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| A Bets Peñaflor heroic in the final canto sent the streaking UE Lady Warriors back to the loss column. (File Photo) |
QUEZON CITY -- UST finished the first round with a tight hold at second with a 54-49 win over UE in the UAAP Women's Basketball tournament Wednesday morning inside Ateneo's Blue Eagle Gym.
A fourth quarter onslaught saw the Tigresses came from 10 points behind to take the game away from the Lady Warriors, and finished the opening half of Season 80 with a 6-1 card.
Bets Peñaflor went supernova in the payoff frame, scoring half of her team high of 16 points in the final ten minutes.
Anjel Anies also had her best game as a starter for Coach Haydee Ong, pitching in 14 with an efficient 80% shooting from inside the arc.
"Expect the seniors to perform. This game will serve as a moral booster coming to the second round. To keep working hard to maintain the second spot," Ong said about her team who had a four-game turnaround from last year's first round in which UST recorded a 2-5 card.
"It's a learning process. This game will keep us learning and on the second round we'll do better," she added.
Love Joy Sto. Domingo's 20 points went down the drain as her supporting cast went missing in the final frame to fall down to 4-2.
After a see-saw opening half ended tied at 27, UE went to work in the third outscoring UST 13-6 thanks to Sto. Domingo who fired 11 points in that period.
But Anies and Peñaflor had the last laugh in the fourth, combining for 17 of 21 markers in the final ten minutes to take the game away from UE, limiting the Lady Warriors to just 9 fourth quarter points.
The Scores:
UST 54 -- Peñaflor 16, Anies 14, Angeles 6, Larosa 6, Rivera 4, Gandalla 3, Portillo 2, Jerez 2, Aujero 1
UE 49 -- Sto. Domingo 20, Tacula 8, Strachan 5, Chan 4, Francisco 4, Antonio 3, Cortizano 3, Ramos 1, Requiron 1.
Quarter scores: 15-14, 27-27, 33-40, 54-49
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