The host team starts the tournament with a bang. In front of the home crowd at Quay Centre, the Australian women’s team destroyed the Philippino ladies with a massive difference of 105-34. It was both teams’ first match at the Fiba Women’s Asia Cup 2023.

Australia dominated from start to finish against the Philippines. The Australian team showcased impressive skill and teamwork, leaving the Philippines struggling to keep up.

The game’s top performer was Darcee Garbin, who scored 18 points for Australia. Garbin led her team’s explosive offence, setting an efficient pace early on that they sustained throughout the match. The Philippines had no answers for Garbin as she showed her prowess inside the paint and beyond the arc.

Lauren Scherf also had an outstanding game for Australia, with 17 points, 5 assists, and 9 rebounds in her all-around performance. Scherf’s dominant presence on both ends of the court helped keep the Philippines’ scoring options limited.

Additionally, Alice Kunek played a critical role for Australia, contributing 10 points along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Kunek showed great court vision and passing accuracy in setting up several scoring opportunities for her teammates as well.

While it was a disappointing night for the Philippines, one bright spot for them was the impressive debut performance of Vanessa De Jesus with 18 points. However, it was not enough to lift her team successfully against a well-oiled Australian basketball machine.

The first quarter began with both teams playing neck-and-neck basketball until the Opals started to score after four minutes left in the first quarter. Though Pontejos managed to put some points on the board during this period, Australia’s aggressive defence proved too much too soon – giving them an edge over their opponents early on.

At the same time, the host team’s offence also scored aggressively and finished the half with a score of 30-7. As the match progressed into the second quarter, Australia continued its offensive rampage fueled by strong shooting coming from Scherf and Garbin. 

Unfortunately, it found little to no resistance from the Philippine defence. As a result, the quarter ended with a 56-23 scoreline. It seems all over for the Southeast Asian team after the second half.

Despite bright flashes of brilliance coming from Filipino players dipping into their bag of tricks every now and then, such as Janine Pontejos’ driving layup or  De Jesus alone scoring, these momentary spurts were simply not enough to close the continuous lead their opponents held. 

The third half began with Australia on top, dominating both defensively and offensively. They finished this half by scoring 22 points while conceding only 5 points.

In the end, Australia emerged victorious with a final score of 105-34 against the Philippines on account of great teamwork and skill showcased throughout the game. This massive dominance from Australia point to their rise to further wins in this tournament. 

On match day two of group B, Australia will face Chinese Taipei; Japan defeated them in the first game. In the other match of this group, the Philippines is going to face Japan.