MANILA — Gilas Pilipinas Women turned suffocating defense into a dominant Asian Games debut, forcing 34 turnovers and collecting 26 steals in an 86-58 demolition of Kazakhstan on Thursday at the Aichi International Arena.
Playing without key cogs Jack Animam and Kacey Dela Rosa and facing a significant height disadvantage, the Filipinas compensated with relentless defensive pressure, speed and efficient ball movement to open their Group B campaign with an emphatic 28-point victory.
Elizabeth Means spearheaded the Philippine attack with 23 points, including three three-pointers, and four rebounds, while Stefanie Berberabe contributed 11 points, eight assists and four rebounds.
Gilas’ defense dictated the game from the opening tip, forcing Kazakhstan into nine turnovers in the first quarter while racing to a commanding 25-9 advantage.
Means and Janine Pontejos combined for 13 points in the opening period as the Filipinas quickly seized control.
Kazakhstan attempted to fight back by scoring 23 points in the second quarter, but Gilas maintained its comfortable cushion and headed into halftime with a 49-32 advantage.
Any hopes of a Kazakh comeback disappeared in the third quarter as the Filipinas delivered their most dominant stretch of the game.
Gilas outscored Kazakhstan, 27-8, in the period, using its aggressive defense to fuel transition opportunities and blow the game open at 76-40 entering the fourth quarter.
The Filipinas finished the contest shooting 53 percent from two-point range, 31 percent from beyond the arc and an impressive 91 percent from the free-throw line.
Kazakhstan’s Tamara Noiok finished with 11 points, while Anna Bezgodova recorded a double-double of 10 points and 15 rebounds.
The victory gave Gilas Pilipinas Women a convincing start to its Asian Games campaign despite entering the tournament without two of its key frontcourt players./PN
