SEVEN-time defending champion National University showed that it can rise in the face of adversity.
In a do-or-die that could have ended their eight-peat aspirations, the Lady Bulldogs denied the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses, 72-70, to force a winner-take-all Game 3 in the UAAP Season 86 Women’s Basketball Finals, Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
NU and UST will collide one last time for all the marbles on Wednesday, 12 p.m., still at the Big Dome.
“Buhay pa kami. Buhay pa kami,” said Lady Bulldogs head coach Aris Dimaunahan.
“Today’s mindset was just to stay alive, stay in the present. We don’t even think of Game 1, we don’t even think of Game 3. Our main focus is Game 2 only.
“Proud of the ladies for doing a great job today turning the tide around, playing for each other and walang nag quit sa amin,” the former interim Blackwater head coach continued.
In its seven straight titles, NU never played a Game 3 until this season. The last time it figured in a rubber match was in Season 76 where it lost to De La Salle University.
And just like Game 1 last Wednesday which saw the Tigresses escape with a 76-72 triumph to end a 20-game skid to the Lady Bulldogs, this game was another nip-and-tuck affair.
Ann Pingol’s post move gave NU the six-point lead with 2:40 to go, 70-64, but Tantoy Ferrer rallied UST back to within two with a layup and two free throws, 68-70.
With 1:01 remaining, Angel Surada dribbled to the middle of the paint and drained a short jumper to put the Lady Bulldogs on top by two possessions, 72-68, before Kent Pastrana was fouled in the next play and drilled both her foul line shots with 47.8 seconds left, 70-72.
Then missed chances for both squads followed.
Maymay Canuto’s jumper to increase the lead for NU was a tad to the right, leading to a UST fastbreak with Pastrana seemingly about to score the game-tying layup but Canuto hustled back and was able to swipe the ball with the former having the last touch.
In the next play, the Growling Tigresses needed to foul twice to hit penalty, ultimately sending Camille Clarin – an 80 percent foul stripe shooter – to the line with 11.5 seconds left.
Clarin missed both her free throws to give UST one more chance but Pastrana’s three-pointer from the left corner was well-guarded, falling short.
