UST COMPLETES HISTORIC ELIMS SWEEP
By: Miguel Marco
University of Santo Tomas, backed by Strong Group Athletics, overpowered Far Eastern University 101-84 to complete a historic elimination round sweep and punch their ticket to the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Basketball Finals on Wednesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Fueled by the combined efforts of Nigerian center Oma Onianwa, Karylle Sierba, and Coi Danganan, the Growling Tigresses advanced to their third consecutive Finals appearance with a clear goal: reclaiming the crown the España-based program lost in Season 87.
UST did more than just secure a Finals berth. The Growling Tigresses pulled off a rare elimination round sweep with a dominant average winning margin of 32.71 points per game — the first in program history since the league began officially tracking statistics in 2003.
The Lady Tamaraws fought valiantly, refusing to go down quietly. Amyah Espanol’s layup and Shem Abatayo’s floater trimmed UST’s lead to 75-67 with 6:58 remaining. But consecutive inside baskets from Onianwa, Ceejay Maglupay, and Danganan restored a 15-point advantage at 82-67 with 5:54 left.
FEU staged a late surge, with Yvette Villanueva scoring a layup and MJ Manguiat hitting a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 82-72. However, UST’s Danganan, Sierba, and Brigette Santos responded in kind, steadily building a 16-point cushion at 88-72 with under four minutes remaining, sealing the hard-fought win.
The victory eliminated FEU from postseason contention for the fourth straight season and set the stage for a stepladder semifinals featuring second-ranked defending champion National University, third-ranked Ateneo de Manila University, and fourth-ranked Adamson University. The Growling Tigresses will now await the stepladder winner for a chance to reclaim the UAAP crown.
“Una muna sa lahat, kudos muna to coach Raiza (Palmera-Dy) and FEU — they played really well and gave us a hard time. Maganda rin ito para parang warm-up ito sa Finals,” UST head coach Haydee Ong said.
“Of course, we’re happy na na-sweep namin, but the job is not yet done. We still have two more games to end the season. We will take a break muna after this, reset, and review what needs to be improved sa sarili namin,” she added.
Individually, Sierba led the charge with 17 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals, while Danganan contributed 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, along with six rebounds and two blocks. Onianwa nearly recorded a double-double with 14 points and nine boards, and Eka Soriano added 13 points, seven assists, and three rebounds. Kent Pastrana was held to 13 points but dished out seven steals and five assists, while Santos chipped in 10 points, five assists, and four rebounds in a balanced UST attack.
