Reporting note: this article draws on tiebreakertimes.com.ph; LodiScore provides the summary and editorial framing.
Decisive Surge Propels Gilas Women into the Final Four
Gilas Pilipinas Women mounted a commanding mid-game breakaway to eliminate Singapore, 22-12, in the quarterfinals of the 20th Asian Games 3x3 basketball tournament on Thursday at Kinjo Futo Station Square in Japan. The emphatic victory books the squad a place in Friday's semifinals, keeping the country firmly in medal contention.
Singapore offered early resistance, navigating past the Philippine interior defense to claim a 7-5 lead. However, the Filipinas swiftly adjusted their defensive pressure and dominated the half-court pace. A decisive 11-1 surge, orchestrated largely by Amyah Espanol and Kacey Dela Rosa, completely overturned the deficit and handed the Philippines an unassailable advantage. Espanol punctuated the masterclass by sinking a long-range two-pointer with 2:06 remaining on the game clock to reach the 22-point threshold and seal the knockout win.
Balanced Production and Interior Dominance
The statistical breakdown reflected a well-rounded collective display across the board:
- Amyah Espanol: 7 points, including the match-clinching two-pointer
- Kennan Ka: 7 points and a dominant 9 rebounds
- Kacey Dela Rosa: 6 points with key paint conversions during the pivotal run
- Victoria Pasilang: 2 points
For Singapore, Lai Hor led the scoring effort with six points, but her squad struggled to generate clean looks once the Philippines tightened its perimeter rotations and locked down the defensive glass.
Upcoming Semifinal Clash with Thailand
With this quarterfinal triumph, Gilas Women advance to take on Thailand in the semifinals on Friday. The Thai squad secured its place in the final four after surviving a tense battle against Iran, prevailing 12-11 in their earlier quarterfinal encounter.
The victory also completes a double semifinal qualification for the national 3x3 program, as the Gilas Men's squad earlier edged Chinese Taipei, 21-19, in their respective quarterfinal. Both Philippine half-court teams now stand just one victory away from guaranteeing podium finishes in Japan.
