The grueling effects of having pulled off five straight victories to reach the quarterfinals of the FIBA 3X3 Asia Cup caught up with the Gilas Pilipinas Women on Sunday, March 31, as bone-weary bodies and leaden limbs contributed heavily in a 19-9 setback to Chinese Taipei at the Singapore Sport Hub.

Also a big factor in the loss that ended the Filipinas’ bid to extend a magical campaign was their 0-for-11 shooting from two-point territory that left them groping with fatigue for alternate sources of offense.

The bigger and fresher Taiwanese, who didn’t have to go through a qualification round and split their two main draw matches, hammered the Gilas Women under the boards 22-12.

Clearly exhausted and drained from the rigorous schedule, and especially after the tough matches against Mongolia and Malaysia in the preliminary round, the Gilas Pilipinas Women, their speed and spunk zapped, had little left in the tank. They nonetheless put up a courageous stand and kept the game close until the 4-minute mark when the Taiwanese seized control.

Playing through a strained knee, Mikka Cacho scored 3 points along with Camille Clarin, while Kaye Pingol had 2 and Jhazmin Joson, targeted by the defense, was 0 for 5 from 2-point range. Gilas Pilipinas Women finished the tournament with a 5-1 mark.

The exit followed the path taken by the Gilas Pilipinas Men on Saturday, March 30.

The Filipinos went full throttle in the main draw but their quest ran aground against overmatched opponents, leaving them stranded in their bid for a quarterfinal berth.

Facing powerhouse Australia, the Nationals had their moments, leading 10-7 early in the game behind Joseph Sedurifa and Ping Exciminiano. But the Aussies eventually asserted their size and experience for a runaway 21-13 victory, sending the Philippines to a must-win situation with Japan, which slammed the door on the Filipinos 22-12 later in the night.

At the conclusion of the FIBA 3X3 Asia Cup on Sunday, Australia raced to a 10-2 lead in the men’s final against Iran enroute to a 21-7 victory for the gold medal. Mongolia salvaged 3rd place after beating New Zealand 21-18.

Meanwhile, defending women’s champion Australia completed a double for the teams from Down Under by edging New Zealand in a nerve-fraying final match 18-13. Mongolia beat Chinese Taipei 17-10 earning them a bronze medal in the tournament.