Redemption-seeking NU women sweep first round; undefeated UE juniors dominate field

MANILA, Philippines – Mighty NU is on a clear mission this UAAP Season 87: rebuild its women’s basketball dynasty at all costs.

The Lady Bulldogs, seven-peat champions from 2014 to 2022 who once held a 108-game winning streak, gave stern reminders to the rest of the league after falling to silver in Season 86, sweeping the first-round field with a 7-0 record and posting multiple blowout wins.

Apart from its 75-69 win against finals tormentor UST and 66-58 edging of Ateneo, NU wrecked its opponents by double digits in five of its victories, settling with an average winning margin of 17.3 points.

More impressively, the Lady Bulldogs ran roughshod over the league without a single player in the scoring top 10, with leader Kristine Cayabyab only averaging 9.4 points per game. Aptly enough, the stacked squad is also first in team assists (18.8) and bench points (42.1).

Despite having an incredible start this season, the Lady Bulldogs of all teams know that it means nothing unless they stay locked in until the very end, ideally for them manifesting in the form of another title.

“Staying in the present. That’s our main mindset. We don’t look too far ahead, nor too far in the past,” NU head coach Aris Dimaunahan said in Filipino.

“We’ll handle what’s in front of us. It may be a practice, may be a game, might be a possession, might be a defensive lockdown. That’s only what we will break down.”

Defending champion UST finished second at 6-1, while Adamson, enjoying its best start in 12 years, ranked third with a 5-2 record.

Ateneo rounded out the top four in the first round with a 4-3 slate, followed by UP at 3-4, and cellar-dwellers UE, La Salle and FEU — all tied at 1-6.

Over at the junior high school level, the UE Junior Warriors are likewise on a similar warpath, cleaning house with a 7-0 slate to end the first round, winning with a healthy average margin of 21.7 points per game.

Although only third in the league in scoring average at 80.9 points per game, UE is a staggering 10 points ahead of the next best team in terms of points allowed, averaging just 59.1 points compared to second-place FEU at 69.6.

Big man Gab delos Reyes leads the Warriors’ dominant run with 12.1 points per game, backstopped by Enrico Bungar and Jolo Pascual (10.3).

As a testament to their depth, five other UE players are also averaging at least 6 points per game, but this is still not enough for head coach Andrew Estrella.

“We have a lot to work on. Throughout the first round, I saw a lot of things we still need to improve on,” he said in Filipino.

“We’re thankful we swept the first round, but the second round is different. All the teams have adjusted and scouted us. When the second round comes, the target on our backs gets bigger. Everyone wants to beat us, so I remind the boys to stay composed and not focus on the bigger picture just yet.”

FEU checked in second with a 6-1 slate, while UST and La Salle shared the third spot with similar 4-3 records.

NU (3-4), Ateneo (3-4), Adamson (1-6), and UP (0-7), meanwhile, wound up at the bottom half of the first round.

The second round for all three basketball tournaments kick off on Saturday, October 12. – Rappler.com