Phl cagebelles battle Korean champions
Winning is hard to come by, especially in the Jones Cup where all the teams competing are good
Daily TribuneWinning is hard to come by, especially in the Jones Cup where all the teams competing are good
After posting their first ever victory, Gilas Pilipinas Women squad faces a bigger test when it battles Korean powerhouse Busan BNK Sum in the William Jones Cup on Tuesday at the Taipei Heping Gymnasium in Taipei.
Game time is at 3 p.m. with the Filipinas looking to come up with a rousing win to sustain the momentum created by their 64-60 win over Iran on Sunday.
But the battle will not be easy.
The Koreans are coming in as the reigning Women's Korean Basketball League champions and they are hoping to book their third straight win in this prestigious invitational event that is making a return after a three-year hiatus.
The Koreans opened their campaign with an 88-74 win over Iran followed by a 77-65 triumph over Chinese Taipei-White.
They are looking to emerge as the best team in the elimination round as they area currently tied with the Chanson V-Magic of Japan on top of the team standings with a 2-0 win-loss mark.
The Koreans, however, are playing the Japan U20 squad while Gilas girls are colliding with Chinese Taipei-White at press time.
Gilas coach Patrick Aquino admitted the enormity of the task, saying that the level of competition in the Jones Cup is way high.
"Winning is hard to come by, especially in the Jones Cup where all the teams competing are good," Aquino, who is using the Jones Cup as a springboard for their debut in the 19th Asian Games, said.
Tasked to carry the cudgels for Gilas are Kacey dela Rosa and Jhasmine Joson, who fired 12 points apiece in their victory over the Iranians, as well as veterans Jack Animam, Afril Bernardino and Janine Pontejos.
