University of Santo Tomas and National University remained unbeaten in the UAAP Season 89 women’s basketball tournament after securing contrasting victories on Saturday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
The defending champion Growling Tigresses overwhelmed Adamson University, 83-65, while the Lady Bulldogs held off Ateneo de Manila University, 87-77, to improve to identical 2-0 records.
UST extended its elimination-round winning streak to 19 games dating back to Season 87 in 2024, while Adamson slipped to 0-2.
Karylle Sierba led the Growling Tigresses with 20 points and three steals, with Coi Danganan adding 15 points and four rebounds and Agatha Bron contributing 13 points.
UST held a 44-36 advantage at halftime before breaking the game open in the third quarter, outscoring the Lady Falcons, 23-16, to take a 67-52 lead.
The defending champions then tightened their defense in the final period, keeping Adamson scoreless for nearly three minutes as they stretched their lead to 19.
Adamson was led by Cheska Apag, who finished with 19 points and three steals. Elaine Etang had 13 points, five rebounds and six assists.
NU, meanwhile, had to withstand a furious Ateneo comeback before securing its second consecutive victory.
The Lady Bulldogs dominated the opening half and built a 47-27 advantage with two minutes left in the second quarter, with their reserves also making a significant impact.
NU’s bench outscored Ateneo’s second unit, 17-5, in the first half.
Ateneo gradually erased much of the deficit in the third quarter, cutting the gap to six at 64-58 after a 14-point swing.
The Blue Eagles came even closer in the fourth when Kacey Dela Rosa scored five straight points to make it 78-75 with less than three minutes remaining.
NU responded immediately, with Marga Villanueva knocking down a three-pointer before hitting another long-range shot with just over a minute left to effectively put the game away. Kristine Cayabyab added another triple as the Lady Bulldogs pulled away.
Villanueva finished with 16 points while shooting 4-of-8 from three-point range.
Aloha Betanio contributed 15 points, six rebounds and five assists, while 17-year-old Zaydhen Rosano had 13 points and five assists. Ann Pingol added 12 points and seven rebounds before fouling out late in the third quarter.
Cielo Pagdulagan and Cayabyab chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively, as NU connected on 13 three-pointers compared with Ateneo’s three.
Dela Rosa kept Ateneo in the game with a dominant 31-point, 15-rebound performance, along with five steals. Seng Calago added 19 points and nine rebounds, while Sarah Makanjuola finished with 13 points and nine rebounds.(Adrian Co)
