MANILA — Gilas Pilipinas Women salvaged a winning finish to their 2026 FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament campaign, holding off a late Senegal rally for a 79-75 victory on Friday (Philippine time) in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The Filipinas showed composure down the stretch after seeing an 11-point advantage threatened, with Kacey Dela Rosa burying a crucial three-pointer that helped preserve the victory and hand newly appointed head coach Burke Toews his first win with the national team.
Despite the triumph, Gilas fell short of advancing to the knockout stage after finishing third in Group B behind host Mexico and world No. 7 Canada.
The Philippines gained separation late in the third quarter behind Aklanon Vanessa De Jesus and Ilongga Sophia Dignadice, building an 11-point cushion before Senegal mounted a final-quarter comeback.
Ndioma Kane drained a jumper with 2:36 remaining to pull Senegal within two and put the Filipinas under pressure.
Gilas responded on the ensuing possession, with Dela Rosa knocking down a clutch three-pointer to push the advantage back to five and halt Senegal’s momentum.
The Filipinas protected their lead in the closing minutes before Jack Animam split two free throws with 13 seconds remaining to effectively seal the victory.
De Jesus, Dignadice and Dela Rosa spearheaded the balanced Philippine attack with 16 points apiece, while Animam finished with 14 points. Jhazmin Joson chipped in nine.
Gilas ended the group stage with a 1-2 record following earlier losses to Mexico and Canada. Only the top two teams from each group advanced to the next round.
With their Pre-OQT stint over, the Filipinas will turn their attention to the 2026 Asian Games in Japan next month./PN
