Unbeaten Gilas Women advance to Fiba 3×3 Asia Cup quarterfinals

Gilas Pilipinas Women’s Jhazmin Joson. –FIBA 3×3

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas Women barged into the Fiba 3×3 Asia Cup quarterfinal after sweeping two games in Pool C on Friday evening in Singapore.

The Philippine squad, bannered by Jhaz Joson, Camille Clarin, Mikka Cacho, and Kaye Pingol, completed a Pool C sweep after trouncing Malaysia, 17-10.

Joson helped Gilas pull away when its 5-1 start was turned into a two-point game by Malaysia, 6-4, as she scored four consecutive points followed by Clarin’s basket for a 14-6 spread with 2:34 left.

READ: Gilas Women reach Fiba 3×3 Asia Cup main draw after sweep

Cacho and Pingol scored four points each with the former scoring back-to-back clutch baskets inside off Joson’s no-look pass and the latter’s lob to keep the Malaysians at bay, 18-6, with 1:18 remaining.

Clarin had three points and six rebounds, showing a great defensive effort to bring back Gilas to the quarterfinal after missing last year’s knockout stage.

Earlier, Joson fired four two-pointers to finish with 11 points in their 19-8 rout of Mongolia. Pingol backstopped her with five points and six rebounds.

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Gilas, which has yet to lose in five games including the three-game sweep of the qualifying draw, battles Chinese Taipei in a knockout game on Easter Sunday at 1:10 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Gilas Pilipinas men’s squad opens its Fiba Asia Cup campaign on Saturday.

The Gilas team, composed of  Gryann Mendoza, Chester Saldua, Ping Exciminiano, and Joseph Sedurifa, begins its Pool C campaign against Australia at 6:30 p.m. before facing Japan at 8:10 p.m.