The NU Lady Bulldogs banked on an all-around team performance as they became the first team to beat the UST Growling Tigresses in UAAP Season 88.
It was an overall team effort for defending champions NU Lady Bulldogs as they overcame the UST Growling Tigresses in a back-and-forth Game 1 of the UAAP Season 88 women’s basketball Finals, 84-79, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.
Coming off the stepladder semis, NU hit the ground running against the league-leading Tigresses, leading at the halfway mark, 42-35.
But UST, who had swept its way to the Finals with a 14-0 slate in the elimination round, adjusted well in the third quarter, where the Tigresses were then able to seize their largest lead of the game after an 18-5 run, 53-47.
Not one to be deterred, the Lady Bulldogs rode the coattails of unexpected heroes like Bonie Solis and Xy Pring to pump life into their Game 1 effort. They were especially important as key cogs like presumptive MVP Ann Pingol and
Aloha Betanio fell victim to foul trouble.
For head coach Da Olan, it was a great testament to the roster’s commitment to helping the team.
“Sabi ko naman sa kanila, they just have to be ready," he said.
"Any time na ipasok sila don, kailangan mag-contribute sila in any way and yun, talagang masaya ako na regardless kung at times may mga games na ilang minuto lang nilalaro ni Xy, ni Bonie, pag pinasok sila, they’re always ready and ready to contribute,” Olan added.
[RELATED: NU Lady Bulldogs stun UST Growling Tigresses in Game 1 of UAAP women's Finals]
As for the two players, it was really about working within the system.
“Syempre, thank you din sa tiwala ng mga coaches na sumusunod lang naman po kami sa scheme namin na kaya namin nagawa to,” said Pring.
But as they emerged as legitimate Finals threats for the Jhocson-based cagers, Solis knows that they’ll need to work twice as hard next time around.
“Di pa tapos tong job namin and kailangan pa namin magtrabaho lalo na sa Game 2, kasi alam namin na mas gigil sila and kailangan lang namin i-maintain yung kailangan namin gawin,” said Solis.
Heaven sent
Even as Pring and Solis were among the Lady Bulldogs keeping the team afloat in a game that saw eight deadlocks and 19 lead changes, it was ultimately super senior Angel Surada that finished the job late in the game.
With 1:13 ticks left, Surada drilled the clutch basket to push NU’s lead to three points, 81-78, to give the defending champions some breathing space.
The NU defense took over after, forcing key misses from the UST side. Kent Pastrana notably struggled, going 0-of-8 from the three-point line in the stunning defeat for the Tigresses.
Angel Surada topscored for NU with 19 points, seven rebounds, three assists, five steals, and one block.
Marga Villanueva, who was also key in the fourth quarter with back-to-back triples, added 17 markers, six boards, and one steal.
Solis and Pring added 11 and nine points, respectively.
Meanwhile, Eka Soriano was the lone bright spot for UST with 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Pastrana finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and three steals.
Game 2 is slated on Wednesday, December 10, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.