BY ABBY TORALBA
NATIONAL University marked an UAAP milestone by posting its 100th straight victory yesterday in the UAAP Season 85 women’s basketball tournament.
The Lady Bulldogs’ historic win came at the expense of University of the Philippines 79-44 at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion, the team’s fourth straight win this season.
Mikka Castro pumped in 15 points, five rebounds, one assist, a steal and a block for NU, while Marylene Solis delivered nine markers, three boards and one dime.
Prior to the NU-UP match, the Lady Bulldogs escaped past University of Santo Tomas 78-75 last Sunday for their 99th straight win.
“The goal today was to bounce back from a very parang pangit na defensive game against UST last time out. So today, the emphasis was defense on how well we could defend today.
I thought we did better today than the UST game and we want to reestablish our identity today which is iyon nga the defensive side of the game,” said NU coach Aris Dimaunahan.
The Sampaloc-based squad took a 29-point lead 47-18 after the first half and continued its hot-shooting to take a 57-27 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, NU even ballooned its advantage to 34 points 65-31 after a three-pointer by Solis while Princess Fabruada sank another three-point shot to make it 69-34 less than five minutes left.
Fabruada finished with eight points and eight rebounds while Karl Pingol, Rianne Villareal, Annicka Edimo Tiky, and Christiana Dimaunahan had six markers each.
The seven-peat seeking crew, which also owns local basketball’s longest winning streak, last lost on October 5, 2013 against the La Salle Lady Archers 61-69 in Game 3 of the finals.
Before coach Dimaunahan handled the NU squad this season, national team coach and program director Pat Aquino steered NU to its first 96 victories and led the Lady Bulldogs to a six-peat.
“This game, this 100th win is an honor doon sa mga naunang naglaro sa amin most especially to the ones who started this, this streak, to the architect of this streak, which is my kumpare coach Pat Aquino, the legendary coach Pat Aquino. I know you will all agree with me, he’s the best women’s basketball coach in the country and this win is for him.
Talagang we dedicate this, for me, personally this game is dedicated to him because he’s the one who started the winning culture, changing the culture of NU basketball team,” Dimaunahan said.
Acrissa Maw fired 12 points, five boards and an assist for UP, which slid in the standings with a 2-2 card.
