UP secures finals berth, battles past DLSU

The UP Women’s Basketball Team advanced to the finals of the Sulit Breakdown Basketball League after outlasting the DLSU Lady Archers, 67-51, at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center (MLSC) today, July 17, 2024.

Both teams displayed excellent defense early into the match, with no squad leading by more than three throughout the first quarter. However, a Louna Ozar buzzer beater gave the Fighting Maroons a five-point lead, 17-12, coming into the second frame.

Despite the Lady Archers’ attempt to cut the Fighting Maroons’ lead late in the second quarter, the offensive combination of Kaye Pesquera, Christie Bariquit, and Ozar enabled the team to hold onto a three-point lead at halftime, 31-28.

The third quarter was a different story, with the Fighting Maroons establishing a comfortable lead and upping their defense with the help of Erika Jimenez’s agility and refusal to lose the ball, making it difficult for the Lady Archers to close the gap and entering the fourth quarter with a commanding 52-41 edge.

Similar to the previous frame, the final quarter saw the Fighting Maroons building on their lead, almost never allowing the Lady Archers to score. Despite both teams’ scoring slump with five minutes to go, the match ended with the Fighting Maroons on top, 67-51.

UP will play for the championship on Saturday, July 20, 3 P.M., at the MLSC, where they will face the NU Lady Bulldogs, who demolished the FEU Lady Tamaraws, 58-35 earlier today.

Photo by Dominic Porras