THE UST Growling Tigresses closed out the first round eliminations with an intense 66-57 victory over the FEU Lady Tamaraws in the UAAP Season 87 women’s basketball tournament on Saturday, Oct. 5.
UST managed to overcome FEU’s second-half scare, securing its third straight win at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Tigresses built their momentum in the first quarter after rookie guard Karylle Serbia drained a layup point, 6-3. UST ignited a 14-0 run courtesy of forward Agatha Bron and former MVP Eka Soriano, 17-6.
FEU tried to trim the gap, but Bron dropped a buzzer-beater three-pointer shot to close out the quarter with an 11-point lead, 20-9.
The España-based squad remained in control in the second salvo after Tigress forward Kent Pastrana unleashed three consecutive baskets, 27-15.
Team captain Tacky Tacatac fired a three-pointer shot to give UST a 13-point advantage, 35-19. FEU retaliated with back-to-back paint shots from Joann Nagma, 35-24.
UST’s forward Ceejay Maglupay hit two freebies to maintain their lead at halftime, 37-24.
It was a different story in the second half when the momentum shifted to the Morayta side after a scoring barrage from Shane Salvani, 37-32.
Pastrana halted FEU’s 8-0 run with a paint shot and two freebies, 41-32. However, FEU sparked an offensive prowess, minimizing UST’s lead to five, 48-43.
The Tigresses regrouped briefly in the last frame as Pastrana and Santos teamed up to pull away, 56-43. But Tamaraws Nagma and Maxene dela Torre drained two baskets, cutting the deficit to three, 56-53.
With less than two minutes left in the game, Santos and Tacatac unleashed successful three-pointer shots, overpowering the bottom-seeded Tamaraws with a 66-57 win.
Despite the victory, Pastrana shared that the rookies and the veterans should step up in their remaining games this season.
“We need to start and finish strong. I look forward to my teammates, especially the rookies and veterans, stepping up in this tournament. The team still has a long time and days to recover and prepare for this season,” the Tigress star told The Flame.
Pastrana steered UST’s defense with 22 points, including two blocks, two steals and an assist, while Tacatac contributed nine markers.
Shane Salvani, who had a one-game suspension, led FEU with 16 points, five assists and a steal, while team captain MJ Manguiat chipped in 11 markers.
With a 6-1 win-loss record, the UST Growling Tigresses aim to remain in the winning column. The game and venue are yet to be scheduled. F
