HOT SHOOTING allowed the UST Growling Tigresses to dismantle the UP Fighting Maroons, 84-57, to begin the second round of the UAAP women’s basketball on Sunday, Oct. 13, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The defending champions drained 12 three-pointers as they continued their winning streak at four games.
UST started off strong with an early 11-point advantage topped by a floater from former MVP Eka Soriano, 19-8.
The Diliman-based squad mounted an 8-0 run sparked by a five-point swing from Louna Ozar, 19-16. Tigress Tacky Tacatac, however, drilled a triple from way downtown to keep their lead at the end of the first frame, 22-16.
UP tried to shift the momentum in the second salvo after playmaker Kaye Pesquera knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game at 28-all.
Both teams continued to trade baskets, but Tigresses remained up top with a 41-38 edge by the end of the half.
The España-squad controlled the pace in the third quarter as Soriano gave CJ Maglupay an easy fastbreak basket to build a nine-point lead, 49-40.
Three consecutive long bombs from Karylle Sierba and Pastrana sparked an 11-2 run for UST to go ahead by 14 points, 60-46.
The Tigresses stayed hungry and showed no signs of slowing down in the final frame as Tacatac nailed a wide-open triple to unleash an 18-2 burst, 80-52.
UST outscored UP in the second half by 43-19.
“I just told the girls that at the start of the second round, we want to be better, more consistent [and] stronger… the girls did it,” UST head coach Haydee Ong said post-game.
“We forced UP to 32 turnovers and we have 38 points… I think that spells the difference for the game,” she added.
Tacatac steered the scoring load for the Tigresses with 23 points and five triples on a highly efficient 71.4% from deep. Sierba chipped in 15 points and five threes on 71.4% clip. Pastrana added 11 markers and five rebounds.
Ozar paced the Fighting Maroons with 15 points, seven boards and three assists. Meanwhile, Pesquera had 10 points, three assists and three rebounds.
The Tigresses will look to continue their winning ways as they face off with the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Saturday, Oct 19, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. F – Czarina Mari Agaton
