Allyssa Rodriguez led the Gilas Pilipinas women’s team with a game-high 22 points as they dominated Lebanon, 95-64, in the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup – Division B Finals at Futain Sports Park in Shenzen, China, on Sunday.
The 5’9″ Rodriguez hit two of her three triples at the start of the second period, extending a narrow 20-17 first-quarter lead with a 17-0 run that pushed the Filipinas ahead to a commanding 37-20 lead with 4:16 remaining.
Maintaining their strong lead in the second half, the Gilas secured their victory, earning promotion to Division A and qualifying for the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Alicia Villanueva contributed 15 points for the Filipinas, who won all their Group B games against Lebanon and the Maldives, and triumphed over Samoa 71-47 in the semifinals.
Naomi Panganiban added 13 points, including a three-point play in the final 8:12 of the third quarter, giving Gilas Women a 33-point lead at 63-30. Rodriguez’s three-pointer with 7:47 left in the fourth quarter extended their lead further to 86-48.
Despite Reem El Ghali’s impressive performance with 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists, the Lebanese team couldn’t contain the Filipinas.
Earlier in the day, Samoa clinched third place in the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup – Division B, defeating Iran 64-59.
The Filipinas excelled from beyond the arc, making 15 of 38 attempts and tallying 23 assists in the game.
“The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is proud of our U18 squad and how they represented the country. Getting promoted to Division A means they will face world-class opponents like China, Australia, and Japan, providing a better gauge of where our program stands and what improvements are needed,” said Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio.
