Centro, UST unbeaten in PCABL women’s league

MANILA, Philippines - Centro Escolar University and University of Santo Tomas routed their respective rivals to stay unbeaten while La Salle demolished Fatima in the third Pilipinas Chinese Amateur Basketball League (PCABL) Dickies Women’s Cup at the CEU Lumera Tower gym in Legarda, Manila over the weekend.

With Janine Pontejos hitting four triples and Demi Lou Villanueva taking over in the fourth quarter, CEU trounced last year’s losing finalist College of St. Benilde, 79-57, to notch its second straight win.

Not to be outdone, the UST Tigresses rode on a big third quarter run to beat the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws, 74-63, and share the lead with the CEU side in the tournament presented by Dickies and sponsored by Smart Telecom, Jumbo Plastic Linoleum, Power House, CW Home Depot, Dickies Underwear and Hapee Toothpaste.

Pontejos went on to finish with 18 points while Villanueva scored all but two of her 11 points in the fourth to help foil the Lady Blazers’ rally.

Three other CEU players scored in double figures to underscore the team’s firepower and depth.

Protecting a slim 36-30 lead at the half, the Tigresses went to Mariel Isanan and Jhenn Angeles, who responded as they outscored the Lady Tamaraws, 24-11, in the third to storm to a 60-41 lead heading to the fourth.

Isanan sizzled with 19 points while Angeles chipped in 17 markers.

The Lady Archers, meanwhile, bounced back from a 63-71 defeat to the Tigresses as they clobbered Fatima, 107-53, behind Camille Claro and Cassandra Santos.