AFTER GOING undefeated in the eliminations, the UST Growling Tigresses fell to the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) All-Stars, 83-77, in the title match of the Pinoyliga Global Invitationals Cup on Sunday, March 30, at the Enderun Gym.
The Tigresses settled for silver despite sweeping four elimination games, which included one match against the eventual champions.
Entering the last 10 minutes of the game, UST head coach Haydee Ong reminded her team to stay composed and rally a late comeback attempt.
“I told the kids, don’t look at the score, just play our game, just play our system,” Ong told The Flame.
“If you make some turnovers, they will convert it. I think that was the number one lesson we saw today,” she added.
The Tigresses struggled at the onset of their do-or-die match as the All-Stars capitalized on six early steals to gain control, 30-18.
Allana Lim kept the WMPBL’s momentum going in the second salvo, pouring 10 of her 24 points in the period to maintain a 12-point cushion by halftime, 46-34.
In the third quarter, ex-Tigress Tantoy Ferrer showed her prowess to balloon her team’s lead to 17 points heading into the final frame, 69-52.
With the title on the line, the Tigresses sparked a swift 10-3 run headed by star Kent Pastrana to trim the WMPBL’s lead to single digits, 64-73.
A steal by Raiza Palmera-Dy in the dying seconds would eventually ice the match and secure the inaugural championship..
Ferrer and Palmera-Dy contributed 20 and 16 points, respectively, to help WMPBL conclude the tournament.
Tigresses co-captain Pastrana paced UST with 17 points, three rebounds, three assists and five steals in the failed comeback effort. Foreign student-athlete Isioma Onianwa added 10 markers.
Pastrana and Onianwa received Mythical Five honors. Ferrer, Lim and Nagoya Gakuin’s Rika Eunohara joined them. F – Joshua Louis Sumanghid
