PERLAS Pilipinas withstood a tall and tough Kazakshtan side in overtime, 80-73, to emerge the top team in Level 2 of the Fiba-Asian Women’s Championships in Wuhan, China.
Ewon Arayi topscored for the Filipina cagebelles with 28 points and took over in the extra period, where she scored the team’s first 11 points to give Perlas the lead for good, 74-69, following a back-breaking three-pointer at the 2:47 mark.
The win was the fourth straight for Perlas to end its group campaign with a 4-1 record and tops in Level 2.
The Filipina cagebelles – along with the no. 2 team in their group - will now have a shot of possible promotion in Level 1, where they would meet the bottom two teams.
The Nationals will face India on Friday with the winner seeing action in Level 1 of the 2017 Fiba-Asia Women’s Championship, a qualifier for the 2018 Fiba Women’s World Championship in Spain.
Perlas Pilipinas came back from a 57-63 deficit in the fourth quarter by scoring six straight unanswered points. Camille Sambile’s split free throws with 41 seconds left was enough to send the game into overtime, 63-all.
Arayi then waxed hot in the extra period, which he opened by spearheading a 6-0 run, which she highlighted with a three-pointer to give Perlas a 74-69 lead.
The scores
Philippines (80) - Arayi 28, Lim 17, Gupilan 10, Tongco 10, Sambile 5, Roman 5, Bernardino 4, Borja 1, Animam 0, Resultay 0.
Kazakhstan (73) -Yagodkina 19, Ossipenko 19, Kurazova 14, Kondrakova 11, Vinokurova 6, Abreupova 2, Dots 1, Ivanova 1, Ovechkina 0, Karnova 0, Mussalimova 0.
Quarterscores: 20-23; 33-32; 49-55; 63-63 (reg); 80-73.
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