Tigresses force rubber match at UAAP women’s basketball finals

Games on Sunday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
10 a.m. – UST vs UE (JHS Boys’ Game 2)
1 p.m. – NU vs UST (Women’s Game 3)

REIGNING champion University of Santo Tomas denied National University (NU) a dream 16-0 perfect campaign with a herculean 78-68 win in Game 2 to force a winner-take-all setto in the UAAP Season 87 women’s basketball yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The Tigresses did not just lick the wounds of their heartbreaking 72-71 defeat in Game 1 but dealt the first — and biggest — scratch on the Lady Bulldogs this season behind a scintillating 24-9 start en route to the massive triumph.

Brigette Santos erupted for a career-best 27 points on 11-of-21 clip laced by two rebounds, four assists and two steals to lead the pack as the Tigresses kept their title retention bid flickering.

It was Ms. Santos who drained the go-ahead basket in Game 1 to give Santo Tomas a momentary lead only for NU to snatch the game on rookie Cielo Pagdulagan’s game-winner to extend an unbeaten run to 15 games.

Santo Tomas took its turn this time around in banking on a first-year player in the biggest stage with Karylle Sierba tying her career-high of 18 points on four triples to complement ace Kent Pastrana’s 11 points.

Agatha Bron added eight while Angelika Soriano and Nicole Danganan chipped in six each for the wards of coach Haydee Ong, who unseated the Lady Bulldogs from their seven-year reign last season in Game 3.

“It’s one hell of a game from Brigette and Karylle,” said Ms. Ong.

Santo Tomas also seized command of Game 1 right out of the gates but lost steam down the stretch and relinquished a 14-point lead as outright finalist NU stayed unbeaten via escape act to shore up its revenge tour.

The Tigresses were pushed to the brink of a history repeat after the Bulldogs, as expected, stormed back to snatch a 43-39 lead early in the second half.

But Santo Tomas learned its lessons hard, running away from a deadlock at 57 midway through the payoff period behind a 19-8 rally capped by Ms. Danganan’s triple.

Overall, the Tigresses outscored the Lady Bulldogs, 30-19, when it mattered the most in the final quarter to drag them to a last dance on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Ms. Pagdulagan (16), Camille Clarin (12), Karl Ann Pingol (11) and Angel Surada (10) had their numbers but the Lady Bulldogs fell short from reclaiming their lost queendom right there and then with a foiled perfect run.

In junior high school basketball, Jhon Canapi rifled in 30 points on five triples to go along with an assist, six rebounds and three steals as Santo Tomas drubbed University of the East, 98-84, to take Game 1 of the similar best-of-three series.

Meanwhile, Ateneo’s Kacey dela Rosa captured her second straight Most Valuable Player award to join an elite group of back-to-back winners in history.

Ms. Dela Rosa dominated the entire competition with league-best averages of 22.1 points, 16 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 2.3 assists for 96.286 statistical points.

Joining Ms. Dela Rosa in the Mythical Five were Santo Tomas’ Kent Pastrana, Louna Ozar of University of the Philippines, Sarah Makanjuola of Ateneo, and NU’s Angel Surada. — John Bryan Ulanday

The Scores:

UST 78 – Santos 27, Sierba 18, Pastrana 11, Bron 8, Soriano 6, Danganan 6, Maglupay 2, Tacatac 0, Ambos 0, Serrano 0.

NU 68 – Pagdulagan 16, Clarin 12, Pingol 11, Surada 10, Fabruada 5, Villanueva 5, Betanio 4, Konateh 3, Canuto 2, Cayabyab 0, Talas 0.

Quarterscores: 20-9, 32-25, 48-49, 78-68.