Peerless Lady Bulldogs complete perfect season

Gemma Miranda made sure her last game in a National University uniform would turn out to be a memorable one.

With Miranda leading the charge, National U completed a perfect season with a runaway 96-72 victory over De La Salle for its third straight UAAP women’s basketball crown at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Miranda tallied 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the title-clinching victory, which extended the Lady Bulldogs’ winning run to 48 straight games over three seasons. Miranda also emerged Finals MVP after averaging 24 points, 14 rebounds and four assists in NU’s two wins against La Salle, the last team to beat NU in Season 76.

Another graduating player, Afril Bernardino—who also captured her second straight season MVP—dropped 18 points.

“I am just so proud of our graduating players,” said NU coach Pat Aquino. “We are so blessed to have them in our team. Our approach was always play our best. Afril didn’t do well in the first game, but she made up for it in the second game. Gemma carried us all the way.”

Unlike the narrow 77-74 win in Game 1, the Lady Bulldogs got off to blistering start, using a 12-2 burst capped by a Miranda trey to seize control.