Gilas Women make history in FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup

Sports

A SILVER that feels like gold.

They may have failed to win the ultimate prize but Gilas Pilipinas Women had a campaign to remeber in the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in Singapore.

Gilas fell short of winning the title when it lost to defending champion Australia, 9-18, in their championship match on Sunday, April 5.

The championship loss, however, didn’t dampen the spirits of the Filipinas as they already made history when they defeated Japan, 21-19, in their semifinal match.

Australia would eventually nip Gilas in the final, but the silver finish marked the first time in history that the country won a medal in FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup history.

In the men’s competition, Gilas Pilipinas couldn’t overcome a slow start to endure a 15-18 loss to South Korea in their knockout game also last Sunday.

The Filipinos fell behind, 0-3, and it was all downfill for them from that point on as the Sokors played steady throughout to seal their first-ever semifinal appearance in the tournament.

The defeat denied Gilas from matching its semifinal appearance in the tournament’s 2022 edition.

Gunner Jerrick Ahanmisi fired a game-tying high eight points in the loss. Chris Koon and Sean Alter tallied three points each while Ralph Cu had one point.

Despite the early exit, it was still a solid run by Gilas, which scored big wins against Maldives and Thailand in the qualifying round to make it to the main draw.

Donggeun Lee collected eight points and six rebounds to lead South Korea, which also posted two wins in the qualifiers before earning a main draw seat.

By beating Gilas, South Korea surpassed its quarterfinal finish in the 2022 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup.(CCM)