University of Santo Tomas got a much-needed victory on Wednesday, upending Ateneo de Manila University, 90-67, to return to the UAAP Season 86 Women’s Basketball win column at Adamson Gym in San Marcelino, Manila.
The Growling Tigresses, reeling from back-to-back defeats at the hands of the UP Fighting Maroons (73-69) and defending champions NU Lady Bulldogs (76-64), rose to 4-2 in the standings — tying their victims Blue Eagles.
“Going into the game sabi ko lang sa mga bata, we have to bounce back afer the two hard losses that we had. And ang magandang nangyari is ‘yung bench players came out today,” Tigresses head coach Haydee Ong said.
Kent Pastrana was the leading scorer for the Growling Tigresses with 17 points, leading the bench unit that contributed 64 points, in contrast to Ateneo’s 14.
But it was sophomore Agatha Bron who made the most significant impact for UST, finishing with 15 points on a 5-of-6 shooting clip while also helping defend Ateneo big and former high school teammate Kacey Dela Rosa.
During the pivotal third quarter, Bron went a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, contributing to a back-breaking 23-15 run that turned a 38-33 lead into a commanding 61-48 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Freshman Apple Maglupay provided essential support with 12 rebounds and nine points.
Looking ahead, the Growling Tigresses aim to continue their winning streak when they face Far Eastern University on Saturday at 9 a.m. at the same venue.
“Every team is very competitive, so every team we have to prepare for. FEU is a strong team that has a foreign student-athlete, si (Josee) Kaputu, who is very strong. MVP numbers, double-double’s every game; so we have to prepare for that and, hopefully, we can close the first round with a 5-2 win-loss record,” Ong added.
For Ateneo, Kacey Dela Rosa was a standout with a double-double performance of 24 points and 13 rebounds. However, the 6-foot center went just 9-of-17 from the field.
Sarah Makanjuola contributed 11 points and 13 rebounds.
The Blue Eagles will seek to bounce back as they face the league-leading University of the Philippines also on Saturday at 3 p.m.
The Scores:
UST 90 – Pastrana 17, Tacatac 15, Bron 15, Santos 9, Maglupay 9, Villasin 8, Dionisio 4, Ferrer 4, Ambos 4, Soriano 3, Danganan 2, Ly 0, Amatong 0, Serrano 0.
Ateneo 67 – Dela Rosa 24, Makanjuola 11, Calago 9, Joson 7, Solis 5, Cancio 3, Angala 3, Villacruz 2, Mataga 2, Chan 1, Nieves 0, Fetalvero 0, Eufemiano 0, Gastador 0.
Quarterscores: 24-18, 38-33, 61-48, 90-67.
