S87 Women's Basketball: NU beats UP, 76-64
NU-UP First Round UAAP Season 87 Women's Basketball
Game Natin
UAAP Season 87 Women's Basketball Standings
UST 3 0
NU 3 0
AdU 2 1
Ateneo 2 1
UP 1 2
FEU 1 2
DLSU 0 3
UE 0 3
Games Saturday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
8 a.m. – NUNS vs UST (JHS)
9:45 a.m. – Ateneo vs AdU (JHS)
11:30 a.m. – NU vs UST (Women)
1:30 p.m. – Ateneo vs AdU (Women)
4:30 p.m. – NU vs UST (Men)
6:30 p.m. – Ateneo vs AdU (Men)
National University put on a defensive clinic in the third period, powering their way to a 76-64 victory over the University of the Philippines in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday afternoon at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
This victory sets up a highly anticipated matchup on Saturday, 11:30 a.m. at the Big Dome as the Lady Bulldogs and the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses, both at 3-0, look to deal each other their first loss of the tournament in the rematch of last year’s Finals.
UST ended NU’s seven-season dynasty in Season 86, which makes the Saturday showdown all the more interesting.
“We never look at the past things already. We move forward and we play UST in the next couple of days, we prepare for them and no emotions. It’s just playing the same basketball that has to be played the right way,” said NU head coach Aris Dimaunahan.
Tied at 41 at the break, the Lady Bulldogs emerged from the dugout with new-found concentration and focus after squandering a 15-point lead in the second quarter.
NU opened the third frame with 16 unanswered points care of Aloha Betanio, Pringle Fabruada, and Maymay Canuto for a 57-41 advantage.
By the time the Fighting Maroons nailed its first point of the quarter, a split from the line by Alex Mendoza with 3:02 left, they were already behind 42-57 and this time, there was no comeback the way they did in the first half.
It was a complete drought for UP in the third, going field goal-less on 0-of-10 shooting and scoring just two points off 1-of-2 efforts from the charity stripe by Mendoza and Achrissa Maw.
“This game was a game of runs. Luckily yun ngang third quarter namin we stepped on the gas, we clamped down on defense after the halftime break,” added Dimaunahan.
Fabruada and Betanio, who sparked the breakaway, led the Lady Bulldogs with the former tallying 16 points and five rebounds and the latter making 13 points, four rebounds, four steals, and two assists.
Gambian center Jainaba Konateh, 19, also delivered 12 points, six rebounds, and a steal in the triumph.
Ann Pingol also showed off her range with two triples to finish with nine points.
UP, which slid to 1-2, will look for a bounce-back performance on Sunday when it goes against Far Eastern University at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Christie Bariquit top-scored for the Fighting Maroons with 14 points but 13 of those came in the first half.
Maw added 12 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two blocks, while Kaye Pesquera supplied 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Scores:
NU 76 - Fabruada 16, Betanio 13, Konateh 12, Pingol 9, Cayabyab 7, Surada 6, Canuto 5, Pagdulangan 4, Clarin 2, Solis 1, Ico 1, Talas 0, Pring 0, Alterado 0.
UP 64 - Bariquit 14, Maw 12, Pesquera 10, Barba 6, Ozar 5, Mendoza 5, Nolasco 4, Jimenez 3, Solitario 3, Vingno 2, Tapawan 0, Lozada 0, Sauz 0, Quinquinio 0.
Quarterscores: 25-12, 41-41, 62-43, 76-64.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
