THE TIGRESSES gave basketball heavyweight Adamson University all it could handle before succumbing to the Lady Falcons’ torrid three-point shooting in the final quarter and settling for a 75-86 loss at the Araneta Coliseum last July 22.
A ferocious fourth-quarter run was not enough to salvage the game for UST, which fell to a 1-2 win-loss card in the UAAP.
“It just so happened that they (Lady Falcons) had a high percentage of three-pointers,” head coach Juli Amos said. “But if it were an up-close fight, we would have had a better chance of winning.”
Tigress Kristine Siapoc and Adamson’s Fria Bernardo traded shots in the second quarter but the offense of Lady Falcon Katherine Sandel proved unstoppable as Adamson built a 13-point lead at the end of the first half, 35-48.
Approaching the end of the third quarter, UST managed to close the gap at 11, 55-66, but the run was brought to a halt as Adamson’s Katherine Sandel and Fria Bernardo who led the charge for the Lady Falcons until the fourth period.
Adamson nearly erected a 30-point margin if not for a short-lived run by the Tigresses that kept the score at 62-85 with five minutes left in the game.
The Tigresses pulled off several steals and fast breaks courtesy mainly of Rina Laud.
But the momentum did not last long as the Lady Falcons kept their poise and punched holes into the Tigresses weak defense.
“Whenever they pull out one of their core [players], we get the chance to score,” Amos said. “But whenever they (Lady Falcons) realize that we’re running a break, they bring back their key players.”
In their previous game, the Tigresses routed the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors, 87-68, at The Arena in San Juan City on July 18.
The black-and-gold triumvirate of Ann Leonardo, Paula Bombeo and Rina Laud, all scoring in double digits, sealed the win for UST. Rey Ian M. Cruz
The Scores:
Adamson (86) – Sandel-19, Roque-14, Bernardo-14, Buendia-12, Almasan-12, Penarada-8, Mangahas-6, DeLeon-1, Tangco-0, Manicad-0, Gadian-0, Avila-0, Versoza-0, Catalan-0
UST (75) – Leonardo-17, Andaya-13, Galacia-12, Siapoc-11, Laud-10, Bombeo-7, Mejia-4, Silva-1, Salvador-0, Reyes-0, Ong-0, Dela Cruz-0
Quarter Scores: 12-18, 35-48, 55-66, 86-75
