JAKARTA -- The Philippines earned its first gold medal courtesy of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, another bronze medal fell into the Philippine coffers courtesy of taekwondo's Pauline Louise Lopez, and the hastily formed men's basketball team gave mighty China a scare on Tuesday in the 18th Asian Games.
Diaz, the 2016 Rio Olympic silver medalist in the same event, lifted a total of 207 kilograms to beat Turkmenistan's Kristina Shermetova (206 kg) and Surodchana Khambao (201 kg), giving the country its second medal for the day and first gold overall. In an emotional moment, DIaz was in tears while saluting as the Philippine national anthem was played for the first time in these Games at a medal ceremony.
Lopez settled for the women's minus-57 kgs bronze medal, yielding a controversial match to a taller Chinese Zongshi Luo, 11-4, at Jakarta Convention Center Assembly Hall D.
The 22-year-old psychology student at Ateneo de Manila University could not hide her frustration and cried after the match.
She trailed 0-2 in the first round, snuck in two points with Luo scoring two more for a 2-4 in the second. Luo then pulled away in the third round with seven decisive hits.
Lopez rallied to 4-7 in the third round and landed two more kicks but they did not register on the electronic scoreboard. Her coaching staff protested and one of the match officials called the attention of two members of the jury, who eventually awarded a point for the Filipina.
But Lopez was later meted three gami-jeom (deduction penalty) in the third round, dousing water on her bid to enter the gold medal round.
"I had the chance but the plan didn't work according to what it should be. I was going for it, I did my part but it's just it was not there for me," a disappointed Lopez said.
Fellow jins Kirstie Alora and Kristopher Uy were not as lucky, getting ousted in the round of 16. Alora conceded a point in the last minute to bow to Cansel Deniz of Kazakhstan, 8-7 in the women's plus-67 kg category, while Uy also dropped a close one to Sun Hongyi of China, 9-7.
Two more jins see action on Tuesday, including two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Samuel Morrison who gets going in the men's minus-80 kg division. Francis Agojo, meanwhile, debuts in the men's -63 weight class.
The Cleveland Cavaliers' Jordan Clarkson poured everything he got but the Philippines fell short at toppling China, 80-82, in a Group D game.
Clarkson had a game-high 28 points and was instrumental in giving the Philippines the lead in the fourth quarter only to commit a foul that allowed China to take a two-point lead with time running out.
Paul Lee missed three-pointer with five seconds left, giving the victory to the Chinese.
In cycling's mountain bike, Ariana Thea Patrice Dormitorio crashed in Lap 2 of the five-lap women's cross country event to bow out of the medals race.
Dormitorio was ranked first in the 12-rider field but suffered the misfortune and had to recuperate from a left thigh injury at the medical tent.
"I'm somehow disappointed," said Dormitorio, whose No. 100 ranking in the UCI made her the favorite in the race. "Luck was not with me today."
Dormitorio, who turns 22 in a month, was first out of the start line, but being the lone Philippine rider in the race, she was gobbled up by two Chinese riders -- eventual 1-2 finishers Yao Bianwa and Li Hongfeng -- as they wound up Lap 1.
Her male counterpart Nino Surban also failed to deliver, finishing 16th in the men's cross country event.
In tennis also in Palembang, Thailand's Sanchai Ratiwatana and Nicha Lenpitaksinchai eliminated Francis Casey Alcantara and Katrina Lehnart, the last Filipino netters standing, with a 6-0, 6-2 whipping in the mixed doubles of tennis at the Jakabaring Sports City courts.
The Filipino pair was unable to recover from a first set shutout and crumbled in the second as the country's tennis campaign in this competition ended on a sour note.
Other Filipino athletes also fell in other fronts. Archer Nicole Marie Tagle could only manage to finish 52nd in the women's recurve, while fencers Nathaniel Perez, Brennan Wayne Louie and Hanniel Abella were all eliminated before the medal rounds in their respective events.
The Blu Girls, riding high on three straight wins, were given a reality check by Olympic champion Japan, losing 11-1. Already assured of a slot in the next round, they finish their campaign with a double-header on Tuesday against Indonesia and Chinese Taipei.
The women's volleyball team suffered their second consecutive straight-sets loss, bowing to powerhouse Japan 12-25, 15-25, 21-25.
But wushu's Divine Wally continued her winning ways, beating hometown bet Selviah Pertiwi 2-0 to advance to the semifinals of the women's sanda minus-52kg division and assure the Philippines of another bronze medal.
The bowlers, meanwhile, will try to add to the medal haul as the trios events gets going with the women rolling first on Wednesday at the new Jakabaring Sports City Bowling Center in Palembang.
Encouraged by the new scoring format, the Philippines seeks to end a 12-year medal drought in the sport.
The Filipina keglers takes first crack in six-game women's trios scheduled at 10 a.m. (11 a.m. Manila time). The competition will be held at the state-of-the art, 40-lane facility built specifically for this quadrennial sportsfest inside the sprawling complex in this South Sumatran provincial capital.
ESPN5's Sid Ventura contributed to this report