NU is back in the women’s basketball throne. UAAP photo
Redemption time for NU
NATIONAL University completed its redemption season with a 78-73 conquest of University of Santo Tomas yesterday in the UAAP women’s basketball tournament before a good-sized crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Newly-minted Rookie of the Year Cielo Pagdulagan added a Finals MVP hardware to her trophy case while Camille Clarin ended her collegiate career as a winner as the Bulldogs unseated the Tigresses in the throne to annex their eighth championship overall.
“These players were on it since Day 1 ng training camp namin. We asked so much from them pero hindi mo matatawaran yung effort nila every day. I’m just very satisfied because today, this is the fruit of our labor. I’m really satisfied of how they conducted themselves today.
Lahat lahat lahat binigay ang lahat para sa redemption year na ito,” said Aris Dimaunahan, winning his second crown as NU head coach.
The Lady Bulldogs, who became the third most successful team in the league, made sure that there will be no meltdown this time unlike last season’s painful Game 3 defeat.
Down 61-75 with 3:20 remaining in the game, UST launched one last-gasp rally as CJ Maglupay, Karylle Sierba, and Tacky Tacatac unleashed nine straight points to inch within 70-75, with 1:45 remaining.
Sorry misses and bad turnovers followed in the next possessions, leading to Camille Clarin’s two free throws after breaking up what could have been a fastbreak attempt for the Tigresses, stealing the ball from Sierba that led to her extending the Jhocson-based side’s lead to 77-70 with 21.8 seconds.
Pagdulagan finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, three assists while three steals for NU.
“Super happy pero yung mga awards naman na nakuha ko bonus lang sa akin kasi ang goal naman talaga namin ay ‘yung championship,” said Pagdulagan, who became the Lady Bulldogs rookie to win Finals MVP since her teammate Tin Cayabyab back in late 2022.
Clarin chipped 14 points, six boards, three assists and two steals in her swan song for NU.
“I am so proud to be the captain of this team. It’s the we over the me. These girls really showed me whqt it takes to fight until the end,” said Clarin.
Angel Surada, who have yet to decide whether to use up her final season for the Lady Bulldogs next year, also scored 14 points, that went along with eight rebounds, four steals and three assists.
Sierba paced UST with 20 points, three rebounds, and three assists, while Tacatac registered 14 points in her final game for the school.
Brigette Santos, the Game 2 hero with 27 points in the series-tying 78-68 victory, was held to just eight points, five assists, four rebounds, four steals as she shot a measly 3-of-15 line from the field.
Kent Pastrana, a three-time Mythical Team member, was also held to just seven points although she also secured seven rebounds and seven assists. In the first two games, she averaged 16.5 points.
The Tigresses, who dealt the Lady Bulldogs’ only loss of the season in Game 2, will only see Tacatac leaving after this season’s campaign.
University of the East capitalized on an early ejection of Mythical Five member Andwele Cabanero, securing a 76-70 victory over UST to force a winner-take-all Game 3 in the junior high school Finals.
The scores:
Women
NU (78) – Pagdulagan 21, Surada 14, Clarin 14, Pingol 10, Cayabyab 5, Fabruada 4, Konateh 4, Betanio 3, Canuto 3, Bartolo 0, Villanueva 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.
