IN A BATTLE of women’s basketball champions, the UST Tigresses prevailed over reigning College and Universitites Sports Association champions, Philippine College of Criminology (PCCr) Lady Enforcers, 78-58, in the finals of the 2007 Nike Summer League last June 8 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
With the victory, the Tigresses erased the stigma of their lone defeat in the tournament against the same Lady Enforcers squad, who dealt them a 47-57 beating in the eliminations last May 9.
“It was our laxity on defense that caused our defeat against PCCr in the eliminations,” coach Peque Tan told the Varsitarian. “We have learned from that mistake by tightening our defense and concentrating more on their two key players (Stineli Casakit and Katrina Garcia).”
Most Valuable Player and Mythical Five standout Remia Buenacosa, who registered a double-double performance of 18 points and 14 rebounds, orchestrated UST’s early breakaway while fellow Mythical Five member Marichu Bacaro sustained the momentum down the stretch en route to the Tigresses’ first off-season title. Bacaro led all UST scorers with 23 points.
Buenacosa fueled the Tigresses’ early take-off as she poured six points in a dizzying 14-4 onslaught, to give UST a comfortable 27-12 headaway going into the second quarter.
Displaying consistency on offense, UST foiled PCCr’s repeated comebacks in the second period, with timely baskets from Buenacosa that virtually eclipsed Lady Enforcer Casakit’s trifecta of three-pointers to take a 41-29 lead at the half.
Bacaro then took the offensive cudgels in the 5:56 mark of the third quarter, scoring nine points in a scorching 13-0 blast, that padded the lead further at 56-35.
But the Lady Enforcers found a hero of late in Mythical Five member Garcia who presided a 14-3 PCCr uprising to move within 68-56. UST, however, remained unfazed as Sharon Briones parried PCCr’s final threat with back-to-back treys to complete the rout.
Revenge
After settling for a bridesmaid finish against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws in the Home and Away Invitational League last March 27, the Tigresses got even with their UAAP rival, knocking-out the Morayta-based dribblers in the semifinals, 60-54, last June 2 at the opponents’ homecourt.
Prior to their FEU tussle, the Tigresses dispatched the College of Saint Benilde Lady Blazers, 90-70, in the quarterfinals last May 30.
Buenacosa shone for the Tigresses once more as she drilled in the España- based cagebelles’ last eight points, including a three-point play with less than a minute in the game to cop the match for UST and clinch the tournament’s first finals seat.
The 5’6” Buenacosa led UST with a complete double-double effort of 33 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and three assists.
Smarting from their PCCr debacle, the Tigresses barged into the win column anew as they outgunned the Adamson University Lady Falcons, (62-44), last May 21 and National University Lady Bulldogs, (77-70), last May 18 to finish the elimination round with a 7-1 win-loss card.
