by Waylon Galvez
The fairytale run of the Gilas Pilipinas Girls’ 3×3 squad came to an end, losing to taller and heftier Chinese squad, 21-12, in their quarterfinal match in the 2019 FIBA 3×3 Under-18 World Cup yesterday in Ulanbataar, Mongolia.
The team of coach Pat Aquino entered the playoff stage with a 3-1 record after their stunning victories against the sixth-seeded Netherlands, 10-9, Czech Republic via overtime, 15-14, and host country Mongolia, 20-14.
But against the top-ranked China, the PH belles just can’t find ways to stop their top-seeded rivals.
China, starring Xianglin Wu, Bei Wu, and Zhouze He, quickly took a 5-0 lead. Camille Clarin, the hero against the Netherlands, scored the country’s first basket with 8:11 to play, but China answered with back-to-back baskets for a 7-1 advantage.
