Gaston saddened by Brick passing

Philippine Sports commissioner Matthew “Fritz” Gaston expressed sadness over the demise of Victoria Brick — the Filipino-American playmaker who led the national team to a historic bronze medal in the Southeast Asian Games in 2007.

In an interview with DAILY TRIBUNE, Gaston recalled all his happy memories with Brick, saying that she is a gentle person but a fierce competitor who never backed down even when ranged against bigger and stronger high school boys.

Brick died on Monday after losing a three-year battle with ovarian cancer. She was 43.

“Even if she would get banged up playing against high school boys, she would always smile,” said Gaston, who coached Brick and the national women’s squad during the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) tournament and the SEA Games that were both held in Thailand in 2007.

“That’s why she became close to me. I was even invited to her wedding. She sent me an invitation and I really made sure to be there because I was also in the area.”

Brick is considered as a trailblazer in women’s basketball.

With the former University of Maryland star running the plays, the Nationals emerged with a silver medal in the SEABA before clinching a bronze medal in the SEA Games.

Those were very important feats as the country was just coming from a two-year suspension imposed by the International Basketball Federation.

Also, it was the first two medals of the fledgling cage federation — the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas — in the international stage.

Aside from Brick, also part of the squad were veteran Emilia Vega, Joan Grajales, Cassie Tioseco and Minerva Narciza.

“She might be 5-foot-7 but she plays well. She plays like a man,” Gaston added.

“We would train against the high school team of Xavier and the Teng brothers, Jeric and Jeron, were still there at that time. She would usually enter the game with her make up on and beat the high school boys.”

Gaston admitted that the news took him by surprise.

“The last time we talked was around seven or eight years ago,” said Gaston, a former Ateneo de Manila star and decorated Philippine Basketball Association player before becoming the head coach of the national women’s basketball squad.

“I didn’t know about it until I got the news from Pato Gregorio, who was our team manager at that time.”

After her stint in the country, Brick brought her talent to the Sydney Flames in the Women’s National Basketball League before going back to the United States to man the family-owned business, Brick Bodies Fitness, which is considered as the biggest health club in the Baltimore area.

She is survived by her husband, Evan Zupancic, and daughter, Jordan, as well as parents, Victor and Lyanne, and brother, Jon.