Lady Bulldogs rip Fighting Maroons

MANILA, Philippines – The National University Lady Bulldogs unloaded a huge third quarter to maul the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 76-64, in UAAP Season 87 women’s basketball action Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Princess Fabruada paced NU with 16 points, five rebounds and a steal, while Aloha Betanio filled the statsheet with 13 points, four steals, four rebounds and two assists. 

The two teams were kept in a 41-all deadlock after the first half, as UP clawed back from being down 15, 14-29, in the second quarter. 

The Lady Bulldogs then bared their teeth and sank them completely on the Fighting Maroons, starting the third frame off with a backbreaking 19-1 run capped by a 3-pointer by Karl Pingol, as they took a commanding 62-43 lead heading into the final canto. 

The lead grew to as much as 27 points, 74-47, before UP attempted to mount a comeback and ended the game with a 17-2 run for the final tally. 

Jainaba Konateh added 12 points and six rebounds for last season’s runners-up in just 12 minutes of play. Karl Pingol chipped in with nine. 

Christie Bariquit led the Fighting Maroons with 14 points, three rebounds, two steals and an assist. Achrissa Maw backstopped with 12 markers, three boards, three steals, two dimes and two blocks. 

“This game was a game of runs. Both teams nagkaroon ng runs and luckily, iyong third quarter namin, we stepped on the gas, we locked down in defense after the halftime break. We made some key adjustments on the defensive side and I’m glad the team responded well,” NU head coach Aris Dimaunahan said. 

“Iyon lang sa dulo, medyo masakit sa mata. Iyong dulo, how we ended the game, was not how we want things to be done. So those are points of improvement for us to move forward and hopefully magawan namin ng paraan iyon,” he added. 

Earlier in the day, the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws survived a massive comeback attempt by the University of the East Lady Red Warriors, 62-56, to finally tally a win this season. 

The Morayta-based squad, who will be playing the rest of the season without Josee Kaputu, led by as much as 26 points, 47-21, in the third quarter as they took total control of the game. 

Come the fourth quarter, though, UE inched closer and closer, as the Lady Red Warriors cut the deficit to just six, 54-60, with a minute and four seconds to go. 

The surge, though, was just too late, with Shane Salvani icing the game with a pair of free throws with 13.1 seconds to go. 

“It feels good to be here. Ganito pala pakiramdam ng panalo. Hahanap-hanapin ko yung ganitong feeling. But of course itong panalo namin it’s because of what the players did naman inside the court,” said FEU head coach Raiza Palmera-Dy. 

Maxene dela Torre led the charge for the Lady Tamaraws with 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one steal.

Rachel Lacayanga had a near triple-double for UE with 19 points and eight rebounds, but he had six turnovers and shot 7-of-25 from the field. 

Aliyah Ronoquillo added 11 for the Lady Red Warriors, who absorbed their 40th straight loss in the UAAP dating back to season 82. 

After Wednesday’s games, NU grabbed a share of the top spot with defending champions University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses, who are also holding a 3-0 slate.

UP and FEU are now holding 1-2 records, while UE dropped to 0-3.