Five years of relentless effort culminated in championship glory.
When the University of Santo Tomas’s perfect season hung in the balance, Sandra Abrantes rose to the occasion as the 17-year-old center, hailing from Imus, Cavite, became the unexpected hero, leading the Junior Growling Tigresses to the UAAP Season 87 Girls’ Basketball Tournament title.
Her clutch performance, marked by remarkable poise, propelled UST to a dramatic 63-57 comeback victory over National University Nazareth School to complete their perfect season at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
With UST trailing 52-57 after a layup by Maria Sales with 4:32 remaining, Abrantes ignited an 11-0 run, scoring nine points in that crucial stretch to seal UST’s perfect season.
Season 87 MVP Barby Dajao and Abrantes combined for back-to-back layups, giving UST a commanding 63-57 lead with just 17.2 seconds left — a margin too steep for the Lady Bullpups to overcome.
Gilas Youth guard Aubrey Lapasaran and Zaydhen Rosano attempted desperate three-pointers in the dying seconds, but both misfired, confirming the Junior Growling Tigresses’ coronation.
Defense played a pivotal role in UST’s triumph, as the Tigresses shut down NUNS for the final 4:32 of the tightly contested match.
“Sabi nga sa amin ni Coach Sen [Dysangco], be ready when you’re called upon. Ginawa ko lang ‘yung best na makakatulong sa team and sabi nga ni coach sa akin, do whatever it takes para manalo sa game. Ginawa ko lang ‘yung maambag sa team kasi ang dami naming sacrifices na dito, kaya deserve namin ito,” Abrantes said.
Dajao capped off her remarkable individual season in style, claiming Finals MVP honors after averaging 23.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3.5 steals in the two-game championship series.
“Nagpapasalamat talaga ako sa teammates ko na nag-step up, lalo na si Sandra. Hindi namin ine-expect na magiging dikit ‘yung laban pero ginawa lang ‘yung best namin para hindi masayang lahat ng pinagtrabahuan namin,” Dajao said.
This triumph marked UST’s first official UAAP girls’ basketball title, following their co-champion finish with Adamson University in the inaugural tournament back in Season 82. That series was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The victory also underscored UST’s dominance over the Lady Bullpups, whom they defeated in all four Season 87 meetings en route to their unblemished 8-0 season sweep.
“They really worked hard for this. They played through adversity. I’m very, very proud of them that they really fought hard. Nothing to take away from NUNS, they really played well, it just so happened that we had a few breaks sa dulo and we’re just happy to get it,” UST head coach Dysangco said.
Dajao led UST with 22 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block. Abrantes contributed 14 points and five rebounds in just 11 minutes of action.
Season 87 Rookie of the Year Rhiane Perez struggled offensively, finishing with just three points on 0-of-8 shooting, but her impact was felt elsewhere with 10 rebounds, six steals, four assists, and two blocks.
Kassandra Tambawan and Jannah Wencenslao added six points each in the victory.
For NUNS, Lapasaran paced the Lady Bullpups with 22 points, eight assists, four steals, and one block. Rosano recorded a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds, along with three steals and one assist.
Ashlyn Abong added six points and 14 rebounds, while Rebekkah Pascua contributed five points, five rebounds, one assist, and one block.
In their debut season in the UAAP girls’ division, NUNS fell short of solving the UST puzzle, losing all four encounters with the Junior Growling Tigresses — their only defeats of the season.