February 01, 2025

Sweet-shooting Khate Castillo, Gilas Pilipinas Women torch Vietnam in SEA Games bounce back

Sweet-shooting Khate Castillo, Gilas Pilipinas Women torch Vietnam in SEA Games bounce back
FIBA/Ariya Kurniawan

"It was the best bounce back game of my career."

Gilas Pilipinas Women coach Pat Aquino told One Sports' Carlo Pamintuan that after his team dominated Vietnam, 116-58, in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games women's basketball competition on Saturday.

Vietnam had the lead only once, when star player Thao Vy Truong, scored the first three-pointer of the game.

They never had the lead again.

All Filipinas were able to score, including six players who contributed double digits.

  

Khate Castillo had 22 points, from 7-12 three-point field goal shooting. All but one of her attempts came from rainbow country.

"I told Khate before the game that she needs to catch fire. Against Indonesia, we were second guessing our shots. I told her if she’s open, take it," Aquino shared.

It was a statement win for Gilas Pilipinas Women, as they earned a measure of revenge for their 3x3 finals loss to the same country. Thao Vy Truong and her sister, Thao My Truong, who led Vietnam's 3x3 squad to the gold, were limited to only 15 and 6 points respectively.

The win was also a solid response from the national team after it lost to Indonesia in a blowout on Friday.

"It speaks volumes about the personality of this team. We lost one game, but our job here is to win as many as possible so we’ll keep giving our best in our last two games," Aquino added.

But Gilas Pilipinas Women's shot at a historic third straight SEA Games gold medal remains slim as the team's fate is not in the team's hands anymore.  At 3-1, the Philippines will need to beat Thailand on Sunday and Malaysia on Monday and hope that unbeaten Indonesia loses its last two assignments against Cambodia and Singapore. 

 

(With reports from Carlo Pamintuan, One Sports)

(MDB)

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