UST’s Tacky Tacatac during a game against UP in the UAAP Season 87 women’s basketball tournament.–UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Tacky Tacatac delivered her best game so far with 20 points to lead University of Santo Tomas past skidding University of the Philippines, 84-60, in the UAAP Season 87 women’s basketball tournament on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Tacatac fired four of his six triples and scored 14 in the fourth quarter, capping a 17-2 run for a 76-55 spread with 4:28 left as the hot-shooting guard’s 3-point barrage kept the Fighting Maroons at bay.
“Sana tuloy-tuloy na yung pagputok niya. Sabi nga, a shooter will always be a shooter. It will give us more space in our offense kasi talagang nakatutok yung defenders kay Tacky,” said UST coach Haydee Ong, whose squad made 13 3-pointers. “Kahit hindi nagshu-shoot si Tacky, yung spacing namin will have room to operate for Kent and doon sa mga players ko na nagda-drive.”
READ: UAAP: UST bounces back, Ateneo beats FEU in women’s basketball
FINAL: Defending champion UST (5-1) trounces UP (2-4), 84-60, for the solo second place in the #UAAPSeason87 women’s basketball.@INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/oX3epuvVvU
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) October 2, 2024
Kent Pastrana sustained her fine play with 21 points including three treys on top of nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals as UST tightened its grip on solo second place with a 5-1 record before wrapping up the first round against struggling Far Eastern University on Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.
UST rookie Karylle Sierba was also instrumental with 11 points, six assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Season 85 MVP Eka Soriano had five points, eight rebounds, and four steals.
UP, which missed Gilas Women guard Camille Nolasco for the second straight game due to an ankle sprain, dropped to a 2-4 record in fifth place.
Kaye Pesquera led the Fighting Maroons with 20 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Louna Ozar and Christie Bariquit contributed 14 points each, while Achrissa Maw, who had averaged a team-high 18.8 points in five games, was limited to just four points on 2-of-7 shooting but still managed to grab 13 rebounds and two steals.
The Fighting Maroons hope to end a two-game skid against La Salle on Sunday.
Ateneo’s Kacey Dela Rosa.–UAAP PHOTO
Meanwhile, Ateneo coach LA Mumar continued to bank on his twin towers as Kacey Dela rosa and Sarah Makanjoula anchored the Blue Eagle’s dominant 90-62 rout of the University of the East.
Reigning MVP Dela Rosa led the way with 19 points and 13 rebounds on top of three blocks, while Makanjuola posted another double-double with 14 points and 17 rebounds to go with three blocks, two assists, and two steals for Ateneo’s first winning streak of the season with a 4-2 record tied with third placer Adamson.
READ: UAAP: Ateneo edges La Salle, UST stays perfect in women’s basketball
“We’re unapologetic and we’re an inside-out ‘Duncan-Robinson’ team [with Kacey and Sarah]. We’re really just in, in, in. Whatever the defense gives us, we’ll take it,” said Mumar, referring to former NBA stars Tim Duncan and David Robinson, a pair of dominant big men who won championships with the San Antonio Spurs. “We will always start from the inside; that’s not a secret. We will live and die with how we play. That’s the identity of the Ateneo women’s basketball team.”
“I think we knew that these two games would be very important heading into the match against NU. We were able to execute the game plan, and I think we expect to get better as the season goes along,” he added as they face unbeaten National University on Saturday.
Junize Calago contributed 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while rookie Kai Oani had her best game yet with 13 points, three assists, and three steals.
UE dropped to 1-5 tied with La Salle and FEU. Jearzy Ganade had 15 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and three steals, while Kamba Kone posted 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
The Scores:
First Game:
UST (84) – Pastrana 21, Tacatac 20, Sierba 11, Relliquette 6, Soriano 5, Santos 4, Maglupay 4, Ambos 4, Pineda 3, Dionisio 2, Bron 2, N. Danganan 2, Pescador 0, Amalong 0, Serrano 0, Lopez 0.
UP (60) – Pesquera 20, Ozar 14, Bariquit 14, Maw 4, Tapawan 3, Barba 3, Jimenez 2, Sauz 0, Vingno 0, Solitario 0, Quinquinio 0, Lozada 0.
Quarterscores: 26-16, 44-27, 59-53, 84-60.
Second Game:
Ateneo (90) – Dela Rosa 19, Calago 15, Makanjoula 14, Oani 13, Cancio 7, Villacruz 6, Cruza 4, Eufemanio 3, Fetalvero 3, Nieves 2, Aquirre 2, Olivenza 1, Angala 1, Batongbakal 0, Lopez 0, Salgado 0.
UE (62) – Ganade 15, Kone 10, Lacayanga 9, Ronquillo 8, Ruiz 8, Buscar 4, Cruz 4, Gomez 3, Yanes 1, Vacalares 0, Delig 0.
Quarterscores: 15-15, 50-27, 67-43, 90-62.