It was a game dedicated to their mothers.
Gilas Pilipinas Women stayed the course towards a silver medal finish in the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on Sunday afternoon in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
A stubborn Thailand squad remained within striking distance of the Filipino hoopers for the majority of the match. In the third quarter, the Thais even managed to cut the deficit by 2 points. But in the end, the Philippines’ discipline and focus resulted in its 82-70 victory.
Aside from Thailand’s spirited pursuit, an injury scare on Gilas star player Afril Bernardino caused concern for the national team. The 27-year-old forward stepped on a Thai player’s foot, causing the former to roll her ankle. She tried to walk it off, but was eventually carried by her teammates to help her get back to the sidelines. It’s been a rough tournament for Bernardino as she also suffered a bloody nose cut earlier in the tournament.
Fatigue may be a factor in Afril's setbacks or in letting Thailand climb back. Sunday's game, after all, marked the lady cagers' fifth game in as many days.
“Siguro they are kind of tired,” Gilas coach Pat Aquino said in a postgame interview with One Sports’ Denise Tan.
The veteran tactician, however, knew the right buttons to push to motivate his wards. He even took advantage of the fact that the contest took place during a special occasion.
“I just told the girls na, ‘Just play your game, especially now it’s Mother’s Day. You dedicate your game to your mothers,’" said Aquino. "Eventually, nagawa namin ‘yung trabaho namin. That’s the most important thing."
After getting the job done against Thailand, Gilas now has a 4-1 win-loss record in the round-robin tournament. They will need to win against Malaysia tomorrow at 12:00 noon, Manila time, to clinch the silver medal.
Gilas Women, who won the last two 5-on-5 golds in the SEA Games, saw their three-peat bid fade away after losing to the Indonesians last Friday. After a win over Singapore today, the Indonesians have already clinched the first-place finish.
(With reports from Denise Tan of One Sports)