Oma Onianwa powers UST rout of La Salle
By: Miguel Marco
Oma Onianwa’s statement debut powered the University of Santo Tomas to a dominant 105-56 victory over De La Salle University, opening its UAAP Season 88 Women’s Basketball Tournament title redemption campaign on a high note Saturday evening at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Without a foreign student-athlete in their silver-medal run last season, the now Strong Group-backed Growling Tigresses immediately felt Onianwa’s impact.
The Nigerian student-athlete posted a monster double-double with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 19 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one block, jumpstarting the farewell tour of seniors Eka Soriano and Kent Pastrana in emphatic fashion.
“I just told the girls that what we did in our preseason and the preparations we did, we just wanted to do our best, especially on our defensive side. There are some miscommunication and other things that need to be improved, so by Wednesday against NU, hopefully we can polish all those things,” UST head coach Haydee Ong said.
Ong’s run-and-gun system overwhelmed the Lady Archers, outscoring them on 35-2 fastbreak points to lead by as much as 50 points to start their redemption campaign.
Leaning on a balanced attack from Onianwa, Pastrana, Jaja Pescador, and Karylle Sierba, UST gained significant momentum ahead of a Finals rematch against their modern-day rival, National University, on Wednesday, October 1, at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Eager to send a strong message in a highly competitive UAAP women’s basketball landscape, the Growling Tigresses set the tone early, leading by as many as 28 points, 56-28, in the first half.
Onianwa showed no signs of first-game jitters, sparking the early onslaught with an 11-point, 15-rebound halftime performance that distanced UST from a La Salle team featuring Nigerian center Jimoh Nofisat.
The Tigresses did not let up in the third quarter. Three consecutive inside baskets from rookie Barby Dajao, Coi Danganan, and fourth-year guard Brigette Santos extended the lead to 80-45, a 35-point advantage heading into the final period, effectively sealing the opening-day triumph.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity. I feel so excited and I feel so blessed to be part of the team in such a big victory to open the season,” Onianwa said.
Pescador contributed 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, along with seven assists, two steals, and two rebounds, while Breana Pineda added 12 points and two rebounds.
Pastrana was limited to 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting but made her presence felt with 11 assists, five rebounds, and four steals, while Santos added 11 points, six assists, and two steals.
Sierba tallied 10 points and three steals, while CJ Maglupay and Dajao chipped in eight points each.
