Gilas Pilipinas Women secure first win in Jones Cup, Defeat Malaysia

Gilas Pilipinas Women secured their first victory in the 2024 William Jones Cup Women’s Basketball Tournament, defeating Malaysia 74-63 on Sunday at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, Taiwan.

This win comes after a tough opening defeat against Chinese Taipei – B. The Philippines displayed impressive resilience, bouncing back to even their record at 1-1 in the tournament.

The turning point for Gilas came in the third quarter, where they outscored Malaysia 24-14. This decisive surge solidified their lead, building upon a 34-27 advantage established at halftime.

Key Contributors for Gilas:

• Afril Bernardino: Led the team with a well-rounded performance, scoring 13 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and recording 6 steals with 2 blocks.
• Jack Animam: Provided a strong inside presence with a double-double of 10 points and 9 rebounds.
• Gabby Ramos: The young talent, fresh off her championship win with the Gilas Girls, impressed with 8 points and 9 rebounds in her 26 minutes on the court.

Despite the loss, Destiny Samuel displayed a strong showing for Malaysia, leading their team with 21 points and 9 rebounds.

While Malaysia held a slight edge in rebounding (35 to 34), Gilas capitalized on their superior steal count (16 to 6) and forced more turnovers (25 to 8). Despite Malaysia’s higher three-point shooting percentage (40% compared to Gilas’ 21.4%), the Philippines’ strong showing from the two-point area (45.1%) ultimately sealed the deal.pen_spark

With their first win secured, Gilas Pilipinas Women set their sights on their next challenge – Japan. The crucial matchup is scheduled for Monday, July 8th, at 3:00 PM local time (2:00 PM in the Philippines).