MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Girls moved on the cusp of a coveted Division A promotion in the FIBA U16 Women’s Asian Championship in Amman, Jordan after a 79-44 semifinal thrashing of Malaysia on Saturday, July 15.

Ava Fajardo put up a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double on top of 5 assists and 2 steals as the Filipinas coasted to another romp and advanced to the Division B final.

Posting an average winning margin of a whopping 61 points, the Philippines looks to cap its dominant campaign with a win over Iran in the finale on Sunday, with only the champion earning a promotion to the Division A.

Ariel Star de la O also notched a double-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 steals for the Filipinas, who cruised in the last three quarters after leading by just a single possession at the end of the opening frame, 15-13.

Christina Lapasaran chimed in another 10 points, with 8 coming in the decisive second period where Gilas Girls caught fire for 30 in total to build a commanding 45-27 halftime advantage.

Lapasaran sank a layup and a pair of triples in succession to give the Philippines its first double-digit lead, 23-13, before Fajardo and Sophia Canindo took their turns, scoring 6 and 7 points, respectively, in the quarter.

Kimi Sayson contributed across the board with 6 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals, and 3 assists, while Rylee Palma chimed in 11 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Shing Ting Ophelia Wong and Ke Xin Lee paced the Malaysians with 16 and 13 points, respectively.

The Philippines is on the verge of fulfilling its unfinished business after a heartbreaking end to its once-promising run last year.

Clinching an outright semifinal berth, Gilas Girls crashed out of the final four following a stunning 88-73 loss to Samoa – the same team they beat by 29 points in the group stage.

The eventual Division B champion, Samoa ascended to the Division A.

Standing in the Filipinas’ way this year are the Iranians, who also reached the finale without dropping a single game after hacking out a 64-58 win over Hong Kong in the other semifinal pairing. – Rappler.com