National University brought University of the East back down from its recent high with a dominant 67-39 victory, maintaining its unbeaten run in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
With their sixth straight victory, the Lady Bulldogs moved closer to completing a first-round sweep and extended their winning streak over the Lady Warriors to 27 games.
UE had recently secured a historic win over La Salle, ending a 40-game losing streak, but their momentum was halted by NU’s commanding performance.
The loss dropped the Lady Warriors into a three-way tie for last place, alongside La Salle and FEU, with identical 1-4 records. UE’s last victory over NU came when they completed an elimination sweep of the Lady Bulldogs during UAAP Season 71 (2008).
Interestingly, the last time a team scored under 40 points in a game was also in a matchup between these two teams. On November 13, 2022, NU handed UE a crushing 92-31 defeat during Season 85.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Every game, ang gusto namin is to give exposure as much as possible to every player that we have because they are working hard daily sa practice and their minutes would matter kung gaano kagaling naman yung ilalaro nila sa actual game,” said Lady Bulldogs head coach Aris Dimaunahan.
“We got balanced minutes today, and yes, we got our sixth win, but that’s the goal for today. After the final buzzer, we want to stay on top,” Dimaunahan added.
The Lady Warriors struck first in the scoring department, but NU’s championship pedigree and depth allowed them to take control of the game from that point forward.
A pair of free throws and a layup by Pringle Fabruada gave the Lady Bulldogs a game-high 33-point lead, 62-29, with just under 3 minutes and 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
“As a team, problema talaga namin yung turnovers, pero diyan kami matututo. Pinakita namin this game na hindi lang isang player nagdadala, kundi lahat kami nagaambag,” Fabruada shared.
In a balanced offensive effort, every Lady Bulldog except Gheralyn Ico, who went scoreless in 11 minutes of play, contributed at least one point.
Fabruada led the charge with 11 points and three rebounds, while former NUNS standout Nicole Pring had her best performance of the season with 10 points, two assists, and one steal.
Seniors Camille Clarin and Angel Surada also made significant contributions, with Clarin posting nine points, five rebounds, and five assists, and Surada recording seven points, 12 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks.
The Lady Bulldogs will look to complete a first-round sweep when they face Ateneo de Manila University next Saturday, October 5, at the same Pasay venue.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
On the other hand, Rachel Lacayanga paced UE with game-highs of 18 points and seven steals, while Malienne import Kamba Kone chipped in seven points and 11 rebounds.
The Lady Warriors will aim to bounce back when they clash with the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Wednesday, October 2, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
NU 67 – Fabruada 11, Pring 10, Clarin 9, Cayabyab 7, Surada 7, Konateh 7, Pagdulagan 3, Alterado 3, Canuto 2, Pingol 2, Talas 2, Medina 2, Betanio 1, Solis 1, Ico 0.
UE 39 – Lacayanga 18, Kone 7, Ronquillo 4, Ganade 3, Yanez 3, Vacalares 3, Ruiz 2, Cruz 0, Buscar 0, Lumibao 0, Agbay 0
Quarterscores: 25-8, 40-16, 53-25, 67-39
