Japan showed Gilas Pilipinas Women exactly what the players are chasing under head coach BT Toews.
The Philippines' 89-67 loss to Japan on Tuesday, in its final group-stage game of the 20th Asian Games women's basketball tournament, exposed the gap between the programs, but also gave Gilas Women a glimpse of what the future could look like.
For most of the game, Japan's quality was a cut above, as expected from the world No. 10 team, yet the Philippines had moments.
The best came in the third quarter, when Gilas Women outscored Japan, 18-16. Stef Berberabe, Afril Bernardino, Janine Pontejos and Elizabeth Means gave the Philippines enough offensive firepower to briefly match Japan's pace and execution.
Means led Gilas with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Berberabe -- a constant source of paint touches throughout the tournament -- added nine points and five assists despite Japan's aggressive defensive attention over 34 minutes.
Bernardino and Pontejos, two veterans of the Gilas program, chipped in 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Those stretches offered a glimpse of a promising future for Gilas, one in which the Philippines hope eventually to go toe-to-toe with Asia's finest and some of the best teams in the world.
However, Japan also made clear how much work remains.
Gilas' biggest problems started on the glass, as Japan outrebounded the Philippines, 42-30, including a staggering 24 offensive rebounds compared with just 12 for Gilas.
At times, Japan caught the Philippines ball-watching instead of fighting for rebounding position, creating second-chance opportunities that maintained the pressure.
Defense, another area Toews has emphasized since taking over as Gilas Women head coach three months ago, remains a work in progress as well.
Gilas struggled to contain Japan's guards off the dribble, particularly in the first half when the Japanese starters repeatedly broke down the Philippines' best defensive unit.
The Philippines' forwards and bigs also got punished in pick-and-roll situations and cross-match one-on-ones, exposing defensive gaps that come with facing a team as polished as Japan.
Nonetheless, Japan provided the Philippines with a clear gauge of where the program stands against one of Asia's elite.
For Toews, the challenge now is turning the lessons into progress as Gilas continues its Asian Games campaign and builds toward the future.
Few people understand Japan's women's basketball system better than Toews. The Canadian coach spent decades working in Japan's women's basketball scene, giving him an intimate understanding of the level Gilas is trying to reach.
"Yeah, well, this is not just my last coaching assignment," Toews said ahead of the match against Japan.
"This is my life here 35 years in Japan
"[But] by the way, I love coaching my team."
After going 2-1 in the elimination round, Toews and Gilas move on to the quarterfinals, where they could face another world-class challenge in China, led by 19-year-old, 7-foot-4 center Zhang Ziyu.
Japan showed Gilas the standard, but China could show them just how far they still have to go.
