University of Santo Tomas shook off early jitters to fend off De La Salle Zobel, 90-59, and open its UAAP Season 88 Girls’ Basketball Tournament title defense on a strong note Wednesday morning at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.
Moving on from the graduation of their championship core — Season 87 MVP Barby Dajao, Janna Wenceslao, and Grachelle Boteros — the Junior Growling Tigresses brushed aside a slow start behind a pivotal second-quarter surge led by Riri Perez, Lea Pinuela, and Indonesian center Koukou Talla.
Perez came close to finishing with a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists, on top of three steals and two blocks. Talla provided solid support with 15 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting clip, along with 12 rebounds, two assists, and one block.
With the victory, the Junior Growling Tigresses joined modern-day rival National University Nazareth School Lady Bullpups — who cruised past the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles last Sunday — as the early leaders in the four-team field.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Kulang pa kami sa calmness and stability doon sa first few quarters. We hope na pagdating namin sa mga next games, slowly that the girls can adjust, lalo na yung bago na first-timer na naglalaro,” UST head coach Sen Dysangco said.
“I hope they will grow into it [and] that they mature fast enough para malabas nila yung laro nila,” he added.
After a sluggish opening quarter that saw the Junior Lady Archers lead by as many as five points, UST seized control with a commanding 28-15 second period. Back-to-back layups from Pinuela and an and-one basket by Sandra Abrantes highlighted the surge, as the Tigresses went into halftime with a 45-32 advantage.
From there, the Tigresses stayed firmly in the driver’s seat. Three straight layups by Pinuela, Perez, and Sabel Anacan capped a decisive 22-6 run that ballooned a 13-point lead into a commanding 67-38 cushion.
De La Salle Zobel showed signs of life when Ching Gales converted a layup to trim the deficit to 69-49 with under seven minutes remaining. However, a Perez three-pointer, a Janice Oczon layup, and a Talla free throw quickly restored an insurmountable 77-51 lead with 5:21 left on the clock.
Oczon chipped in 13 points, seven rebounds, and one steal, while Pinuela tallied 10 points, five assists, three rebounds, and three steals. Pia Petalcorin added eight points, two assists, two steals, one block, and one rebound.
Abrantes finished with seven points, four rebounds, two blocks, one steal, and one assist.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
The Junior Growling Tigresses look to sustain their winning momentum when they clash with the Blue Eagles this Sunday, January 18, at 4:00 PM at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
For De La Salle Zobel, Ima Navarro led the way with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Gales contributed 13 points, four rebounds, one steal, and one block in the losing effort.
The Junior Lady Archers will aim for their first win when they face the Lady Bullpups next Thursday, January 22, at the same time and venue.
The Scores:
UST (90) – Perez 19, Talla 15, Oczon 13, Pinuela 10, Petalcorin 8, Abrantes 7, Townes 5, Labay 4, Mateo 4, Arciaga 3, Anacan 2, Kallos 0, Capinpin 0, Hew 0.
DLSZ (59) – Navarro 15, Gales 13, Martinez 9, Padigos 8, Ogario 6, Dulay 4, Gerona 3, Winar 1, Contreras 0, Roque 0, Sanares 0.
Quarterscores: 17-17, 45-32, 67-46, 90-59.
