Tin Cayabyab erupted for 31 points to power National University to the championship round of the 2025 BLIA Cup University Basketball Invitational, following a convincing 89–76 semifinal win over Fo Guang University on Saturday evening at the Fengshan Sports Arena in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Cayabyab shot an ultra-efficient 13-of-17 from the field, adding nine rebounds and two assists to her stat line.
Her performances have led the Lady Bulldogs to a title showdown against Japan Women’s College of Education on Sunday, July 6.
With the victory, NU remains undefeated in the tournament and is now guaranteed at least a silver-medal finish — an upgrade from last year’s third-place result in the 2024 BLIA Cup.
The Lady Bulldogs seized control in the third quarter, outscoring FGU 25–17 to turn a slim 44–42 halftime edge into a 69–59 advantage entering the final frame.
That stretch proved to be the turning point.
NU rode its momentum into the fourth quarter, pulling away with key buckets: back-to-back layups from Cayabyab and Cielo Pagdulagan, a free throw from Dindy Medina, and a clutch three-pointer from Ann Pingol.
That 7-0 burst gave NU an 89–70 cushion with just 2:02 remaining—enough to punch their ticket to the final.
Pagdulagan continued her strong play, tallying 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting while adding four rebounds.
Pingol nearly notched a triple-double with 11 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and one block.
Aloha Betanio also contributed significantly, finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, and a steal in a well-balanced team effort.
On the other side, FGU was led by Wen Ling Lien’s 27-point performance but fell short of advancing to the final.
They will instead face the University of Taipei in the battle for bronze.
Hsiang Ling Lin added 14 points and three rebounds in the loss.
On the other hand, University of the Philippines concluded its BLIA Cup campaign without a win, falling to Shih Hsin University, 90–85, in the battle for seventh place.
The Fighting Maroons nearly pulled off a comeback after trailing by 13 at the half. UP trimmed the deficit to just two, 73–71, early in the fourth quarter.
However, SHU responded with a decisive 15–2 run to build an 88–73 lead and crush UP’s hopes for a late rally.
Mary Mejasco led UP with 14 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Kaye Pesquera followed with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, along with six assists, one steal, and one rebound.
Achrissa Maw, Camille Nolasco, Blessing Francis, and Shane Cunanan each added 10 points in the loss.
SHU, whose lone win in the tournament came against UP, was spearheaded by Hsin I Yeh’s 31-point effort, complemented by six rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
Yung Ling Chiu also chipped in with 15 points and three assists.
