MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Women kept their semifinal hopes alive in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup with a breakthrough 92-81 win over Chinese Taipei at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in Australia on Wednesday, June 28.
It marked the first time Gilas Women won a group stage match in the Women’s Asia Cup since they got promoted from Division B to Division A in 2015. The victory, though, did not come without a scare as Chinese Taipei, which got buried as deep as 62-76 early in the fourth quarter, went on a 12-2 tear and narrowed the gap to 74-78 with under five minutes remaining.
Bernardino stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, while Animam put up 16 points and 15 rebounds.It was an emotional triumph for the Filipinas, who endured multiple heartbreaks in the Women’s Asia Cup, especially at the hands of the Taiwanese.