BLOODIED but unbowed.
With its back against the ropes, the Gilas Pilipinas women squad square off with Chinese Taipei today in Group B action in the 2021 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup Division A tournament.
The do-or-die match is set at 12 a.m. at the Prince Hamza Hall in Amman, Jordan.
A Gilas women victory will clinch for it a slot in the knockout rounds of the tourney.
The Filipina belles absorbed a 56-120 thrashing at the hands of world No. 3 Australia yesterday and dropped to 0-2, counting the 52-143 beating they absorbed from China last Monday night.
Chinese Taipei came off a 50-124 loss to China yesterday.
Gilas women coach Pat Aquino said his charges will face the tough task head on.
“It’s really hard. It’s a tough group that we’re in. I think being the smallest among the group and having a game with those more experienced players, we tried to get there,” Aquino said.
“We try to improve every day, every game and we hope that we could be competitive in the future,” he added.
Janine Pontejos paced the nationals against the Aussies with 13 points, while Afril Bernardino chipped in eight markers and three rebounds.
Newcomer Kristine Cayabyab also had 10 points in the defeat.
Aside from Bernardino, Pontejos, and Cayabyab, also expected to do their part are veterans Clare Castro, Mar Prado, Andrea Tongco, Chack Cabinbin, and Ria Nabalan.
Other rookies in the squad are Ella Fajardo, Camille Clarin, and Ann Pingol.
All is not lost on Gilas Pilipinas women’s campaign, according to Aquino.
“Having the girls play and getting the experience against those two tough teams we played, we’d like to move on and adjust. That’s the main purpose here, to just compete,” he said.
“I think after those two tough games that we’ve had we’ll have another day of competing.”
The last-placed team in the group will take on the bottom squad of the other group in a relegation match.
