The Philippine women’s national basketball team has made history, qualifying for the top tier of FIBA Asia after outlasting India, 82-76, Friday at Wuhan.
For the first time since 1984, Perlas Pilipinas will vie for a spot in the world championship two years from now after topping the Level II tournament of the 2015 FIBA Asia Women’s Championship and beating the Level I cellar dwellers.
Afril Bernardino, the nineteen-year-old power forward from National University, proved to be the best player of Perlas as she towed the team with 32 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals with spending 14-of-18 shooting from the field.
Former Lady Tamaraw Allana Lim added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Perlas cause, as the team led by as much as thirteen points in a third quarter blitz.
Since that period, the winless Indian team played catch up basketball.
Perlas had a scare midway in the third quarter as India unleashed a 11-5 run off a nine-point outburst by Jeena Skaria, to inch closer at 71-74.
Lim though sealed the game in the dying minutes with a three-point play off a post up move for a 79-72 lead as Skaria, who led the Indians with 28 points and six rebounds, could not sustain her scoring run.
The last time the Philippines played in Level I competition of FIBA Asia was in 1984 in Shanghai, when the Filipinas placed fourth in the tournament after losing to Japan, 53-81, in the bronze medal match.
In winning Level II for this year’s competition, the Philippines, together with North Korea, were promoted to Level I for the 2017 FIBA Asia Women’s Championship, which serves as the qualifier for the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
En route to the historic feat, Perlas defeated North Korea, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, and India and lost only one game against Malaysia.
In addition, Perlas will be the only Southeast Asian country in the 2017 Level I tournament and will join Japan, China, South Korea, and Taiwan.
The Philippines has yet to join a world cup tournament in women’s basketball.
