Gilas Women fall in Jones Cup opener

It wasn’t the kind of start head coach Pat Aquino wanted for Gilas Pilipinas Women in the 43rd William Jones Cup.

But the Filipinas will have to lick their wounds and bounce back in the next games.

Gilas Women had no answer to Chinese Taipei-White’s torrid outside shooting to yield, 60-73, in their debut game Saturday at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei, Taiwan.

Chinese Taipei buried the Philippines with 13 three-pointers that kept the Gilas Women from mounting significant resistance in their first tournament in over a year since their stint in the 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in Australia.

Gilas Women went cold from the three-point area with only three triples all game.

Chinese-Taipei was efficient from the field, shooting 15-of-31 compared to the Pinay cagers’ 19-of-42.

The host squad was also better in sharing the ball that gave them good looks for high-percentage shots as they had 27 assists — 19 more than the Gilas Women’s output.

Chen Yu Chieh led the Taiwanese with 13 points while Lin Yu Shu scored 10 points.

Naomi Panagniban finished with 16 points in her debut for the senior team while Afril Bernardino dropped 14 markers.

Gilas Women star Jack Animam has a double-double night of 10 points and 11 rebounds but her efforts came into naught in the end.

The six participating teams will play in a single-round robin format with the squad with most number of wins will cop the crown.

Meanwhile, Thailand defeated Malaysia, 62-59, in the earlier match.

Gilas Women will try to bounce back against Malaysia today at 3 p.m. at the same venue.

The Philippines aims to surpass its 1-4 win-loss record in 2023.