The road gets tougher for Ella Fajardo and Gilas Pilipinas Women as they take on world no. 14 South Korea today, followed by a showdown with tournament leader and unbeaten Japan tomorrow.
One win doesn’t make a run — but for the Gilas Pilipinas Women, it might just be the spark they need.
After shaking off a rocky start, the Philippine women's national team is looking to notch back-to-back victories as the Filipinas take on perennial powerhouse South Korea in the 2025 William Jones Cup on Friday, July 4 (PH time).
Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m.
National team anchor Jack Animam and Notre Dame guard Vanessa De Jesus combined for 46 points in an 83-66 bounce-back win over Thailand on Thursday, July 3, powering Gilas to their first win in the five-day tournament.
Both stars finished with 23 points apiece, while Sumayah Sagapong added 11 off the bench. The Filipinas turned the tide in the third quarter, erupting for 26 points and limiting the Thais to just 12 to blow the game wide open after trailing by one at halftime.
[ALSO READ: Gilas Women recover from opening setback, blast Thailand in Jones Cup]
The victory was a much-needed response after Gilas opened their campaign with a lopsided 85-59 loss to one of Chinese Taipei’s national teams on Wednesday.
[ALSO READ: Gilas Pilipinas Women fall to Chinese Taipei in 2025 Jones Cup opener]
Now sitting at 1-1, the Philippines are part of a four-way tie for second place alongside South Korea and the two Taipei squads.
South Korea, currently ranked no. 14 in the world, are also coming off a loss and eager to bounce back. After routing Chinese Taipei, 95-74, in their opener, the Koreans fell short against unbeaten Japan, 75-69, in a tightly contested affair.
Friday’s matchup marks a pivotal swing game for Gilas Women, who face tournament leader and unbeaten Japan next — a looming showdown that could ultimately define the ceiling of their campaign in Taipei.
[ALSO READ; SCHEDULE | Gilas Pilipinas Women compete at 2025 William Jones Cup]
(With reports from Pao Ambat)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]