UP cagebelles blow out Lady Falcons

MANILA, Philippines — The UP Fighting Maroons put the league on notice in the UAAP Season 86 women’s basketball tournament as they opened their campaign with a 31-point rout of Adamson, 92-61, at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday.

The Maroons, who fell just short of a spot in the Final Four last year, quickly seized control with a good start that saw them ahead, 31-17, at the end of the opening quarter.

Skipper Justine Domingo paced the Maroons’ efforts with 17 markers, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.

But it was no one-woman show for the Diliman-based team as four others breached double-digit scoring, with Marielle Vingno and Christie Bariquit chipping in 13 markers each to lead the starters.

In the high-scoring affair, defense also played a key role as the Maroons forced 26 turnovers, which they turned into 23 points.

After previously losing their opener in UAAP Season 85, UP head coach Paul Ramos was grateful for the optimistic start.

“Positive result is always a good result for us. I think that this kind of a performance in a first game, sets a good tone because it validates what we’re trying to do which is to make them more calm during games. I think the maturity is getting there,” he said.

Victoria Adeshina paced Adamson in the lopsided loss with 14 points, 19 boards, one assist and a steal.

UP will seek a 2-0 start when it faces UE on Wednesday, while Adamson hopes to bounce back against UST. The women’s games on Wednesday, October 4, will happen at the Adamson Gym.