Camille Naredo

The UST Junior Growling Tigresses celebrate after beating NU Nazareth to win the UAAP Season 88 girls' basketball championship, March 22, 2026 at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City. UAAP Media

The UST Junior Growling Tigresses celebrate after beating NU Nazareth to win the UAAP Season 88 girls' basketball championship, March 22, 2026 at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.

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UAAP Season 88

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1774169753064UAAP88 HSGBB - AWARDING CHAMPION UST-4506.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The UST Junior Growling Tigresses celebrate after beating NU Nazareth to win the UAAP Season 88 girls&#x27; basketball championship, March 22, 2026 at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City. UAAP Media" width="960"/>The UST Junior Growling Tigresses celebrate after beating NU Nazareth to win the UAAP Season 88 girls&#x27; basketball championship, March 22, 2026 at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City. UAAP Media</div>MANILA -- University of Santo Tomas added to its growing dynasty in girls&#x27; basketball on Sunday by keeping the UAAP Season 88 crown in España.The Junior Growling Tigresses outlasted National University Nazareth School, 76-74, in Game 2 of the girls&#x27; basketball final on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym to seal another championship in the event.It was another hard-earned win for UST against NU Nazareth -- the team that had handed them their first loss of the tournament in the first round. But after that 74-62 setback to the Lady Bullpups, the Junior Growling Tigresses hurdled every challenge in front of them, including their rivals.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/3/15/uaap-ust-downs-nu-nazareth-in-game-1-on-brink-of-repeat-in-girls-hoops-2129">READ: UST downs NU Nazareth in Game 1, on brink of repeat in girls&#x27; hoops</a></div>&quot;I think that loss was a very big part, kasi, we came to know our weaknesses. And we came to know na we&#x27;re lacking in a lot of things — especially yung aming emotional control, yung mental toughness, yung aming psyche. It was really a great journey from then on,&quot; said UST head coach Arsenio Dysangco.Game 2 featured four deadlocks and 13 lead changes. UST looked poised to seize control as early fourth-quarter hits from Pia Petalcorin, Janice Oczon, and newly crowned Season 88 MVP Riri Perez gave them a 64-60 cushion.But Season 88 Elite Team members Aubrey Lapasaran and Zaydhen Rosano answered for NUNS with layups that tied the game at 67-all with 4:45 remaining.Mirroring their Season 87 title quest, the Tigresses leaned on a late-game surge, igniting a crucial 9-3 run capped by a layup and fadeaway jumper from Perez to restore a six-point, 76-70 lead with 2:14 left.The Lady Bullpups tried to fight back — an Inday Sales free throw and a Lapasaran three-pointer cut the lead to 76-74 with 51.9 seconds remaining. But under 30 seconds, Lapasaran missed a potential tying triple, and Indonesian center Koukou Talla blocked Ruiza Olmos&#x27; layup attempt with 2.1 seconds left, sealing UST&#x27;s dream season.Perez, a 17-year-old guard from Iloilo, capped off her stellar campaign by claiming Finals MVP honors, averaging 18.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks across the two-game series.Season 88 Elite Team member Lea Pinuela added 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Oczon contributed a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds with four steals and an assist in her final UAAP girls&#x27; basketball game.Petalcorin chipped in 13 points, seven rebounds, and two steals, while Sabel Anacan added nine points and two blocks.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1774169777782UAAP88 HSGBB - PIA PETALCORIN-1950.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Pia Petalcorin of UST in action against NU Nazareth in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 88 girls&#x27; basketball finals, March 22, 2026 at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City. UAAP Media" width="960"/>Pia Petalcorin of UST in action against NU Nazareth in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 88 girls&#x27; basketball finals, March 22, 2026 at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City. UAAP Media</div>This is UST&#x27;s second straight title and third overall, building on a co-champion finish with Adamson University in Season 82 (2020) and a sweep of NUNS in the best-of-three Finals last Season 87.The win also highlighted UST&#x27;s growing dominance over NU&#x27;s girls&#x27; and women&#x27;s basketball programs, following the Growling Tigresses&#x27; collegiate title run in a nail-biting three-game series against the Lady Bulldogs last semester.&quot;It was an incredibly great series, and I tip my hats off sa kalaban namin. They fought really well and it was really a great thing. And I am really very proud of my girls. We were down by how many times, but they just found a way back up. And in the end, they found a way to win and defend our title,&quot; Dysangco said.In their second season in the UAAP girls&#x27; division, NUNS again fell short of solving the UST puzzle, losing three of four encounters against the Tigresses — their only defeats of Season 88.Lapasaran led NUNS with 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals in her final UAAP girls&#x27; basketball game, while Sales added 20 points and two rebounds.Rosano finished with 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting but contributed nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block. Olmos, the Season 88 Rookie of the Year, had nine points, five rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal.<div> </div><div>The Scores:</div>UST (76) - Pineula 14, Oczon 14, Petalcorin 13, Perez 12, Anacan 9, Abrantes 6, Insoy 5, Talla 3, Labay 0, Arciaga 0, Calig-onan 0.NUNS (74) - Lapasaran 22, Sales 20, Rosano 10, Olmos 9, Badajos 4, Singson 4, Mallari 3, Katigbak 2, Biongcog 0, Luzana 0.Quarterscores: 17-19, 42-43, 58-58, 76-74.

University of Santo Tomas added to its growing dynasty in girls' basketball on Sunday by keeping the UAAP Season 88 crown in España.

University of Santo Tomas added to its growing dynasty in girls' basketball on Sunday by keeping the UAAP Season 88 crown in España.

UAAP: UST outlasts NUNS once more to keep girls' basketball crown in España

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UAAP: UST outlasts NUNS once more to keep girls' basketball crown in España

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Published Mar 22, 2026 04:57 PM PHT

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