Gilas Women blown out by Canada in Olympic pre-qualifier

POST UP. Jack Animam in action for Gilas Women in the 2026 FIBA Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament. FIBA A measly 11-point first half dooms Gilas Women as they absorb their second straight loss of the FIBA Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Mexico Gilas Women were eliminated from the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament after a heavy 85-38 loss to Canada. The team struggled offensively, scoring only 11 points in the first half and losing their second consecutive game in the tournament. Despite the defeat, player Jack Animam emphasized the team's effort and potential for improvement, highlighting their youth and learning experience. This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors. MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Women crashed out of contention in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Mexico after an 85-38 drubbing from world No. 7 Canada on Wednesday, August 19 (Thursday, August 20, Manila time). A measly 11-point first half doomed the Filipinas as they absorbed their second straight loss of the tournament following their heartbreaking collapse in a narrow 61-58 loss to host Mexico. “I think what we saw today was a 30th-ranked in the world playing a seventh-ranked team, except that I know that we can play better than we played today. It just became a complete domination in every statistical category,” said Gilas Women head coach BT Toews. “In order for us get to the next level, starting in Asia, we definitely need to do better in the smaller things.” Bannered by multiple US NCAA Division I players and WNBA veteran Kayla Alexander, Canada pulled away early and built a commanding 23-4 advantage to close the opening quarter then nearly doubled that lead by halftime, 46-11. Although Gilas Women won the third quarter, 18-16, Canada restored order in the final salvo and cruised to the 47-point blowout. Jack Animam ended up as the only Filipina player in double-figure scoring with 11 points to go with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, while Vanessa de Jesus and Kacey dela Rosa supplied 9 and 8 points, respectively. “Regardless of the number, I know we made a lot of mistakes, but I think at the end of the day, what matters the most is the fight we put into the court. We leave it out all there, like no matter what happens,” said Animam. “As a leader of this team, I feel like we can do so much better, but at the same time, we’re a young team. This is like a learning curve for us.” Syla Swords and Jasmine Bascoe topscored in the win with 15 and 10 points, respectively, while Alexander added 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists for Canada, which dominated the rebounds (63-31), assists (23-14), and steals (14-4) departments. Despite the demoralizing loss, Gilas Women need to quickly regroup as they battle fellow winless Senegal on Thursday (Friday, August 21, Manila time) for a chance to conclude their tournament on a high note. – Rappler.com How does this make you feel? Loading