De La Salle Zobel reasserted its dominance over rival Ateneo de Manila University, 101-21, closing the first round of the UAAP Season 88 Girls’ Basketball Tournament on a high note Sunday afternoon at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
Eager to bounce back from a two-game skid against University of Santo Tomas and National University Nazareth School, the Junior Lady Archers relied on the combined efforts of Apyang Dulay, Sofia Martinez, and Bing Padigos for a commanding 50-10 first-half performance that set the tone for the rest of the game.
Dulay finished with 18 points, nine steals, four rebounds, and one assist, while Martinez added 15 points, seven steals, five rebounds, and three assists, helping the Junior Lady Archers claim sole possession of third place in the four-team field and improve their record to 1-2.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“I think this is a big step for us dahil yung confidence ng mga bata, bumalik. Nung previous games kasi namin, 30 or 50 points yung lamang ng kalaban. Mas masarap maglaro pag ganitong version na ng La Salle yung lumalabas sa amin,” DLSZ head coach Louie Fernandez said.
The Junior Lady Archers, who have won all their encounters with the Blue Eagles since the inception of high school basketball in 2019, wasted no time dictating the tempo. They opened with a dominant 26-4 first quarter, and consecutive baskets by Ima Navarro and Ching Ching Gales closed the second quarter, giving DLSZ a commanding 50-10 halftime lead.
The story continued in the third quarter as a midrange jumper by Martinez, a Gales inside basket, and two consecutive Dulay layups extended DLSZ’s lead to 73-15 heading into the final period—an advantage Ateneo could not overcome.
Padigos contributed 14 points, seven rebounds, five steals, two assists, and one block, while Navarro added 13 points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and one assist.
Gales finished with 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting, eight rebounds, six steals, and one assist, while Ice Gerona came one point shy of a double-double with nine points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and two assists.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
For Ateneo, Tyler Templo scored 14 of the Blue Eagles’ 21 points, along with five rebounds, four steals, and one block, as the team continues to search for its first-ever UAAP girls’ basketball win since the division was inaugurated in Season 82.
The Scores:
DLSZ (101) – Dulay 18, Martinez 15, Padigos 14, Navarro 13, Gales 10, Gerona 9, Winrar 8, Sanares 6, Contreras 4, Ogario 2, Cuaresma 2, Roque 0.
Ateneo (21) – Templo 14, Ablang 4, Doque 2, Gozum 1, Molina 0, Ebao 0, Palmiery 0, Dalanon 0, Mariano 0, Vejerano 0, Trillo 0, Madamba 0.
Quarterscores: 26-6, 50-10, 73-15, 101-21.
