THE UST Growling Tigresses fell short against the NU Lady Bulldogs in Game 2 of their best-of-three UAAP Season 86 women’s basketball finals series, 72-70, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.
UST controlled the first half until the early parts of the third quarter behind a layup by Rocel Dionisio and a three-pointer by Kent Pastrana that expanded the Tigresses’ lead to six, 50-44.
However, the Lady Bulldogs responded with a 13-2 surge, allowing them to take a two-point lead heading into the payoff period, 59-57.
An inside hit by Karl Pingol allowed NU to maintain its command, extending the Lady Bulldogs’ lead to six against UST with less than four minutes remaining in the low-scoring final period, 70-64.
Pastrana sank her freebies and Tantoy Ferrer converted back-to-back inside hits to spark a UST comeback and trim the deficit to two, 70-68, but a layup by Angel Surada buried the Tigresses down a four-point hole with 47.8 seconds left, 72-68.
Pastrana’s first chance to tie the game was via a layup intercepted by NU’s Gypsy Canuto.
Lady Bulldog Camille Clarin’s two missed free throws left the window open for UST.
With UST trailing by two with 11.5 seconds left, Pastrana missed the potential championship-clinching triple.
“Kent [Pastrana] is so brave, she made two decisions that didn’t go in. You don’t have to blame Kent for that, that’s her decision,” UST head coach Haydee Ong said postgame. “It’s make-or-break, so wala, walang mali sa ginawa ni Kent.”
A late 12-2 surge in the first quarter propelled the Tigresses to take a five-point lead against NU, 26-21.
Pastrana, Rocel Dionisio and Ferrer connived for a seven-point spurt in the last minute of the second quarter, where UST took a three-point lead at halftime, 43-40.
This is the second heartbreaker of the Tigresses against NU, where they first suffered a 77-76 meltdown over the Lady Bulldogs during the second round of the eliminations.
The Lady Bulldogs scored 19 points off turnovers, as UST only scored nine off NU’s miscues.
Pastrana, Ferrer, and Dionisio scored 15 points each in the loss, while Tacky Tacatac tallied 12 points and five steals.
Clarin led NU’s heist with 18 points and eight assists, while Karl Pingol and Princess Fabruada notched 14 and 13 points, respectively.
The winner-take-all Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 12 p.m. at the same venue.
