Gilas Women absorb fourth straight loss in FIBA World Cup qualifiers

MANILA, March 16 ------ Gilas Pilipinas Women dropped to a 0-4 slate in the FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament after succumbing to South Korea, 105-74, at the Astroballe in Lyon, France.

Gilas Women managed to keep in step with the World No. 15 squad with an 11-0 run, but a Jihyun Park layup tied the ball game at 17-all late in the opening frame. From there, the South Korean squad went on a 19-0 run to eventually build a lead of 22 points at halftime. Gilas Women tried to keep the fight going despite being outscored in every period, but the deficit was too big for them to overcome. "We had a great start but then Korea had an awesome game today, shooting at least 50% from the field and about 48% from the 3-point shot. I salute Korea and their coaching staff for their great game," Gilas head coach Patrick Aquino said during the post-game press conference.

Kacey Dela Rosa tried to power the Philippines with a massive 26 points, 13 of which were scored in the fourth quarter. Dela Rosa also tallied nine rebounds and three blocks. "I think we still have a lot to improve on. And we have to listen to coach and do what he wants us to do more [and] be more consistent," Dela Rosa said. "For all of the tournaments I've played, I take the lessons I think I can apply. So I can be better and better every tournament," she added.

Gilas veteran Janine Pontejos added 13 markers off a 50% shooting clip from downtown. Six South Korean players tallied double digits, with Leeseul Kang leading the way with 24 points, three rebounds, and three steals. With the victory, South Korea has officially booked a ticket to the FIBA Women's World Cup in Berlin, Germany. Gilas Women looks to end their campaign on a high note, as they face Colombia on March 17, Tuesday, in the same venue. "We're just gonna play our game. I think our plan is to really expose how we play, how we, these girls show the world that they can play on this kind of level. And hopefully we win the game," Aquino said.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com