The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigresses kept their immaculate record intact, dominating De La Salle University with a 97-74 victory in the UAAP Season 89 women’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, November 4.
UST (9-0) shook off a slow start from deep by draining five three-pointers in the second quarter to establish a 43-30 halftime cushion. The defending champions then unleashed a furious fourth-quarter charge, capped by a triple from Naysa Tate, to blow the game open at 92-64 and seal their ninth straight win.
Brig Santos paced the Growling Tigresses with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Karryle Sierba added 17 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Oma Onianwa contributed a dominant 14-point, 12-rebound double-double, and Erinn McAlary chipped in 10 points.
“I told them that we were shooting poorly sa three-point shots natin. Pero I told the girls, just keep shooting basta libre. At least naakyat namin yun sa 13,” said UST head coach.
“I had to be consistent and lead para sa mga bata. Kailangan na rin talaga kami magtulungan as a team and sa depensa,” Santos shared regarding her leadership on the floor.
La Salle (1-8), which suffered its seventh consecutive defeat, was led by Marga Dueñas with 18 points, alongside Kyla Go and Bukky Ojo who contributed 17 points each.
FEU Crushes UE for Solo Third
In the day’s opening game, the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws soared to solo third place after cruising to an 81-63 triumph over the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors.
Fresh off an upset win over National University, FEU exploded out of the blocks with a commanding 32-7 blitz in the first quarter—powered by Amyah Espanol, Elaine Patio, and Victoria Pasilang—to comfortably coast through the rest of the match.
Pasilang led the scoring with 21 points, while Espanol tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds. Maxene Dela Torre and Erica Lopez added 14 and 11 points, respectively, lifting FEU to a 6-4 slate. UE dropped to 1-8 despite Rachel Lacayanga’s stellar 20-point, seven-rebound, and seven-steal performance.
Upcoming Matches
- UE vs. Adamson: Saturday, November 7, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum
- UST vs. FEU: Sunday, November 8, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum
- La Salle vs. National University: Sunday, November 8, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum