Gilas Pilipinas Women vent ire on hapless Vietnam, stay on pace for slim gold hope

MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas Women bounced back and then some after a crucial loss to Indonesia at the 2023 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games women’s basketball tournament, pummeling hapless Vietnam, 116-58, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Saturday, May 13.

The Philippines stayed on track for a three-peat gold-medal finish in the regional meet with the win. However, it must also bank on the slim possibility that Indonesia drops its next two assignments in the no-playoffs, round robin tournament. 

Indonesia (4-0) and Malaysia (4-1) are currently ahead of the reigning champion Gilas Women (3-1).

Unlike in men’s play, the women’s division features a round-robin, no-playoff tournament, thus awarding the gold to the team with the best record.

Khate Castillo led the lopsided affair for Gilas with 22 points off the bench on a 7-of-12 clip from three, while Jack Animam rebounded from a 4-point disappearing act against Indonesia with a 16-point, 13-board double-double with 4 assists in just 19 minutes.

Setting the tone with a high-octane first-quarter surge 35-25, Gilas then essentially iced the game with a 33-9 second-frame pullaway, draining 6 of its 18 total made threes on the way to a 68-34 gap. Vietnam, in turn, only made 6 triples the entire game.

It was a cakewalk from that point onwards for the vengeful Filipinas, as Camille Clarin drained a trey with 7:44 left in regulation to peak with a 60-point separation, 104-44, that Vietnam failed to dent down the stretch.

Only Thao Vy Truong scored in double figures on the losing end with 15 points off 5-of-8 shooting.

The Philippines next takes on Thailand on May 14, 12 pm (Manila time), but only after Indonesia completes its last two games against Cambodia and Singapore.

An Indonesia win over Cambodia also on Saturday would immediately mean a Gilas dethroning by way of the win-over-the-other tiebreaker. – Rappler.com