SEREMBAN, Malaysia — Gilas Pilipinas Girls failed to sustain a strong opening performance as South Korea pulled away for an 86-70 victory on Monday, October 5, leaving the Philippines winless after two games in the Division A FIBA Women’s U18 Asia Cup at Karisma Arena.
The Filipinas entered the contest determined to recover from their heavy 102-47 defeat to Australia and battled South Korea closely in the opening period.
Tiffany Reyes and Rhiane Perez led the early charge as the Philippines matched Korea’s intensity and finished the first quarter just a point behind, 18-17.
South Korea, however, seized control in the second period. Yeonseo Lim and Sohee Lee caught fire offensively, powering their team to a 48-32 advantage by halftime.
The Philippines attempted to mount a comeback after the break but could not erase the deficit as South Korea maintained enough of a cushion to secure the win.
The defeat dropped Gilas Girls to 0-2 in Group A. They will look to secure their first victory against fellow winless New Zealand (0-2) on Tuesday, October 6.
South Korea, meanwhile, improved to 2-0 and will face unbeaten Australia, also 2-0, in a matchup for the top spot in the group.
Perez paced the Philippines with 21 points, six rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal. Ruiza Olmos added 15 points, while Grace Curley finished with 10.
Reyes contributed 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, one block, and two steals for the Filipinas.
Lim led all scorers with 30 points while also recording six assists, three steals, and one rebound for South Korea. Lee provided 25 points, seven rebounds, and one assist.