Gilas Pilipinas Women U18 did not leave anything to chance with their 141-18 win against Maldives in FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup Division B.
The Philippines is making a statement, a 123-point statement.
Gilas Pilipinas Women U18 did just that in their opening game against Maldives in Division B of the FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup held in China last Monday.
The score was 141-18 in favor of the Filipinas. That's not a typo.
The Philippines scored 43 in the first quarter alone compared to the Maldives' 11. By the second quarter, it was just three points for the Filipinas' opponents. They were just forced to a single point in the third frame, and three more in the final canto.
Jolzyne Myranda Impreso shared top scoring honors with Alicia Villanueva for 18 points each.
“We played together as a team and our chemistry really shone through,” Impreso told FIBA. “We ran the ball really well and our shots just fell.”
She went three of four from the three-point line, adding five rebounds, four assists, and four steals in the game.
The 5-foot-9 small forward from Sydney Australia is relishing the opportunity to play for the Philippines in the 5-on-5 scene after stints in 3x3.
“It was a dream of mine to represent the Philippines, and since I couldn’t do it for 3x3, I really wanted to achieve it in this format, I play with a lot of puso, which is heart, and I love the game of basketball," she said.
The 49th ranked Filipinas will next play against world number 86 Lebanon this Tuesday.