Reyes game-winner lifts Gilas Girls past Korea in FIBA U16 Women's Asia Cup
- Balitang Marino
- Sep 25
- 2 min read
September 25 ------ The Gilas Pilipinas Girls kept their hopes alive in the FIBA U16 Women's Asia Cup thanks to a game-winner from birthday girl Tiffany Reyes. The 15-year-old Filipina guard delivered a gift for her team, draining a jumper at the buzzer to lift the Philippines past South Korea, 77-75, at the Arena Seremban in Malaysia.
The victory marks the program's first-ever win in Division A, which also served as their ticket to the playoffs for the semifinals. Gilas Girls were facing a 10-point deficit early in the third period against the Korean squad, 51-41. But the Nationals sparked a comeback, going on a 15-6 run to cut the lead to a single digit heading into the final frame.
Gilas Girls started the fourth quarter strong, building a 9-point lead, including two treys from Reyes, 69-60. South Korea answered with a run of their own to trim the deficit to one, 73-72. Seun Lim nailed a jumper to put her team closer to victory with 15 seconds left on the clock, 75-74. Ruiza Jhane Olmos split her free throws, missing the chance to put Gilas Girls ahead by a single digit.
In the final play, Reyes battled three Korean defenders for the rebound, leading the way to the game-winning jumper. The birthday girl finished with 16 points off 4 triples and 3 rebounds. Ella Smith led the scoring for Gilas Girls with 21 markers, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Olmos added 12 points in the victory.
Lim finished with 31 markers, while Damhee Kim pitched in 26 points in a losing effort. After barging into the win column, Gilas Girls finished third in Group A behind leader Australia and Chinese Taipei. The Philippines will face China in the qualification game for a semifinals spot on Friday, while Korea will play in a classification match to avoid relegation.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
What a game! Reyes’ clutch shot to lift Gilas Girls past Korea in the FIBA U16 Women’s Asia Cup is a moment we’ll remember for a long time. These young athletes are proving that they can compete at the highest level, and it’s so exciting to see. That kind of resilience and skill will take them far. For those following, platforms like db bet app are awesome for keeping up with international sports like this. Whether it’s basketball or any other event, it’s a solid app for tracking live updates and making informed bets on these exciting matches!