THE UST Tigresses are riding on a three-game winning streak after a break-even take-off in the initial stage of their title-retention bid in Season 70, posting four wins in six games.
“We will not let our next opponents beat us,” coach Peque Tan told the Varsitarian, after a relatively dismal start in the elimination round.
True enough, the Tigresses regained their winning form, outclassing the De La Salle University Lady Archers in the endgame, 72-65, last August 4 at the Adamson gym, to fuel a three-game winning sprint.
With only 32 ticks remaining, the Tigresses scored four points from the stripe courtesy of Marichu Bacaro and Nikki Leonardo to seal the deal for UST just after the Lady Archers released a 7-0 dagger to close in at 68-65.
The Lady Archers’ mini-rallies in the fourth quarter enabled them to stay afloat with the Tigresses, but UST’s perimeter shooting built a 65-55 cushion, 3:15 minutes left.
Afer a 6-0 third-quarter spurt, La Salle continued to roll its offense at the start of the fourth period to trail by only four, 54-50. But a dish by Bacaro resulted to a Cristy Silva jumper followed by Bacaro’s charity split that extended UST’s lead to 57-50.
Leonardo’s three-pointer ignited a 20-10 explosion in the third quarter to give UST its highest lead at 54-39.
UST started the game on fire, shooting three of its five three-pointers in the first quarter for a 17-11 edge and managed to keep its lead after two periods.
Bacaro led the Tigresses in double-double output with 20 points, 14 rebounds and 4 steals while Leonardo chipped in 15. Bernadin Yamamoto spearheaded the Lady Archers with a game-high 24 points.
Big bite
The Tigresses’ menacing full-court pressure defense spelled their 93-57 drubbing of a lowly National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs last August 1 also at the Adamson gym.
With its defense stifling NU’s offensive plays, UST launched a booming first-quarter take-off and never looked back despite the Lady Bulldogs’ repeated attempts.
The España-based lady dribblers uncorked an early 12-3 run capped by back-to-back jumpers from Silva and Irene Lacaba to build a commanding 26-6 advantage, 3:16 minutes left in the first quarter.
But foul trouble and a couple of miscommunication errors from UST allowed NU to draw near at 44-35 via an 8-0 blast going into the halftime break.
Tan’s wards, however, proved unstoppable as Leaonardo sank a pair of treys that triggered a 10-0 third-quarter breakaway to pad UST’s lead, 65-40.
Season 69 Mythical Five Bacaro then completed a three-point play off a foul from NU standout Jovelyn Mejia that sparked a resounding 12-1 endgame tear to warp the contest.
Leonardo topscored for the Tigresses with a game-high 18 points while Camille Viñas and Bacaro added 15 each. Allalaine De Gomas led all NU scorers with 14 markers.
Banking on their fluid outside shooting and stingy full-court pressure defense the Tigresses clawed back for a 69-60 come-from-behind win over the University of the East Amazons last July 26.
But the black-gold-white squad absorbed a 55-56 heartbreaker against the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons last July 21 following their 69-56 rout of the Adamson Lady Falcons last July 15.
Unable to overcome opening-game jitters, the Season 69 champions fell prey to the Ateneo Lady Eagles, 76-69, last July 10. With reports from Paul Nicholas P. Dimerin and Emil Karlo A. dela Cruz
