The UP Fighting Maroons Women’s Basketball Team (UPWBT) won its opening game in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 women’s basketball tournament against the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons, 66-63, on Sept. 24 at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The UPWBT had a strong start and was up by 17 points, 31-14, in the second quarter of the game. The Lady Falcons, however, refused to give up and were able to tie the score at 59 apiece via Kim Limbago’s point-blank shot, still with 4:37 to go.
The two teams then went scoreless on their next respective ball possessions until UPWBT’s Camille Nolasco’s free-throw shot and Louna Ozar’s triple put the UP Fighting Maroons up ahead by four points, 63-58, with 58.7 seconds remaining in the game.
In the ensuing plays, both the UP Fighting Maroons and Lady Falcons scored on a free-throw, until AdU’s Cris Padilla scored on a putback to narrow UPWBT’s lead to three points, 64-61, still with 13.4 seconds left.
Ozar was then sent to the free-throw line on a duty foul committed by an AdU player. Ozar missed her two charity-shots but was able to steal the ball from AdU’s Angela Alaba. Ozar was sent again to the 15-foot line and sank her two free throws to clinch the win for the UP Fighting Maroons.
Ozar, who was named best player of the game, led the UP Fighting Maroons with 13 points, six rebounds, and one assist. Nolasco contributed 10 points, while Achrissa Maw and Marielle Vigno chipped in eight points apiece. UPWBT’s next game is against the University of the East Lady Warriors on Sept. 28 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
