The Gilas Pilipinas Women’s team suffered yet another loss as they got heavily beaten by South Korea for their 3rd game in the 44th Williams Jones Cup yesterday, July 4.
A Slow Start Sealed the Game
A sluggish Gilas to begin the game gave the Koreans an idea to outrun them as they fell behind 26-12 after the opening quarter and never recovered.
The slow start proved too costly for the 1-1 Philippines, who failed to build momentum despite flashes of strong play. Vanessa de Jesus, who exploded for 23 points in Gilas’ previous win over Thailand, was shackled by early foul trouble and relentless Korean defense.
Final Score: 80-58
South Korea came out firing right off the bat, with Isaem Choi erupting for 23 points on an efficient 10-of-12 shooting clip in just over 14 minutes. Jihyun Park added 17 points along with seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Kang Lee-seul contributed 12 points and five boards, helping South Korea secure its second win in three games and rise to solo second in the standings.
Signs of Fatigue?
Gilas played their 3rd game for 3 straight days.
Whether or not this loss was a sign that the team is getting tired, the stat line for every Filipina has been quite disappointing.
Jack Animam did have a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds but going only 2 of 10 from the Free Throw line is an eye sore along with 4 turnovers. Vanessa, who struggled in the entire match, had 3 points, 1-10 FG Shooting and 4 turnovers as well.
The entire team struggled with turnovers and misses:
- Sumayah Sugapong – 16 points (4-9 from the field), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 2 turnovers
- Ella Fajardo – 11 points (4-11 from the field), 5 rebounds, an assist and a steal
- Louna Ozar – 7 points (2-6 from the field), 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 turnovers
- Naomi Natalie – 4 points (2-11 from the field), an assist, a steal and 3 turnovers
- Katrina Guytingco – 3 points and a rebound
The Philippines had a total of 19 TO’s compared to the 11 of Koreans. While the total field goal shooting was horrible with Gilas going 20-59 and their opponents went 32-73.
Lost as well in the 3-point category, 6 of 18 against 12 of 35. Free throw disparity is clearly evident with 12-25 for SoKor while Gilas had 4-5. Outrebounded with 47-42, outassisted with 22-8, had more steals 13-7 and had more blocks 4-1.
Needless to say, there’s no way in hell that the Philippines will win a game with these kinds of statistics.
1 More Loss = No More Podium Finish
Unless the team COMPLETELY TURN THINGS AROUND and went on a winning streak, one more loss means they won’t qualify for a podium finish.
Having a 1-2 record meant putting their title hopes in jeopardy as they prepare for a crucial match against undefeated Japan, which currently sits atop the standings as the tournament follows a single round-robin format to determine the podium finishers.
The encounter also offered a preview of the upcoming FIBA Women’s Asia Cup later this month, where both South Korea and the Philippines will compete—albeit in separate groups. Korea is in Group A alongside China, New Zealand, and Indonesia, while the Philippines will battle it out in Group B with Japan, Australia, and Lebanon.
Gilas Pilipinas will face Japan tomorrow at 2:00 PM (Philippine Date and Time).
