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| Gilas still held their heads high despite losing in the end. FIBA |
MANILA—Gilas Pilipinas' campaign in the FIBA Women's Asia Cup ended on a sad note on Saturday after losing to South Korea, 71-80, in the fifth place game at the State Sports Centre in Sydney.
A show of might in the second and third quarters turned out to be enough for the Koreans as Gilas' fourth quarter comeback fell short.
After trailing, 18-19, in the first quarter, South Korea responded with a 26-15 second quarter before keeping in step with Gilas' offense in the third to open a 66-55 lead entering the fourth.
Gilas, however, started the final frame on a strong and came to within three, 68-71, with 4:32 remaining.
But Kang Lee-Seul fired a back breaking three with 3:59 left that sparked South Korea's endgame push to seal the win.
Park Ji-Hyun led South Korea with 24 points, six rebounds, two assists, and four steals, while Kim Dan-Bi added 14 points, five rebounds, and seven assists.
Shin Ji-Hyun and Park Ji-Su each chipped in 11 points with Park also grabbing 16 rebounds for the double-double.
Afril Bernardino led Gilas with 16 points on 7-for-12 shooting, nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
Vanessa De Jesus' first stint with Gilas ended on a second straight playoff game struggle as she was held to just five points on 2-of-13 field goals, although she too had four rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Despite the defeat, Gilas' sixth-place finish is its best ever since getting promoted to Division A in 2015.
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