SOLID DEFENSE powered the UST Growling Tigers to their 10th victory, routing the UE Lady Warriors, 84-62, in the UAAP Season 87 women’s basketball tournament on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Tigresses racked up 20 steals in the game and outscored the Lady Warriors 18-3 in points off turnovers.
With the win, the España squad solidified its spot as second seed with a 10-2 slate. Meanwhile, the Recto-based squad stayed at the bottom with a 1-11 record.
Coming off a huge loss from rival NU, UST struggled to find their rhythm as foreign student-athlete Kamba Kone led UE to an 11-5 blitz in the opening frame.
Tigress forward Nicole Danganan scored back-to-back paint buckets to inch closer by two points at the end of the quarter, 15-13.
In the second salvo, the Tigresses flaunted their defensive prowess by limiting the Lady Warriors to only three field goals.
UST star Kent Pastrana closed the first half with a triple at the buzzer to cap off a 16-5 barrage, 35-24.
Despite UE’s 6-0 start in the third chapter, veteran Tigress Tacky Tacatac sank her third triple in the quarter alone to hold a 13-point lead, 50-37.
The Lady Warriors failed to keep up with Tigress rookie Karylle Sierba after the latter surged a personal 10-6 run to build a 20-point cushion, 67-47.
Tacatac then put the finishing touches after converting two three-pointers and one freebie, ultimately sealing the match.
“Our coaches always said that we should start with [our] defense so we could execute what we do in practice and apply it in the game,” Sierba said post-game.
Tacatac drilled six triples to spearhead UST with 25 points, three assists and four steals. Pastrana contributed 18 markers, seven boards and eight assists, while Sierba added 16 points.
Kone and Rachel Lacayanga dropped 22 points each for UE in the loss
The Tigresses will look to lock up the second spot as they take on the third-seeded Adamson Lady Falcons on Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre. F
