NU Woman Bulldogs have a good time after successful the UAAP Season 87 ladies’s basketball championship.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web
MANILA, Philippines — Nationwide College slayed the ghost of its previous with a 78-73 victory over College of Santo Tomas in Recreation 3 to reclaim the UAAP Season 87 ladies’s basketball title on Sunday at Sensible Araneta Coliseum.
Final 12 months, NU blew a 14-point lead within the fourth quarter as UST ended its seven-year reign in a dramatic Recreation 3 end.
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The Woman Bulldogs have been pushed to the identical scenario when the Growling Tigresses erased their 14-point lead when Cheesy Tacatac hit essential treys to show it right into a five-point recreation, 75-70, with nonetheless 1:45 to play.
READ: UAAP Finals: UST Tigresses fend off NU, drive title decider
WATCH: NU’s crowning second. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/RJUtKLnale
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) December 15, 2024
Camille Clarin, who was on the receiving finish of Kent Pastrana’s championship-clinching shot final season, made certain to keep away from a collapse this time, making a giant steal on Karylle Sierba and sinking two massive free throws for a 77-70 breather with 21.8 seconds to play.
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Sierba hit one other three, 77-73, with 13.5 ticks left. However Clarin made considered one of two free throws earlier than one other cease towards the Tigresses to say the Season 87 crown.
“I’m so proud to be the captain of this successful workforce. It simply goes to indicate that when everybody units apart their very own agenda and places their very own ego apart, places the we over the me, nice issues are gonna occur. This workforce has been by way of the gutter. The truth that everyone rose as much as the problem is simply superb. No person can take that away from us,” stated Clarin. “These ladies actually confirmed me what it takes to struggle till the top. I do know I made them higher and I do know they made me higher. I’m simply so grateful that the ball fell in our court docket and we’re champions once more.”
NU received its eighth UAAP title in 9 seasons with coach Aris Dimaunahan successful his second since taking the rein two years in the past from multi-titled mentor Pat Aquino.
Cielo Pagdulagan proved why she’s this season’s Rookie of the Yr with 21 factors, 9 rebounds, three steals, and three assists to earn the Finals MVP award.
Clarin delivered 14 factors, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Legendary workforce member Angel Surada completed with 14 factors, eight rebounds, and 4 steals, whereas Karl Ann Pingol had 10 factors and 9 rebounds.
“I’m very glad with how we carried out our 12 months. These gamers have been on it since Day 1 of our coaching camp. We requested a lot in them at hindi mo matatawaran ‘yung effort nila on a regular basis. They’re killing one another in apply, from first group to the third group,” stated Dimaunahan. “At the moment is the fruit of our labor all the 12 months, naghintay. kami. We saved our step very cautiously. Our focus araw-araw was to get higher and higher. We had our first lack of the season noong Recreation 2 pero hindi sila bumigay. The extra they saved targeted and hungrier to win.”
READ: UAAP Finals: NU Woman Bulldogs survive UST in Recreation 1
Emotional second for the NU Woman Bulldogs. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/odK8nfSBih
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) December 15, 2024
NU swept its manner again to the finals and prolonged its successful run to fifteen video games with a 72-71 escape in Recreation 1 however couldn’t shut out the sequence in Recreation 2, absorbing its first defeat to UST, 78-68, final Wednesday.
After a neck-and-neck first half tied with each at 38, Pagdulagan scored 5 of NU’s 10-0 run to tug away with a 48-38 lead with seven minutes remaining within the third interval.
Karylle Sierba and Kent Pastrana stopped the bleeding for UST to chop it right down to seven, 52-47, however Pagdulagan capped their scorching third quarter with 5 extra factors for a 65-50 lead heading to the fourth.
Sierba led UST with 20 factors. Tacatac performed her remaining UAAP recreation with 14 factors. Brigette Santos, who erupted for 27 in Recreation 2, was restricted to eight factors. Eka Soriano additionally had eight factors, whereas Pastrana was held to simply seven factors on prime of seven rebounds and 7 assists.
CJ Maglupay additionally scored seven however grabbed 23 rebounds in a shedding effort for UST.
The Scores:
NU 78 – Pagdulagan 21, Surada 14, Clarin 14, Pingol 10, Cayabyab 5, Fabruada 4, Konateh 4, Canuto 3, Betanio 3, Villanueva 0, Bartolo 0.
UST 73 – Sierba 20, Tacatac 14, Santos 8, Soriano 8, Pastrana 7, Maglupay 7, Bron 5, Danganan 4, Ambos 0, Serrano 0.
Quarterscores: 17-17, 38-38, 65-50, 78-73.
