After laying waste to their first six opponents of the season, the National University Lady Bulldogs saved its best offensive performance in the last game of the opening round in the UAAP Season 79 Women’s Basketball tournament.
The defending UAAP Women’s Basketball champions handed season-hosts University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses the worst loss of the season so far in a 103-49 rout, Saturday afternoon at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Too much offense, too much defense, and too much talent lifted the Lady Bulldogs to their seventh win of the season, their 39th straight win since 2014.
“Probably yes because of the lead,” Lady Bulldogs head coach Patrick Aquino answered when asked if this was the best performance of his team this season.
The starters delivered for the two-time champions scoring 75 out of their 103 point output. It was a double-edged sword though according to the decorated mentor.
“But the point that we are trying to inculcate in our players right now is to be consistent and try to work on the bench,” he rued. “They need to be there when needed and called.”
Gemma Miranda led the Lady Bulldogs in the scoring department with 24 points to go along with 10 rebounds. However, reigning MVP Afril Bernardino turned the hard court into her stage.
Bernardino notched a triple-double while flirting with a quadruple-double with 22 points, 10 assists, 11 steals, and seven rebounds in 35 minutes of action.
“Siguro siya yung pinakamagaling ngayon sa college. Again, I’m telling her na without her teammates, you could not do this,” Aquino remarked about the national team stalwart.
True enough, without teammate Venz Taneza, she could not have achieved a triple-double. With 1:08 left in the game, Bernardino was able to locate the forward for a wide-open jumper for her 10th assist of the game. Moreover, the jumper broke the 100-point barrier for the Lady Bulldogs.
“Sabi ko lang sa kanya na work on your individual talent but the team is always first. With the way she is doing pulls up her teammates with the way she is playing,” Aquino added.
Three other Lady Bulldogs scored in double-figures. Ria Nabalan and Je-Anne Camelo had 12 and 11 points respectively while center Jack Animam tallied a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds.
“It was a good game for Afril and Gemma and other wings like Nabalan and Camelo,” the 45 year old mentor said. “Hopefully, we will be consistent and probably we could be better.”
Only Misaela Larosa scored in double-digits for UST with 10 points. As a team, UST committed 44 turnovers and shot just 26 percent from the field. The Lady Bulldogs were an efficient 51 percent in comparison.
The UST Growling Tigresses end its first round campaign with a 2-5 slate.
The Scores:
NU (103) – Miranda 24, Bernardino 22, Nabalan 12, Animam 11, Camelo 11, Del Carmen 6, Itesi 6, Ceno 5, Layug 4, Taneza 2, Harada 0, Lopez 0, Malana 0, Rebadulla 0.
UST (49) – Larosa 10, Portillo 9, Magdaluyo 7, Jerez 7, Felisarta 4, Anies 4, Sangalang 2, Gandalla 2, Rivera 2, Penaflor 2, Aujero 0, Manuel 0, Angeles 0, Capilit 0.
Quarterscores: 24-8, 50-21, 78-35, 104-49.
