MANILA -- University of Santo Tomas completed a flawless campaign in the elimination round of the UAAP Season 87 girls' basketball tournament in dominant fashion on Thursday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
The Junior Golden Tigresses overwhelmed National University-Nazareth School, 91-66, for a 6-0 record in the elimination round behind a high-scoring game from Katrina Insoy and an all-around performance from Barby Dajao.
The Finals-bound UST squad won their games by an average of 60.8 points in the elimination round.
Insoy fired 31 points on 10-of-17 shooting while adding five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block. Dajao, on the other hand, delivered a triple-double of 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists, along with a steal and a block, powering UST to another emphatic victory.
The UST girls' basketball team against NU-Nazareth School during the UAAP Season 87 girls' basketball tournament, March 6, 2025 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. UAAP Media
"I'm quite satisfied with how our girls played. Although we still made mistakes and had lapses, they followed our game plan and preparation. I'm very happy for them. One more thing, they played as a team, which is a huge boost for us heading into the Finals," said UST head coach Arsenio Dysangco.
"We didn't expect such a wide margin in this game, but we just focus on the process and improving ourselves day by day. We don't measure ourselves against other teams; we just try to be the best versions of ourselves," added the deputy commissioner of the Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
Holding a slim 42-34 lead at the 2:50 mark of the second quarter, UST broke the game open when Giorgina Anonuevo and Insoy combined for eight straight points, sending the Lady Bullpups into a 50-34 hole at halftime.
That proved to be all the momentum the Junior Golden Tigresses needed, as they erupted for a dominant 21-11 third quarter, highlighted by two triples from Insoy and a layup from Rhianne Perez. By the start of the fourth, UST had built a commanding 71-45 cushion, effectively sealing the win.
Perez contributed 18 points off the bench, filling the stat sheet with seven assists, six rebounds, six steals, and two blocks. Anonuevo also made an impact with 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block.
With the loss, NUNS wrapped up the eliminations with a 4-2 record, with both losses coming at the hands of UST.
Ashley Trinidad led the Lady Bullpups with 16 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting clip while adding seven rebounds. Aubrey Lapasaran, a stalwart of Gilas Youth, struggled offensively with just 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting but contributed eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
MVP frontrunner Zaydhen Rosano came close to a triple-double with eight points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, and three steals.
The schedule for the best-of-three Finals will be announced at a later date.
The Scores:
UST (91) - Insoy 31, Perez 18, Dajao 15, Anonuevo 12, Pinuela 3, Petalcorin 3, Wenceslao 2, Abrantes 2, Banate 2, Floriendo 2, Tambawan 1, Boteros 0, Arciaga 0, Villarin 0, Pesquera 0.
NUNS (66) - Trinidad 16, Lapasaran 11, Rosano 8, Pascua 8, Badajos 7, Abong 4, Mallari 4, Singson 3, Avila 3, Katigbak 2, Sales 0, Aycardo 0.
Quarterscores: 27-22, 50-34, 71-45, 91-66.