Gilas Women put up gallant stand in close FIBA Asia Cup loss to New Zealand

The Philippine national women's basketball team gave New Zealand a tough challenge but ran out of steam late to suffer an 83-78 loss and bow out of contention in the 2023 FIBA Women's Asia Cup on Friday.

Gilas Pilipinas Women will play in the classification rounds while the Tall Ferns advanced to the semifinals opposite five-time defending champion Japan.

After falling behind by as much as 10 early on, Gilas Women stepped on the gas in the second period with Khate Castillo and Jhazmin Joson drilling five triples combined as came back to within just four at the half, 45-41.

A 9-0 run to open the third then allowed Gilas to gain a 50-45 lead, but Charlisse Leger-Walker single-handedly carried the Tall Ferns in the same frame, scoring the next 14 points for New Zealand to counter Afril Bernardino, whose back-to-back buckets made it a 69-66 lead.

Leger-Walker's buzzer-beater basket cut the Philippines' cushion to a slim 69-68 before the fourth.

But foul trouble got in the way of the Filipinas in the payoff period with Jack Animam and Bernardino both getting their fourth fouls before the 4th minute mark.

The two veterans still tried to rally the Philippines, keeping within striking distance, 83-78, with 1:28 left before they committed a crucial turnover in the final 47 seconds en route to the loss.

Joson and Bernardino each finished with 15 points while Animam poured in a double-double outing of 14 markers and 11 rebounds alongside one block.

Leger-Walker led New Zealand with a whopping 34 points together with six assists, three rebounds, and three steals.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News