Gilas belles wallop Kazakhs, 83-59

Gilas Pilipinas women's team sizzled on its debut performance in the Asian Games basketball competition on Wednesday as it walloped Kazakhstan, 83-59, at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium.

Mainstay Janine Pontejos caught fire and poured in 21 points, while Khate Castillo contributed 15 markers as the two hot-shooting guards set the tone for the Filipinas.

Two other players ended up in double figures for Gilas — Jack Animam (12) and Afril Bernardino (11) — as coach Patrick Aquino and his troops went off to a rousing start in their first ever participation in the quadrennial meet's hoop fest.