Even if leading scorer Ruth Tacula was struggling, the University of the East Lady Warriors still gave a masterful performance, pummeling the hapless Adamson University Lady Falcons, 62-44, Sunday morning at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
And the dominance the second-running Lady Warriors displayed was showcased during a methodical second frame that saw them hold the Lady Falcons scoreless — a feat rarely seen even in women’s basketball
“Kelangan naming i-boost yung morale nung mga bata dahil habang palapit ng palapit [na ang second round], mas magandang makuha namin yung sistema,” said fourth-year UE head coach Aileen Lebornio. “Yun kasi yung problema namin na lagi kaming naghahabol from the start tapos sa finish kami aabante.”
During that frame, UE pressed Adamson into committing numerous turnovers, while forcing Jamie Alcoy and the rest of the Lady Falcons to tough shots.
On the offensive end, the trio of Love Sto. Domingo, Christine Cortizano, and Bienca Ramos took turns in carrying the load, extending UE’s lead to as much as 31 points, 41-11, after a Cortizano triple with 7:11 left in the third canto.
Sto. Domingo finished with a team-high 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting to go along with 14 rebounds, six assists, and seven steals.
Cortizano and Ramos finished with double-doubles as well, with the former tallying 13 points and 13 rebounds, while the latter added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Their efforts were all the more crucial as Tacula had an off-game, shooting just 1-for-8 from the field while committing six turnovers.
“Ngayon kasi yung problem namin is nagsasabay yung finals ng mga bata pati yung UAAP. Di naman puwede na more on basketball lang sila. Si Ruth, two weeks ng nag-thethesis, kaya hindi ko mapilit yung bata,” disclosed the youthful mentor. “Good thing nakapag-adjust yung mga bata sa sistema. Kahit struggle si Ruth, may nagcocover up para sa kanya.
“Importante kasi sa amin yung pag-aaral, ayaw naman natin ma-burnout yung mga bata,” pointed out Lebornio, who also experienced life as a student-athlete before.
The Lady Warriors showed mercy on their opponents in the final frame, willingly burning out the clock while putting the brakes on their defense.
With the win, UE now sport a 4-1 slate, tied for second with the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses. Adamson, on the other hand, dropped to 1-4.
Alcoy needed 23 attempts to score 14 points to lead Adamson. Only Nathalia Prado shot a good percentage for the Lady Falcons, shooting 4-for-5 from the field for eight points.
The Lady Warriors look to make it four in a row on Wednesday, October 4, when they face the University of Santo Tomas at 9:00am. The Lady Falcons take on the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws later in the day at 11:00am. Both games will be played at the Blue Eagle Gym.
The Scores:
UE 62 – Sto. Domingo 21, Cotizano 13, Chan 10, Ramos 10, Francisco 4, Gayacao 2, Tacula 2, Nama 0, Requiron 0, Strachan 0.
ADU 44 – Alcoy 14, Araja 9, Rosario 9, Prado 8, Camacho 3, Lacson 1, Aciro 0, Cabug 0, Cacho 0, Gaite 0, Razalo 0, Tacitac 0, Villanueva 0.
Quarterscores: 18-11, 38-11, 53-30, 62-44.
