UST Growling Tigresses’ Kent Pastrana against the Adamson Lady Falcons. Photo from UAAP Media.
MANILA (UPDATED) — The University of Santo Tomas (UST) and National University will meet in the UAAP women's basketball finals for the second straight year.
The Growling Tigresses will have a shot at a repeat after they averted a meltdown against the Lady Falcons through a 71-59 win in their Season 87 Final 4 step ladder faceoff, Wednesday afternoon at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Kent Pastrana shone the brightest with 23 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and one block, CJ Maglupay wreaked havoc for UST with 13 markers, 11 rebounds, six steals, and two assists, while Tacky Tacatac and Brigette Santos followed with 10 markers each.
"It was a total team effort, and at the end of the day, it was yung defense namin in the second [that worked] against Adamson," said UST head coach Haydee Ong after the game on how they avoided faltering to the Ryan Monteclaro-mentored team.
"Tinakot ko lang sila," she quipped. "Yung adjustments namin sa second half yung importante, and nagawa ng girls yung adjustments."
After UST squandered an early 21-4 lead — with AdU even holding a 43-39 lead at the third's 5:38 mark after a pair of free throws by Cheska Apag — the defending champions regained control in the last half of the same frame and in the fourth canto.
The Tigresses leaned on this momentum, as a Pastrana floater with 8:31 left in the contest even pushed their lead back to 10, 58-48, while a Tacatac three-pointer with only 3:45 left re-extended it to 12, 67-55, and that was eventually all they needed to end the dream run of the Lady Falcons who stunned Ateneo de Manila University last Sunday in an overtime win.
Meanwhile, UST will defend their crown against the Lady Bulldogs who swept the Season 87 eliminations for an outright Finals spot, which is why Ong is hoping for his women to remain hungry especially since they will go up against a redemption-seeking team.
"Especially ngayong mag cha-championship kami, we need more adjustments talaga," said Coach Haydee of her squad who previously ended the seven-season title reign of National U in Season 86 via a Finals Game 3 win. "We need more work, and we need to work harder for NU."
Earlier in the game, UST held a 17-point, 21-4 advantage with still 2:41 in the first following a CJ Maglupay deuce as it looked like the reigning champs would rampage through their San Marcelino-based counterparts.
AdU, however, slowly chopped their deficit all thanks to their 25-14 second quarter which was built on baskets by Angela Alaba, Kemi Adeshina, and Elaine Etang.
An Etang trey in the second's 2:48 mark got the Lady Falcons to within three, 33-30, while Cris Padilla gave them a 37-35 lead at halftime as she drained a triple with only seven seconds left in the first half.
Unfortunately for Adamson, they were not able to hold on to their lead as they faltered anew in the fourth quarter.
Game 1 of the Best-of-3 Finals is on Sunday, December 8, 1:00 p.m., at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
THE SCORES:
UST 71 – Pastrana 23, Maglupay 13, Tacatac 10, Santos 10, Ambos 7, Danganan 4, Sierba 4, Soriano 0, Bron 0, Relliquette 0, Amatong 0, Pescador 0.
Adamson 59 – Etang 12, Adeshina 12, A. Alaba 9, Apag 7, Agojo 6, Limbago 4, Bajo 4, Padilla 3, Manlimos 2, Meniano 0, Mazo 0, E. Alaba 0, Ornopia 0.
Quarterscores: 21-12, 35-37, 56-48, 71-59.