The DLSU Lady Archers fell prey to a 83-62 drubbing at the hands of the UST Golden Tigresses in Round 1 of the UAAP Season 89 Women’s Basketball Tournament earlier today, October 21, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Despite the loss, Bukky Ojo asserted her paint presence as she notched a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds. Aiding her was guard Kyla Go, who contributed 10 markers and four assists.
Karylle Cierba shined in the España-based squad’s dominant outing with her perimeter shooting, tallying 20 points and nine rebounds. CJ Maglupay contributed an all-around performance of 14 points and four steals.
Welcome to the jungle
A physical affair painted the early moments of the game as both squads went scoreless in the first two minutes. The game finally awakened as DLSU weaved through the UST defense with a Zyla Lubrico pass finding Ara Bacierto, but the Tigresses fought back with a fastbreak layup courtesy of Brigette Santos, 2-all. The battle saw more back-and-forth action, with Ojo standing as the pillar of the Lasallian offense, and Maglupay powering the black shirts. It was only at the halfway mark that UST ignited the match’s first scoring run, 13-8, proving that the intense defensive pressure delayed the game’s offensive momentum. Even after forcing the opponents into foul trouble and poor shooting, La Salle still found themselves at the heels as the Thomasians equally clogged the passing lanes and prevented the Green-and-White from fully dominating the paint. A slow first frame charged up the tension for the rest of the bout with the score at 16-12, with the Taft-based squad playing catch-up.
The second quarter opened with immediate flash as Dizon sisters Aiesha and Shantei orchestrated quick offense, followed by Go making her mark with an and-one, and Ojo imposing her dominance. While Cierba’s knockdown shooting kept UST afloat, the DLSU run was capped by a S. Dizon fastbreak bucket that forced the opposing squad to call time with the lead cut to one, 22-21. A contrast in schemes displayed the Tigresses’ marksmanship and the Lady Archers’ stern paint attacks. Playing the numbers game, the Golden Tigresses banked on their three-pointers to outgun La Salle’s inside points. In the first half’s twilight zone, Maglupay and Cierba sustained their stellar play to extend their lead, but La Salle, unwilling to give in, kept it within striking distance as A. Dizon closed the quarter with a bucket to nail the scoreline at 40-33.
Archers hunted
The third quarter opened with La Salle winning an early out-of-bounds challenge, though momentum shifted to UST after the Lady Archers’ bench took a technical foul. With Erinn McAlary sinking a bonus free throw to make it 41-33, the Golden Tigresses intensified their defense, dropping from a full-court press into a tight 2-3 zone. DLSU attempted to counter the zone defense with a high-post offense led by Kyla Sunga dishing to cutters, but they were repeatedly derailed by costly turnovers and offensive violations. Every time the Taft-based squad built momentum through inside baskets from Ojo, Steph Villapando, and A. Dizon, UST had an immediate answer. Cierba and Santos punished DLSU’s 2-3 zone with clutch three-pointers, all while strategically positioning runners downcourt to capitalize on the white shirts’ missed shots and turnovers for fastbreak points. A late flurry of back-and-forth scoring, highlighted by an Ojo spin move and capped off by an Agatha Bron three-pointer, left UST firmly in control at 62-49 heading into the final frame.
UST maintained their relentless pressure to start the fourth quarter, opening with an and-one from McAlary to push the lead to 65-49. Despite strong defensive efforts from Ojo, who recorded back-to-back blocks and scored off a crisp entry pass from Go, the Golden Tigresses continued to break the game open. Oma Onianwa began feasting inside, combining with Bron from deep to extend the deficit to 72-53 and prompt La Salle to switch to a 1-3-1 defense with Ojo resting. DLSU showed late sparks of life through steal-and-dish plays between A. Dizon, Lubrico, and a three-pointer from Go, forcing a UST timeout at 75-59 with four minutes left. However, the España-based squad’s execution remained sharp down the stretch, following a successful out-of-bounds challenge. Onianwa continued to dominate the boards while Santos delivered late steals and transition buckets to seal an 83-62 victory for the Golden Tigresses.
The DLSU Lady Archers aim to bounce back as they face off against the NU Lady Bulldogs on Saturday, October 24, at the Blue Eagle Gym.
The Scores:
DLSU 62 – Ojo 21, Go 10, A. Dizon 9, Bacierto 6, Villapando 6, S. Dizon 4, Lubrico 2, Villarin 2, Anastacio 1, Sunga 1, Araza 0
UST 83 – Sierba 20, Maglupay 14, Santos 12, Bron 11, McAlary 9, Onianwa 7, Dajao 5, Ambos 3, C. Danganan 2, Boteros 0, K. Danganan 0, Pescador 0, Relliquette 0, Tate 0
Quarter Scores: 12-16, 33-40, 49-62, 62-83