The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Junior Growling Tigresses completed their domination of the Akari U16 Girls’ Basketball Invitational with a 71-23 drubbing of Tripple B in the finals held at Victoria Sports Tower on Sunday.
Despite missing top scorer Sofia Petalcorin in the finale, UST never missed a beat, showcasing their depth to secure the gold medal via a 7-game sweep.
Petalcorin still earned a spot on the Mythical Team and was named Best Defensive Player, finishing the tournament with 176 statistical points.
Finals MVP Jesabel Anacan led the charge with an all-around performance of 10 points, 17 rebounds, and three assists. Uriel Capinpin, another Mythical Team selection, paced the scoring with 14 points, while Noelle Arciaga and Zianna Kallos added 13 and 12 points, respectively.
On the other end, Matia Molina led Tripple B with eight points and nine rebounds, while standout Tyler Templo was limited to just three points in the title game.
Despite the finals setback, Templo was named Tournament MVP – thanks to tournament-best 184 statistical points.
UST’s dominance and depth made them worthy champions of the first-ever tournament, and if this was just the beginning, the future of girls’ basketball is looking more exciting than ever.
The closing ceremony was graced by Akari Sports head Gian Go.
