A CONSISTENT offensive barrage by the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigresses kept the Lady Eagles at bay as Ateneo fell, 65-71, in their fifth match-up of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Women’s Basketball tournament on Wednesday, September 27 at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.
The result marks their third loss in a row, bumping Ateneo down to a 2-3 win-loss record.
Jolina Go exploded for a game-high 26 points on 9/21 field-goal shooting and eight boards. Following on the stat sheet were Tina Deacon and Hazelle Yam, who both tallied ten points.
On the UST side, Jem Angeles led the way, punishing Ateneo with 20 points, while Sai Larosa chipped in 14 points and nine boards.
The Lady Eagles struggled in the first quarter, as they were unable to convert a number of their offensive plays. Although Go held up the fort from the backcourt for Ateneo, Anjel Anies and Bets Penaflor led the charge for the Tigresses with six and five points, respectively, in the opening salvo as the quarter ended in UST’s favor, 9-20.
In the second quarter, Go and Yam combined efforts to knock in a total of 14 points, keeping the Lady Eagles afloat. The duo was able to cut the deficit to four, 22-26, but the Blue and White were shellshocked by Larosa’s consistent attack that furthered the lead to 22-36 by the 2:00 mark.
The third quarter began with a made basket by Deacon, but the Lady Eagles were quickly outgunned by the tandem of Angeles and Larosa who pushed the lead to 30-45 in an impressive three-minute stretch. The Lady Eagles were able to cut the lead down to single digits as they trailed at 43-51, heading into the final frame.
Although Nicole Cancio scored off a short stab to open the fourth quarter, UST was able to pull away once again as the Tigresses went on a 14-5 run, capped off by an Angeles triple that stretched the lead by 15 (50-65). The Lady Eagles were able to bring the lead down to six after a lay-in by Go, 65-71, but the rally was too late for the Blue and White to change the result of the contest.
The Lady Eagles have a tough assignment up next as they face three-time defending UAAP Champion National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs on September 30, Saturday at 10:00 AM at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.
Quarter Scores
Ateneo-UST: 9-20, 28-38, 43-51, 65-71
Box Scores
Ateneo (65): Go – 26, Deacon – 10, Yam – 10, Villamor – 7, Buendia – 4, Cancio – 4, Newsome – 4
UST (71): Angeles – 20, Larosa – 14, Penaflor – 9, Anies – 8, Rivera – 8, Tortillo – 7, Aujero – 2, Magat – 2, Jerez – 1
