Gilas Women's Jones Cup tilt a stepping stone towards SEA Games quest

They might have ended their debut in the William Jones Cup without a single win but for Patrick Aquino, the most important thing is they got the girls together.

The mentor of the Gilas Pilipinas Women dropped by at the Amelie Hotel in Malate, Manila for the Philippine Sportswriters Association forum, braving the jetlag as they arrived from Taipei, Taiwan last night.

For him, it was a breakthrough as they made their Jones Cup bow, yet he sees the positives after they finished at the bottom of the pile with an 0-5 record.

“We did not win a game in the Jones Cup but the fact that we were there for the first time means we gained the experience,”  he said.

The UCLA's Kelli Hayes, Sacramento State's Gabi Bade, Arizona State's Arnecia Hawkins and George Washington's Mei-Lyn Bautista is a huge upgrade for him, but the five-time UAAP champion coach admits there was a huge problem.

“We had a tough time because it was the first time for our players, including the Fil-Americans, to play together. It was a short tournament. Our players had tough time communicating inside the court.” 

Yet with all problems on board, Aquino admits there was no way here but up as they gear up not just for the SEA Games, but also to the FIBA Women's Asia Cup this September in India that serves as part of the Olympic Qualifiers.

“We did not have the chemistry and the fluidity. The talent is there. It’s just that the other teams had chemistry.”

After their battle in Bangalore, Aquino hopes that their Jones Cup stint will be part of something big, which was the Southeast Asian Games here, where he hopes that the Filipinos support them en route to their golden dreams,

“We will be a much better team heading to the SEA Games. I hope we can deliver in December,” he concluded

(photo by Philippine Sportswriters Association)