University of Santo Tomas caught fire at the right moment, dominating University of the Philippines, 84-60, for its second straight win in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Growling Tigresses were led by guard Tacky Tacatac, who delivered her best performance of the season.
She scored 14 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter, including four three-pointers, shooting 6-of-10 from deep in the game.
Kent Pastrana continued her stellar play, adding 21 points on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc, along with nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Overall, UST knocked down 13 triples in the game.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Sana tuloy-tuloy na yung pagputok niya. Sabi nga, a shooter will always be a shooter. It will give us more space in our offense kasi talagang nakatutok yung defenders kay Tacky,” UST head coach Haydee Ong commented.
She added, “Kahit hindi nagshu-shoot si Tacky, yung spacing namin will have room to operate for Kent and doon sa mga players ko na nagda-drive.”
Despite falling behind by 17 points in the first half, the Fighting Maroons mounted a pivotal 24-11 run in the third quarter. They trimmed the Growling Tigresses’ lead to as low as four points at 51-55, thanks to 13 points from Kye Pesquera.
However, UST’s strong start proved too much to overcome.
Three consecutive layups from Bridgette Santos, Tacatac, and Karylle Sierba sealed the Growling Tigresses’ 17-2 run in the fourth quarter, extending their lead to 21 points at 76-55 with 4:28 left on the clock.
A late three-pointer from Brenna Pineda gave UST a game-high 28-point cushion at 84-56, securing their fifth win.
With the victory, they secure their hold on second place in the standings with a 5-1 record.
UST rookie Karylle Sierba also contributed significantly, with 11 points, six assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Meanwhile, Season 85 MVP Eka Soriano made her presence felt, recording five points, eight rebounds, and four steals.
Looking ahead, the Growling Tigresses aim to close the first round on a high note against a struggling Far Eastern University side on Saturday, Oct. 5, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
On the other hand, UP, missing Gilas Women guard Camille Nolasco for the second straight game due to an ankle sprain, dropped to a 2-4 record, leaving them in solo fifth place in the standings.
Pesquera led the Fighting Maroons in the losing effort with 20 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Louna Ozar and Christie Bariquit contributed 14 points each.
Achrissa Maw, who had averaged a team-high 18.8 points over the previous five games, was limited to just four points on 2-of-7 shooting but still managed to grab 13 rebounds and two steals.
UP will look to break a two-game skid when they face De La Salle University to conclude its first-round campaign on Sunday, Oct. 6, at the same venue in Pasay.
The Scores:
UST (84) – Pastrana 21, Tacatac 20, Sierba 11, Relliquette 6, Soriano 5, Santos 4, Maglupay 4, Ambos 4, Pineda 3, Dionisio 2, Bron 2, N. Danganan 2, Pescador 0, Amalong 0, Serrano 0, Lopez 0.
UP (60) – Pesquera 20, Ozar 14, Bariquit 14, Maw 4, Tapawan 3, Barba 3, Jimenez 2, Sauz 0, Vingno 0, Solitario 0, Quinquinio 0, Lozada 0.
Quarterscores: 26-16, 44-27, 59-53, 84-60.
