MANILA, Philippines – With team captain Camille Clarin leveling up her game as a two-way player, the unbeaten NU Lady Bulldogs just kept humming.
Clarin delivered the numbers and the hustle to power NU past the defending champion UST Growling Tigresses, 76-70, in the UAAP Season 87 women’s basketball tournament on Wednesday, November 6, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The win propelled NU to an 11-0 record, just three wins away of an elimination-round sweep and an outright finals appearance.
UST dropped just its second game of the season, both against NU, but already secured a Final Four spot with a 9-2 record.
The Lady Bulldogs’ sweep of the Tigresses also boosted their hopes of reclaiming the crown, a year after UST halted the dynastic NU’s seven consecutive title runs in three hard-fought games in the finale.
Clarin finished with 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists to lead the Lady Bulldogs, a big follow-up to her 13-point, fourth-quarter explosion against UP on Sunday, November 3.
“I take big responsibility in being the captain. I know a lot of these girls look up to me,” said the Gilas Pilipinas Women guard.
“Not necessarily to score, but just to lead the team, to keep us level-headed the whole game. I take that responsibility very highly,” Clarin added.
“And I know that even if I’m struggling, they have my back. So, I gotta make sure I do that for them as well.”
Rookie Cielo Pagdulagan also played big for NU, finishing with 17 points, including 7 in the fourth quarter, coupled with 6 boards.
Even if NU loses any of its last three games, the team already secured a Final Four spot, along with a twice-to-beat advantage.
Clarin paced the team’s offense, dropping 18 in the first half to give NU a 44-40 edge at intermission, after her side fell behind early by seven, 2-9.
The Tigresses, though, kept it close, even wresting the lead after UST neophyte Karylle Sierba knocked in a triple from downtown, 59-57.
But the Lady Bulldogs fired back with a game-sealing 13-0 run to take a 70-59 advantage and never looked back.
The Lady Bulldogs also controlled the interior, outhustling UST in the rebound count, 47-32.
“I think I mentioned this before, that what I’m happy about CC (Clarin) is the fact that she has become a two-way player,” NU head coach Aris Dimaunahan said. “She’s not the CC before, a catch-and-shoot threes [type of player].”
“Now, almost everything she does, [including] defense. I’m proud of her because she always tells me that she’s gonna guard the best player of the opponent, regardless of opponent,” he continued.
“And that is a testament of her self-belief and the responsibility she has in trying to stop or trying to limit the best player of the opponent on any school.”
NU will wrap up its elimination-round campaign against Final Four-bound Adamson, La Salle, and FEU.
The Scores
NU 76 – Clarin 21, Pagdulagan 17, Pingol 11, Surada 8, Canuto 6, Betanio 5, Fabruada 4, Cayabyab 4, Konateh 0, Villanueva 0, Solis 0, Alterado 0.
UST 70 – Tacatac 21, Pastrana 14, Maglupay 10, Santos 8, Sierba 8, Bron 4, Ambos 2, Serrano 2, N. Danganan 1, Soriano 0, Pescador 0, Relliquette 0.
Quarters: 23-19, 44-40, 61-59, 76-70.
– Rappler.com