UST rips St. Bridget's, gains Under-16 semis

BAGUIO, Philippines – University of Santo Tomas crushed St. Bridget’s College, 80-32, to advance to the crossover semifinals in the SBP National Under-16 Basketball Championship at the Easter College gym yesterday.

The Cebuanos, who lost to St. John, 99-91, in overtime, routed St. Clare, 98-71, while La Union College of Nursing and Arts & Sciences beat St. John, 84-78, at the Cordillera Career Development College in Benguet, La Trinidad.

UV, St. John and LUCNAS finished the elims with identical 4-1 cards, but UV and St. John took the other semis berths with superior quotients than LUCNAS.

Stung by their 88-78 defeat to Group B qualifier and undefeated Sacred Heart of Jesus Montessori last Wednesday, the UST Baby Tigers vented their ire on the Batanguenos to clinch the victory.

UST finished the elims with a 4-1 card to join Sacred Heart (5-0) in the next round of the tournament presented by Summit Mineral Water and backed by Energen Nutrition Milk and Cereal, Philex Mining, Molten and the MVP Sports Foundation.

UST meets UV at 1:30 p.m. today while Sacred Heart of Jesus faces St. John Institute at 3 p.m. at the University of Baguio gym.

The top two teams will dispute the title in a winner-take-all match with the champion bringing home a handcrafted trophy plus P30,000 donated by SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan.

St. Clare earlier swept the women’s plum and pocketed the P20,000 prize.

International School for Better Beginnings handed host University of Baguio its fifth straight defeat, 80-75, and Holy Child crushed winless St. Agnes Academy of Albay, 96-34, in other games at CCDC gym.

Jose de Venecia Sr. Memorial National High School beat University of Sta. Isabel, 49-47, at Easter College gym, to place third behind women champion St. Clare and runner-up Assumption College of Davao.