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| Vanessa De Jesus came alive again for Gilas. FIBA |
MANILA—For the first time since adopting a promotion-relegation format, the Philippines has won a group stage game in Division A of the FIBA Women's Asia Cup.
Gilas Pilipinas assured on Wednesday that they stay in the top flight after beating Chinese Taipei, 92-81, in their final Group A game at the State Sports Centre in Sydney.
Behind yet another explosion from Vanessa De Jesus and arguably Jack Animam's best game in the 5-on-5 circuit since returning from an ACL injury, Gilas gradually whipped their Taiwanese foes as they also sealed a showdown against New Zealand in the quarterfinals.
De Jesus finished with 25 points on 11-of-19 shooting, two rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while Afril Bernardino added 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one block for Gilas.
Animam went 8-for-8 from the field for 16 points with 15 rebounds and one assist.
Lin Yu-Ting put up 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and one block for Chinese Taipei.
New Zealand, which holds the tiebreaker over South Korea due to its Matchday 1 win, sealed the second seed in Group B with a 76-45 rout of Lebanon.
The winner of the Gilas-New Zealand game on Friday will not just enter the semifinals but also clinch a spot in the Paris Olympic qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei and Lebanon will also face off on Friday but for survival with the losing side relegated to Division B for the next edition.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
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