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| Love Sto. Domingo led UE's furious comeback. Mike Romero (file photo) |
PASAY CITY--Second seed University of the East exploded when it mattered the most, overturning an early double-digit deficit to dispatch third-ranked UST in their fight-marred, winner-take all tiff, 69-62 in the UAAP Women's Stepladder Semifinal at the MOA Arena Saturday afternoon.
After losing their twice to beat advantage in their first game, the Lady Warriors did not let its lofty regular season record slip this time against the game Tigresses side who led in the first 33 minutes before the Recto cagebelles ignited a late run to set up a clash with reigning three-peat queens NU in the finals on Wednesday at the Big Dome.
Silenced in their loss last Wednesday, the senior pair of Lovejoy Sto. Domingo and Eunique Chan answered all the questions for coach Aileen Libornio, conspiring each other to post double-doubles.
Sto. Domingo led all scorers with 18 points and collared 12 boards, while Chan follower her closely with 16 markers and grabbed 11 rebounds as the dynamic duo extended their UAAP careers.
UST finished the season in third place in the most bizarre of the circumstances as Sai Larosa's 16 points went down the drain as she was tossed in the final four seconds for a punch on Sto. Domingo.
The Tigresses were up by as much as 14 in the second period on an Anjel Anies triple, and led by nine at the end of the third period when UE opened the final frame with a booming 11-0 run that they kept until the final buzzer.
The Scores
UE 69 -- Sto. Domingo 18, Chan 16, Francisco 14, Tacuka 8, Cortizano 7, Ramos 4, Requiron 2, Gayacao 0, Antonio 0, Nama 0
UST 62 -- Anies 16, Larosa 16, Gandalla 9, Angeles 7, Rivera 4, Peñaflor 3, Jerez 3, Sanggalang 2, Isanan 2, Aujero 0, Portillo 0, Manuel 0, Magat 0, Valera 0
Quarter scores: 10-16, 27-35, 47-56, 69-62
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