#JonesCup2019: Gilas Women forces, yet falls to Taipei in OT thriller

Gilas Pilipinas Women put up their best showing yet in their debut Jones Cup, but they failed to translate it into the win column after hosts Chinese Taipei carved out a 99-91 overtime win Friday evening at the Xinzhuang Gym in New Taipei City last Friday evening.

Despite taking close leads at the end of the first and third periods, the Filipinas wilted under the pressure in Taiwan, as the hosts overturned a two-point deficit to take the lead in the dying moments.

But Kelli Hayes saved Patrick Aquino's blushes as she drove the lane for a contested lay-up with 6.73 seconds left that gave Gilas Women five more minutes of basketball after forty minutes got them into a deadlock at 82 apiece. 

However, the Taiwanese got the higher gear in the extras as Szu-Chin Pang took over to get their first win of the season.

Pang had 9 of her 21 points in the extras as they started an 11-2 run to take the game away from Gilas Women.

Hayes had 14 to backstop Janine Pontejos' 17.

The scores:

Chinese Taipei I 99 -- FS Huang 23, Pang 21, Tsai 17, HT Huang 10, Lin 9, Wang 8, Pan 5, Wu 3, Wei 3, Chen 0

Philippines 91 -- Pontejos 17, Hayes 14, Bernardino 12, Castro 11, Miranda 9, Bautista 8, Jose 6, Animam 4, Claro 3, Bade 3, Cabinbin 2, Hawkins 2

Quarter scores: 25-27, 43-41, 63-67, 82-82 (reg.), 99-91 (OT)

(file photo by Chinese Taipei Basketball Association)