Tigresses slay Lady Tamaraws to book UAAP semis berth

MANILA, Philippines — The University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses punched the second ticket to the UAAP Season 87 women’s basketball semifinals after drubbing the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws, 70-54, Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

UST has thus won its sixth straight game in the season and rose to 9-1.

The defending champions became the second team this season to go to the Final Four after last season’s runners-up National University Lady Bulldogs.

Tacky Tacatac provided the spark off the bench for the Tigresses with 12 points, three steals, two assists and two rebounds on 4-of-12 shooting from the field. Kent Pastrana added a double-double of 11 markers and 13 boards, to go with three dimes.

UST led by just seven, 23-16, after the first quarter but used a massive second period to break the game wide open, 41-24.

This gave the España-based squad the needed separation as the lead grew to as much as 26 points, 64-38, in the fourth quarter after a deuce by Rachel Ambos.

UST thus breezed through to the final buzzer to mark its sixth straight UAAP Final Four appearance.

“We played according to our game plan. Yung mga easy baskets for FEU, mga turnovers namin need i-address, but overall naman, we’re happy for the win. Yung mga dapat magstep up, nagstep up, and we give some time naman doon sa bench ko for them to be exposed,” Tigresses head coach Haydee Ong said after the game.

Ambos produced another double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for UST.

Joan Nagma led FEU with 11 points and four rebounds, while Yvette Villanueva had 10 markers, five boards, two dimes and two pilfers.

UST will be taking on NU next Wednesday, November 6.

FEU, meanwhile, will face the University of the East Lady Warriors next Sunday, November 3.

Earlier in the day, the Adamson Lady Falcons squeaked past the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 57-54, at the same venue.

The triumph gave Adamson a firm grip on the third spot in the standings as they rose to 7-3.

UP, on the other hand, dropped to 3-6.

Elaine Etang powered Adamson’s second consecutive win with 22 points, five steals, four rebounds and one assist; while Victoria Adeshina contributed 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go along with six rebounds and one assist.

Rizza Lozada spearheaded UP with 13 points and seven rebounds.

Adamson will battle UE next Wednesday, October 30; while the Fighting Maroons will take on the undefeated Lady Bulldogs squad next Sunday, November 3, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.