Philippines W vs Senegal W

Senegal had trimmed the deficit to 73-70 with momentum on their side midway through the fourth quarter. De Jesus responded with a personal 6-0 run — a driving layup, a mid-range jumper, and a pull-up — that pushed the lead back to 78-73 with under two minutes left. Senegal never got closer than three points the rest of the way.

• Vanessa De Jesus (Philippines W) — Player of the Match. The Filipino guard delivered a stat-sheet stuffing line: 16 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Her six consecutive points in the fourth quarter were decisive.
• Sophia Dignadice (Philippines W) — The 18-year-old guard shot 7-of-12 from the field for 16 points, adding 4 assists and 3 rebounds in a performance ESPN called "a glimpse of Gilas Pilipinas Women's bright future."
• Kacey Dela Rosa (Philippines W) — Also finished with 16 points, anchoring the interior alongside Animam.
• Cierra Dillard (Senegal W) — Led all Senegal scorers with 18 points, spearheading the fourth-quarter rally.

The quarter-by-quarter progression tells the story: Philippines took control in the middle periods, winning the second and third frames by a combined 11 points (43-32), before Senegal's desperation push in the fourth. The Philippines' 56% field-goal shooting (per FIBA) compared to Senegal's 38% explains how a game that was tied after Q1 (18-18) ended decisively in the Philippines' favour. Senegal's 25-point fourth quarter was too little, too late after the damage was done.

Philippines W finished the group stage with a 1-2 record (W: Senegal, L: Mexico, Canada), placing third in Group B behind Canada and Mexico, who advanced to the semi-finals. Head coach BT Toews earned his first win since taking over the national women's programme. Senegal also exited the tournament without a win, going 0-3 in Group B.

For the Philippines, the result provides a morale-boosting finish and a foundation for the next phase of Olympic qualification. The FIBA Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2026 in Guadalajara (17–23 August) served as the first step on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with group winners advancing to the next qualifying stage.

A dead-rubber game with genuine meaning for a programme in transition. Philippines dominated the middle quarters, built a double-digit lead, then showed composure to withstand Senegal's fourth-quarter surge. De Jesus delivered a captain's performance to give BT Toews his first win and the Filipinas a platform to build towards the next Olympic cycle.