NU cruises to 85 straight wins over UP

The usual suspects powered the Lady Bulldogs to the lopsided win – their fifth for the season – as Jack Danielle Animam led the team with a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds in just 18 minutes of game time while Rhena Itesi added 11 points and 9 rebounds in 16 minutes of play.

For Lady Bulldogs head coach Patrick Aquino, the game was his opportunity to field the second and third stringers of his team.

“I told them earlier that those people that are having less playing time have to show up. It’s in preparation for something better for the next few games,” said Aquino. “They need to have that feeling that they know how to win and play the game that will make us more prepared for the grind of the season.”

Making the most of the playing time given to her was Melody Cac, who had 13 points built on two triples.

“She’s been always there. For me, she doesn’t really get the opportunity to play because of our depth,” Aquino said about the 20-year-old guard. “I just told her to be patient. She’ll probably be one of our best players next year because she has that good stroke and she could play defense.”

Behind a huge 2nd quarter that saw NU score 29 points while limiting UP to just 5 points, the Lady Bulldogs mounted a huge 43-point lead to end the first half. NU’s lead would go to as high as 53 points during the closing seconds of the game.

Filipino-Canadian rookie Camille Clarin added 11 points while Kaye Pingol chipped in 10 points in just 6 minutes. All 15 Lady Bulldogs scored in the contest.

UP, which suffered its 34th straight loss to go down to 0-4 for the season, was led by Rei Sanzhez’s 21 points. Pesky Pesquera had 15 points and 9 rebounds as well.

Earlier, Rose Ann Dampios completed Adamson’s fightback from 16-points down to stun University of Santo Tomas, 88-86, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The sophomore buried the go-ahead trey with 16 seconds left as she capped off her 26-point performance on a sensational 6-of-15 clip from deep, while also collecting 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block to buck the Lady Falcons’ slow start to the game.

Mar Prado added 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, Kat Araja chimed in 16 points, 8 boards, 6 assists, and 4 steals, and Gerl Anticamara also helped in the rally with her 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 dimes.

Down by as many as 16 points, Adamson clawed back, cutting the lead down to just a solitary point with a minute left after a huge basket by rookie Anticamara. A stop by the Lady Falcons set up Dampios’ heroics.

It was Adamson’s third straight win to rise to 4-1 in the standings, while sending UST to back-to-back losses to fall to 2-2.

The Lady Falcons also did a better job defending the paint in the second half even after Grace Irebu uncorked 34 points, 21 rebounds, and 3 blocks for the Golden Tigresses.

“Si Irebu ang heart and soul nila, so sabi ko, patayin natin ang heart and soul nila,” said coach Ewon Arayi. “The other players will still do their best pero naniniwala ako na pag sinandalan natin ang sistema, we’ll win this game.

(Irebu is their heart and soul, so I told them to shut down their heart and soul. The other players will still do their best, but I believe that if my players followed the system, we’ll win this game.) 

Tantoy Ferrer contributed 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists, but committed 9 of UST’s 32 turnovers in the affair.

Lon Rivera also recorded 13 points and 3 boards in the loss.

The Scores: 

First game

Adamson 88 – Dampios 26, Prado 18, Araja 16, Anticamara 15, Bilbao 8, Ornopia 5, Tandaan 0, Mendoza 0, Flor 0, Catulong 0.

UST 86 – Irebu 34, Ferrer 16, Rivera 13, Portillo 8, Soriano 5, Callangan 4, Tacatac 3, Panti 3, Javier 0, Gonzales 0, Gandalla 0.

Quarters: 13-25, 39-46, 59-62, 88-86.  

Second Game

NU 105 – Animam 16, Cac 13, Clarin 11, Itesi 11, Pingol 10, Fabruada 7, Bartolo 6, Supada 6, Canuto 5, Hayes 5, Cacho 4, Harada 4, Goto 3, Del Carmen 2, Dimaunahan 2.

UP 53 – Sanchez 21, Pesquera 15, Larrosa 7, Hidalgo 5, Rivera 3, Gonzales 2, De Leon 0, Gusilatar 0, Lucman 0, Taulava 0.

Quarters: 33-14, 62-19, 81-36, 105-53. 

– Rappler.com