Two-time UAAP MVP Kacey Dela Rosa is left to man the paint alone in the early goings of SEA Games 2025 as the Gilas Pilipinas Women await the arrival of NU's Ann Pingol and Angel Surada.
BANGKOK — Dealing with personnel issues, the Gilas Pilipinas Women have two-time UAAP MVP Kacey Dela Rosa to rely on as they navigate the early goings of the SEA Games 2025 here.
With NU’s Ann Pingol and Angel Surada still set to play Game 3 of the UAAP Season 88 women’s basketball Finals on Sunday, Dela Rosa will have to hold her ground for the first two games of the tournament.
She did exactly that in Gilas Women's opener on Saturday, churning out a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds in the Philippines’ 76-67 win over Malaysia.
[RELATED: Gilas Pilipinas Women start SEA Games 2025 with big win over Malaysia]
“Sobrang laki ng role ni Kacey. She's the only big man right now,” head coach Pat Aquino told POC Media, underscoring the Ateneo star's value on the national team.
“Wala pa yung dalawa. So… hopefully, you know, the role that she's in is not just being the big guy, but you know, a pillar of the team,” he added.
Sparking the comeback
Despite Gilas’ convincing win at the end of the match, there were moments where the national team looked a step slow against Malaysia.
But thankfully for Aquino, his team was able to recover just in time to beat a fellow gold medal contender.
Dela Rosa herself scored on back-to-back baskets to spark the pivotal 18-1 run to end the game, which flipped the script in favor of the Philippines after trailing by six points midway through the fourth quarter.
For Aquino, it was a matter of focusing on each play, rather than trying to do everything all at once.
“They calmed down. That’s the word. They noticed na pag lumalamang, nagkakaron ng gusto nilang mahabol agad [in] one basket. They wanna get it agad,” said Aquino.
“So, I think I told them to slow down. Reminder of you what, you know, the basic part of how we do it. And fortunately, nagawa naman nila.”
Dela Rosa will still have one more game to go without the help of either Pingol or Surada, as Gilas Pilipinas Women return to action on Sunday, December 14, against Singapore still at the same venue.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.