Tigresses take title series to limit after scuttling Bulldogs

Blindsided in the series opener, University of Santo Tomas didn’t let go of control this time and posted a comprehensive 78-68 whipping of National University at Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday to take their UAAP Season 87 women’s basketball title series to a deciding Game 3.

Brigette Santos made sure of that as she spearheaded the Growling Tigresses in claiming a game over the Lady Bulldogs for the first time this season as the team didn’t sulk in the face of a heartrending 72-71 Game 1 defeat.

It was a career night for Santos, who said that the team felt different heading into the game.

“Actually, we felt that this [game] is ours,” Santos told a few reporters in Filipino after dropping 27 points. “We lost the first game. That’s OK. We moved on and we did not wallow in that.

“We did our best in that game, but we had lapses that we needed to work on,” the 5-foot-4 guard added. “So we talked about reducing our turnovers and on defense, we needed the communication inside.”

Another career night

Rookie Karylle Sierba also tossed in a career-best 18 points to help Santos as National U locked down on main Santo Tomas scorer Kent Pastrana, who was held to a modest 11 points apart from eight rebounds.

The España-based squad was unrelenting on both ends right from the start, and limiting the talented Bulldogs to just nine points in the opening frame—to lead by 15—obviously did its damage on National U.

Though National U doggedly tried to mount comebacks one after the other in the middle two frames, it was clear that the bum start took its toll on the Bulldogs.

The Tigresses made sure that they wouldn’t throw away their hot start and finished off the Bulldogs with 30 fourth-quarter points. Santo Tomas tallied a combined 50 points in just the first and fourth quarters.

The key this time was the Tigresses making sure not to commit the same Game 1 mistakes that had them blowing control. And the prize for it is keeping their hopes of back-to-back championships alive.

“We all talked about not making the same mistakes and I initiated saying ‘guys, let’s not let go,” Santos said. “This is ours. This already happened before that we had the lead and they caught up. It cannot happen again and we need to work more.’”

Santos, who was the second-best scorer for UST in Game 1, had extra motivation to help the Tigers extend the series.

“Coach Haydee [Ong] is like a mother to all of us, so we take it hard if she gets mad at us,” Santos went on. “We never take it personally. So we talked [Tuesday night] and told me to ‘just be focused, nobody can guard you. You can do it, just believe in yourself.’”

“Coach treats me this way and is always pushing me hard and I get a mouthful whenever I make mistakes. But that’s because she knows I can do more,” she added.

And when the no-tomorrow Game 3 is played this weekend, expect Santo Tomas to play with the same tenacity in keeping the crown holed up in España.