Gilas Women opened their 20th Asian Games campaign in emphatic fashion, hammering Kazakhstan 86-58 at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya behind a breakneck pace and relentless backcourt pressure defense. The 28-point rout served as far more than a strong tone-setter in Group B—it doubled as a balm for Philippine basketball’s bruised pride, coming just days after Gilas Men’s unceremonious fall from the throne.
Playing without Jack Animam and Kacey Dela Rosa, and entering the tournament as one of the shortest teams in the field at an average height of just 5-foot-7—four inches shorter than Kazakhstan’s 5-foot-11 average—the Filipinas simply refused to let size dictate the game. They spread the floor, took efficient shots, and used their quickness to hound Kazakhstan into mistake after mistake.
Gilas Women’s Suffocating Defense Was the Story
The numbers back up just how suffocating that defense was: 34 forced turnovers, 26 steals, and 28 points scored directly off those turnovers, with the Filipinas’ transition game running in full throttle for 28 points on the break. Efficiency wasn’t lacking either, with the Philippines converting 53 percent of their two-point attempts, 31 percent from three, and 91 percent from the free-throw line.
Naturalized player Elizabeth Means stood at the forefront of it all in her 5-on-5 debut, finishing with a game-high 23 points—spiked by three triples—to go with 4rebounds and 8 steals. Stefanie Berberabe was every bit as vital in the backcourt, adding 11 points, 8 assists, and 5 steals. Forward Karl Ann Pingol chipped in 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 steals. Kent Pastrana, Janine Pontejos, and Jhaz Joson each scored 8, while captain Afril Bernardino, Angel Surada, and Ann Pingol added 6 apiece.
A Blazing Start for Gilas Women
Gilas Women set the tone from the opening tip, forcing nine turnovers in the first quarter alone en route to a 25-9 lead, with Means and Pontejos combining for 13 points. Kazakhstan found some rhythm in the second quarter, scoring 23, but it barely dented the margin as the Philippines carried a 49-32 lead into halftime. An explosive third quarter—27 points scored against just eight allowed—blew the game open, pushing the lead as high as 39 points at 79-40 before the final margin settled at 86-58.
Tamara Noiok led Kazakhstan with 11 points, while Anna Bezgodova posted a double-double of 10 points and 15 rebounds in the loss.
The BT Toews-coached Filipinas, now 1-0 atop Group B, go for back-to-back wins on Sunday against Hong Kong, with a marquee showdown against host and powerhouse Japan looming Tuesday. Kazakhstan, meanwhile, faces the tall task of bouncing back against Japan on the same day.
