University of Santo Tomas flexed its dominance this week, cruising through two victories as Oma Onianwa starred on both ends of the court for coach Haydee Ong’s squad, pushing the Growling Tigresses to a perfect 3-0 start.
Onianwa’s stellar performances did not go unnoticed, earning her the Collegiate Press Corps’ UAAP Women’s Player of the Week award, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, for the period of October 1 to 5.
Against defending champion National University on Wednesday at the UST España campus, Onianwa was unstoppable.
She dropped 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, leading the Tigresses to a commanding 76-62 victory in a highly anticipated Finals rematch that quickly turned one-sided.
UST dominated the glass, hauling in 78 rebounds—including a staggering 43 offensive boards—while NU managed just 37 total, with six on the offensive end.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Konateh also made her presence felt, putting up 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and a steal in the game, but it was Onianwa who carried the momentum.
She followed up her Wednesday heroics with another dominant outing on Saturday, pouring in 17 points and pulling down six rebounds in just 19 minutes as UST dismantled University of the East, 99-42, asserting its supremacy once again on home court.
As the Tigresses continue their unbeaten run, coach Ong is already eyeing a marquee matchup against Ateneo’s back-to-back MVP and Gilas Pilipinas Women standout Kacey Dela Rosa, alongside FSA star Sarah Makanjoula.
“Of course, very important si Oma. At least ngayon, we’re not undersized na against kina Kacey [dela Rosa] tsaka [Sarah] Makanjoula,” Ong said.
“With the help of Oma, at least we can do one-on-one defense against Kacey or meron pa rin kaming itu-tweak sa depensa, but Oma will be a big help against Kacey sa Saturday,” the UST tactician added.
Onianwa, who averaged 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in just over 22 minutes per game this week, earned a unanimous selection over Cheska Apag of Adamson, Dela Rosa of Ateneo, Amyah Español of FEU, and Tin Cayabyab of NU.
