Gilas Women book Asian Games quarters ticket in rout of Hong Kong

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Gilas Pilipinas women’s national basketball team formalized its 20th Asian Games quarterfinal seat with a resounding 90-73 win over Hong Kong at Aichi International Arena in Japan on Sept. 20, 2026.

Fresh off a masterful 28-point win over Kazakhstan, the Filipinas picked up where they left off, stepping on the gas pedal midway through the third quarter to pull away from Hong Kong.

Unlike their debut win against Kazakhstan, when they took full control from the get-go, Gilas had to endure a resilient Hong Kong squad that managed to go toe-to-toe with them in the first half.

The turning point was spearheaded by Stefanie Berberabe, who knocked down a much-needed 3-pointer that ignited a massive 16-3 Gilas run to turn a two-point lead into a 76-60 advantage.

Berberabe splashed two huge treys to end the third frame, followed by a series of haymakers to start the fourth period courtesy of veteran star Afril Bernardino and Jhazmin Joson.

Hong Kong tried to slow down Gilas’ high-octane attack by deploying a mixed-zone defensive scheme, but the quick Filipina guards easily broke the incoming press at the top of the key with their speed and on-point drop passes into the paint.

As soon as Gilas reached a 16-point cushion, Hong Kong started to falter and missed consecutive attempts, including during a two-minute drought inside the final seven minutes of regulation.

Aside from Gilas’ run-and-gun attack, its 3-point shooting also prevented Hong Kong from retaking the driver’s seat, especially in the second quarter when Tsz Kwan Li went on a heater.

Hong Kong’s sniper single-handedly kept her team in the game, but Gilas’ collective effort spoiled her 30-point barrage in the crucial playoff knockout matchup.

Leading the charge for Gilas was Berberabe, who delivered an all-around performance of 21 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 31 minutes of action.

Also contributing to the much-needed dub were Bernardino and Joson, who dropped 17 and 15 markers, respectively, while Camille Malagar chipped in 14 points.

Before kicking off its quarterfinal bid, Gilas will first have to take on host Japan in Group B’s final game on Sept. 22, 2026, to determine its seeding.