Gilas Women waited until the final frame to truly separate from Hong Kong, and when they did, there was no catching them. The Philippines pulled away in the fourth quarter to win, 90-73, clinching a spot in the quarterfinals of the 20th Asian Games on Sunday morning at Aichi International Arena in Japan.
The Philippines had held only a slim lead through three quarters before breaking the game open late, moving to the top of Group B with a 2-0 record and officially punching their ticket to the top eight. Stefanie Berberabe, Angel Surada, Afril Bernardino, and Jhaz Joson spearheaded a 19-8 run to open the fourth quarter, turning a 69-60 lead into a commanding 88-68 advantage with just a minute left on the clock. From there, the outcome was never in doubt.
Hong Kong leaned heavily on Li Tsz Kwan’s individual brilliance throughout the contest, but even her production couldn’t withstand the Philippine surge.
Gilas Women Get Contributions From Everywhere
Berberabe led all scorers with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists. Bernardino delivered arguably the biggest bounce-back of the tournament, posting 17 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals after struggling through the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament and the team’s Asiad opener against Kazakhstan. Joson added 15 points and 4 rebounds, while Camille Malagar was nearly flawless, scoring 14 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting from the field. Elizabeth Means rounded out the effort with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.
Li paced Hong Kong with 30 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in the loss, with Tan Fung Ma adding 17 points and 6 rebounds, and Tong Hiu Liu contributing 15. The defeat was Hong Kong’s second straight, eliminating the team from contention.
Gilas Women close out group-stage play against host Japan on Tuesday, while Hong Kong faces Kazakhstan the same day with nothing left to play for but pride.
