The Iranians cut the double-digit lead to six in the clutch, giving Gilas a legit scare.
Despite a sluggish second quarter that saw them give up 14 straight points, Gilas Pilipinas Women used a strong third period to bounce back and win its first game in the 42nd William Jones Cup against Iran, 64-60.
From the start of the buzzer, Gilas Women looked like the superior team against the Iranians, but couldn’t drain all their shots to pull away. A Kacey Dela Rosa layup allowed them to finish the opening quarter with a 13-9 lead at the Taipei Peace Basketball Hall on Sunday.
The empty possessions for the national team carried over to the second canto, with the likes of Jack Animam and Afril Bernardino even missing shots from point-blank range. This paved the way for Iran to make a huge 14-0 run, allowing the Middle Easterners to enter halftime with a 30-23 lead.
Coach Patrick Aquino’s wards, however, came alive in the third quarter courtesy of a strong play from Janine Pontejos, who nailed a corner 3-pointer out of the gate.
Jhazmin Joson nailed a trey of her own off the curl, before Bernardino soared in for a drive in the left elbow to convert a right-handed layup that brought them within one point, 32-31.
A couple of possessions later, Pontejos made a dish to Animam to get the lead, 33-32. Joson immediately nailed another trifecta—off a Pontejos pass again—in what would be a start of a run that would bring the lead to 10 by the end of the third quarter. They outscored the Iranians 26-9 in the said period.
Gilas Women, who lost their Jones Cup opener against Chinese Taipei Blue, would lead by as much as 12 in the closing frame. The Iranians, however, would cut the lead to six points in the final minute before falling short to settle for a four-point loss.
Joson and Dela Rosa paced the team with 12 points apiece. Animam did the dirty work and notched 7 points, 15 boards, and 3 blocks. Pontejos contributed 5 markers and 4 dimes.
The lady ballers will next face Chinese Taipei White, the second of two Taiwanese squads in the tilt, on Monday, 5 p.m.