The Gilas Pilipinas Women figure in a must-win clash against Lebanon if they want to move on in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup.
Naomi Panganiban and Jack Animam aim to keep Gilas Pilipinas Women’s quarterfinal hopes alive as they take on Lebanon in a do-or-die showdown at the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup on Tuesday, July 16, at 1:30 p.m. at the Shenzhen Sports Centre in China.
With a ticket to the quarterfinals—and a shot at qualifying for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup on the line—Gilas needs a breakthrough win against a taller and more physical Lebanese squad in their final Group B match.
The young Filipina squad showed promise in a narrow 85-82 loss to world no. 9 Japan on Monday, where they staged a late rally led by Animam’s hustle and Panganiban’s energy.
[READ: Gilas Women comeback falls short vs Japan in FIBA Women’s Asia Cup]
Now, they hope to build on that momentum in their final eliminations outing.
Panganiban, a product of Gilas’ youth program, has emerged as a spark plug for the national team in Shenzhen. The 19-year-old is expected to take on a bigger role as the Philippines hunts for its first win of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Animam, who has been the team’s emotional leader, will continue to anchor the defense and provide experience in the paint.
Lebanon, for its part, is licking its wounds after a crushing 113-34 loss to Australia.
The West Asian squad will lean on Nour Labban, who tallied 11 points against the Opals after sitting out their tournament opener.
A win for Gilas would not only advance them to the next round but also assure them of a spot in the FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifiers—a crucial step in the Philippines’ long-term development on the women’s basketball stage.
(With reports from Luisa Morales)
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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.]