HANGZHOU – Welcome to the Asian Games, Gilas women’s team.
The Filipina cagebelles had a rousing triumph in their first ever game in the history of the quadrennial meet, hacking out an 83-59 rout of Kazakhstan Wednesday night at the Shaoxing Olympic Sports Centre gymnasium.
Janine Pontejos exploded for 21 points, Ana Castillo with 15, and veteran Afril Bernardino added 11 in the rousing win that put the team’s campaign on a blazing start.
Gilas outscored the Kazakhs, 23-9, in the second period behind Pontejos, Jack Animam, Bernardino, and Stefanie Berberabe that had Gilas sitting on a 40-26 lead at the break.
Prior to the offensive spark, the contest was tied at 17-all after the first quarter.
Gilas women’s return to the court on Friday against Hong Kong, badly beaten earlier by world power Japan, 118-46, in the other Group B match up.
Other results in the opening of the women’s 5-on-5 competitions were Korea over Thailand, 90-56, and North Korea against Chinese Taipei, 91-77, in a pair of Group C games.