out of contention for the knockout stage, the Philippines showed composure in the closing minutes to secure its first victory of the competition.
Senegal Turns the Game Around in the Second Half
The Philippines looked in control early in the third quarter, building a 44-35 lead. Senegal, however, quickly responded, with Ndioma Kane’s three-pointer sparking a rally that flipped the momentum and gave the African side a 50-46 advantage.
Gilas Women then produced their biggest run of the game.
With 2:47 left in the third period, Vanessa De Jesus calmly sank two free throws to tie the contest at 50-all before adding another to put the Philippines ahead, 51-50. Sophia Dignadice followed with a pull-up jumper to extend the lead.
Those plays ignited a 15-3 surge that turned a four-point deficit into an 11-point cushion, 61-50, heading into the final quarter.
Gilas Women Hold Off Late Senegal Rally
Senegal refused to fold and steadily chipped away at the margin in the fourth.
A Khadija Faye basket trimmed the lead to 69-67 with 5:02 remaining, while another push cut it to just two points, 73-71, with 2:36 left.
This time, Gilas had an answer.
Kacey Dela Rosa buried a crucial three-pointer to restore a five-point gap. Senegal kept pressing, with Nogaye Diagne making it 78-75 with 1:17 left.
De Jesus steadied the offense in crunch time, while Jack Animam split her free throws with 12.6 seconds remaining to give Gilas a four-point advantage. Senegal failed to convert on its final attempts as the Filipinas sealed the win.
Multiple Double-Digit Scorers for the Philippines
Vanessa De Jesus led the way with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals, including four three-pointers. She was instrumental in the decisive stretch, adding three points and three assists in crunch time without committing a turnover.
Dela Rosa and Dignadice also finished with 16 points apiece. Dela Rosa added 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, while Dignadice shot 7-of-12 from the field and handed out 4 assists.
Animam contributed 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Jhazmin Joson chipped in 9.
For Senegal, Cierra Dillard led all scorers with 25 points, while Faye and Kane each had 14.
A New Era for Gilas Women
The victory lifted Gilas Women to a 1-2 record and third place in Group B, ending their hopes of reaching the knockout stage, as only the top two teams advanced.
Under new head coach BT Toews, the Philippines opened the tournament with a loss to host Mexico, then fell heavily to world No. 7 Canada before closing with a win against Senegal.
Despite missing out on the next stage, the Philippines still has a pathway to the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament through next year’s FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, where a top-four finish would secure an Olympic qualifying berth.
