It was a relatively slow start for the Philippines.
Singapore’s crisp ball movement found ace Amanda Lim all alone in the right corner. She made the Gilas Pilipinas Women pay with a booming triple in the final seconds of the third period of their Southeast Asian Games women’s basketball match on Thursday.
But that was the only bright moment for Singapore in a period where Gilas clamped down on defense to turn a relatively close game into a breakaway.
After a sloppy first half, the Filipina ballers employed a man-to-man defense that worked wonders in their convincing 94-63 win at the Morodok Techo Elephant Hall in Phnom Penh.
After the adjustment on the defensive end, Gilas went on a 22-5 tear to head into the final frame with a 67-43 advantage. They refused to ease on the gas pedal from there.
Ana Castillo finished with 14 points, while Afril Bernardino and Ella Fajardo had 11 points each. Although struggling with Singapore swarming the paint, Clare Castro added 10 markers and 7 rebounds.
Gunning for a historic 3-peat, Gilas now holds a 2-0 win-loss record in women’s play.
On Wednesday, Gilas shook off a jittery start to come away with a 114-54 drubbing of host Cambodia.
But the road to history is only getting tougher for the Filipinas. In less than 24 hours, the team will take on Indonesia.
(MDB)