Lady Tams halt Archers, keep own UAAP streak

MANILA, Philippines - Far Eastern U clobbered University of the East, 74-53, to move within a win from matching its male counterpart’s sweep of the first round elims in the UAAP women’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan over the weekend.

Camille Sambile dished out another double-double game of 29 points and 11 rebounds as the back-to-back defending champion Lady Tams dominated the Lady Warriors en route to posting their sixth straight victory for the solo lead as the La Salle Lady Archers bowed to the National U Lady Bulldogs, 55-64.

La Salle slid to 5-1 in a tie with NU but will have a chance to force another tie when it clashes with FEU at the close of the elims’ first phase on Saturday.

The Lady Tams have won 24 straight games since the 2011 finals.

NU nearly blew a 21-point lead as it held off La Salle as Afril Bernardino scored on a drive for a 61-54 cushion, 1:20 left in the contest.

Bernardino wound up with 16 points, 19 rebounds and three blocks for NU. 

Ara Abaca paced the Lady Archers with 18 points.

The Lady Bulldogs’ victory thus capped NU’s domination of La Salle over the weekend as the Bullpups beat the La Salle-Zobel Junior Archers, 77-58, Saturday and the Bulldogs downed the Green Archers, 63-56, last Sunday.

University of Santo Tomas survived Adamson University, 81-80, in overtime to seize solo fourth with a 3-3 mark in women’s play. Lore Rivera finished with 19 markers and 14 boards for the Tigresses. 

University of the Philippines downed winless Ateneo, 56-46, as the Lady Maroons tied the Adamson Lady Falcons at fifth with a 2-4 slate.         

In juniors play on Sunday, Thirdy Ravena pumped in 21 points as Ateneo slipped past Adamson 69-57, to join defending champion FEU-Diliman and La Salle-Zobel at second with a 4-2 record.

John Mayor drilled in a buzzer-beating lay-up as UST escaped with a 66-64 squeaker over the UP Integrated School for a 3-3 card also in juniors play.