Perlas rally falls short vs Malaysia, suffers first loss in FIBA Asia women

Staff and players of the Discovery Perlas ng Pilipinas team at the press launch in Prime 22 restaurant at the Discovery Suites in Ortigas. CELEST FLORES/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines blew an early double-digit lead and fell short on its comeback bid late in a 56-60 loss to Southeast Asian rival Malaysia Wednesday in the 25th FIBA Asia for Women in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Perlas ng Pilipinas team pulled to within two, 55-57, after trailing by as much as 13 in the fourth quarter.

But Shin Min Yong nailed a basket to stretch Malaysia’s lead to four, 59-55, with 22 seconds left.

The Philippines, which absorbed its first defeat in four games after beating Hong Kong, Uzbekistan and Thailand in its previous games, must beat Indonesia Thursday to secure a top two finish and get a shot for a Level I promotion.

Melissa Jacob led the Philippines, which came off a 65-59 win over Thailand Tuesday night, with 17 points while Analyn Almazan added 16 points and five rebounds.

The Philippines couldn’t sustain its strong start as it squandered a 15-3 lead before getting outscored, 5-17, in the third period.

 
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