THE UST Growling Tigresses shook off their first-half jitters to overcome the Adamson Lady Falcons, 76-70, in the UAAP Season 86 women’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.
UST and UP are now tied for the second seed, boasting identical 9-3 win-loss records.
Kent Pastrana stepped up for UST once more, tallying 20 out of her 24 points in the second half.
The Tigresses trimmed an 11-point deficit against Adamson to just one point by the end of the third quarter, 62-61.
Three Pastrana points allowed Tigresses to take the lead back with three minutes remaining in the payoff period.
A Tantoy Ferrer layup and a Pastrana finish off her own steal extended UST’s advantage to five with 2:06 left in the game, 73-68.
The Tigresses maintained their lead in the remainder of the match to secure the win, 76-70.
“We started very slow until the second quarter. Let’s not take away from Adamson,” UST head coach Haydee Ong said postgame. “They played really well today. Iyon nga ‘yung last push, we made crucial stops that gave us the win.”
UST led early by five after a 25-20 first quarter.
However, the Tigresses endured a 15-3 Adamson run midway through the second quarter to trail by seven, 35-28.
The Lady Falcons ended the half with a five-point lead, 43-38.
Pastrana paced the Tigresses, shooting an efficient eight out of 15 shooting from the field to go along with five rebounds and four steals. She was the lone UST player who scored in double digits.
Ferrer also made her presence felt, chipping in eight markers and securing 10 rebounds.
Adamson’s Cheska Apag tallied 16 markers and nine rebounds, while Victoria Adeshina posted a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds.
UST’s bench was pivotal for the win, outscoring Adamson’s, 44-21.
The Tigresses will next face the FEU Lady Tamaraws at the same venue on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 9 a.m.
