Gilas Pilipinas Girls made history on Tuesday after stunning New Zealand, 69-64, in the Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup at Karisma Arena in Malaysia.
The win, which was Gilas’ first since being promoted to Division A, also gave the Philippines a ticket to the qualification for a semifinal spot in the continental meet.
Down by one, UST standout Riri Perez muscled her way for a basket and a foul to put Gilas in front, 65-64, with 50 ticks to go.
While she wasn’t able to complete the three-point play, the Philippines buckled down on defense and sealed the thrilling victory thanks to free throws from Zaydhen Rosano and Grace Curley in the final 24 seconds.
The Philippines, which was coming off an 86-70 loss to South Korea on Monday, takes on China next on Thursday, with the winner securing a semifinal date with powerhouse Australia on Friday. Gilas got crushed by Australia, 102-47, to open its campaign on Sunday.
Rosano led Gilas with a game-high 23 points and seven rebounds, while Perez added 13 points, six rebounds and two steals. After a slow start, Gilas outscored New Zealand, 20-4, in the pivotal third period.
Keija Miringaorangi paced New Zealand with 17 points. Madelin Eliadis and Gia Vukona had 14 and 10, respectively.