Historic silver for 3x3 belles

MANILA, Philippines — For a Gilas Pilipinas contingent reeling from the heartbreak of the lost jewel in 5-on-5 basketball, this silver glitters like gold.

Kacey dela Rosa, Amyah Espanol, Kennan Ka and Maria Pasilang carved history for Philippine basketball by taking runner-up honors behind host Japan in the women’s 3x3 event of the 20th Asian Games.

It was the first-ever podium finish for Pinay cagebelles in the Asiad – a feat the gritty U23 belles achieved right on their maiden appearance in the half-court hostilities of the continental meet.

Riding the momentum of its 3-0 sweep in pool play and 22-12 thrashing of Singapore in the quarterfinals, Gilas Women overpowered Thailand in the morning’s semifinal session, 13-8, to get a shot at the mint.

But Dela Rosa and Co. rammed into a Japanese side that flexed its long-range shooting skills in the Last Dance at dusk and conceded an 11-21 verdict.

Dela Rosa paced the Philippines with six points, exclusively inside the paint. But in the end, the outside sniping of Yuki Hirashita (nine) and Sakura Horiuchi (eight), who combined for six of Japan’s seven hits from the two-point arc, spelled the big difference.

The troops of coach Anton Altamirano took their place in the podium with heads held high.

Afterall, they just saved Gilas from a total shutout in Aichi-Nagoya, providing a bright spot to a gloomy campaign.

Gilas Men, parading an all-Filipino crew, bungled its title-retention bid and had its worst-ever finish of ninth even before the Games started.

Gilas Women got the boot in the quarterfinals a few days ago.

And just an hour earlier, the U23 men’s 3x3 group of Nic Cabañero, Luis Pablo, Koji Buenaflor and Doy Dungo missed out on the bronze after absorbing a 10-21 beating from Iran.

“You win games, you lose games. But at the end of the day, ang importante is you gave your best, you left it all on the court,” said Gilas Women 3x3 coach Anton Altamirano.