Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 women secured their best-ever finish in the Asian Beach Games on Wednesday after defeating Singapore, 20-13, in the semifinals at the Sanya Sports Centre Gymnasium in China. The victory propelled the Filipinas into the gold medal match against host China, placing them one win away from a historic breakthrough for Philippine women’s basketball.

Mikka Cacho delivered a pivotal performance for the national squad, igniting crucial scoring runs that established Gilas’ early control. Her and-one play followed by another basket pushed the Philippines to a 9-5 advantage with 6:46 left, allowing the Filipinas to dictate the pace from the outset.

Mikka Cacho powers Gilas past Singapore

Singapore attempted to fight back through outside shooting and managed to trim the deficit to three points, 12-9, during the middle stretch of the contest. Gilas Pilipinas, however, remained composed as Tantoy Ferrer and Kaye Pingol answered with timely baskets to preserve their cushion.

Ferrer and Pingol’s offensive connection proved decisive as the Philippines widened its edge to 17-11 with 2:26 remaining. That surge effectively shut down Singapore’s comeback hopes and secured the breakthrough semifinal triumph.

Cacho finished with a team-high eight points while Ferrer added six markers and Pingol chipped in five. Gabi Bade provided the final exclamation point, scoring the last basket with five seconds remaining to seal the commanding victory.

Gold medal showdown awaits against China

Following the win, Cacho admitted the emotional high of reaching the final but stressed that the team’s mission remains unfinished. She emphasized that despite the exhaustion, Gilas Pilipinas remains focused on delivering its best effort in the gold medal match.

“Sobrang saya. Pero pagod na pagod na. Pero, yeah, job’s not done. Mayroon pa kaming finals game [for the] gold medal. We’ll do our best,” Cacho said after the match.

China booked its own finals berth after surviving Thailand, 18-16, in the other semifinal matchup earlier Wednesday. With a guaranteed podium finish already secured, Gilas Pilipinas now shifts its focus toward capturing gold and completing one of the country’s most memorable women’s basketball achievements on the continental stage.