Shane Cunanan of UP in action against UE in the UAAP Season 88 women's basketball tournament, September 28, 2025 at the Araneta Coliseum. UAAP Media
MANILA -- University of the Philippines racked up a second straight win in the UAAP Season 88 women's basketball tournament by overcoming a resilient University of the East side, 84-75, on Sunday afternoon.
Behind Shane Cunanan's late-game heroics, the Fighting Maroons emerged triumphant at the Araneta Coliseum and extended their mastery over the Lady Warriors to eight games.
The game featured multiple swings of momentum.
UP trailed 46-55 in the fourth quarter before rallying back, but UE refused to fold. Aliyah Ronquillo hit clutch baskets to keep the Lady Warriors alive, and Ivy Yanez capped regulation with a buzzer-beating banked-in floater to force overtime.
Both teams struggled to find their rhythm early in the extra period until Cunanan took over, scoring eight of UP's 10 points in the extension through an and-one layup, three free throws, and a turnaround jumper. That surge pushed the Lady Warriors into an 84-74 hole with just 46 seconds left — a deficit they could not recover from.
Cunanan finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
"They fought very well, and it shows that this season is all about respect talaga. You cannot disrespect any other team. Not taking away the great game from UE, but I feel we also had a lot of lapses on our end. I'm just really happy that we came out as the winner of the game," said UP head coach Paul Ramos, whose team's suffocating defense held UE to a dismal 0-of-9 shooting clip in overtime.
Camille Nolasco powered UP with a career-best 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, along with seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Louna Ozar Ozar orchestrated the offense with a double-double of 14 points and 10 assists, plus four rebounds, three steals, and a block.
Alex Mendoza chipped in 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Achrissa Maw contributed across the board with five points, seven rebounds, four blocks, two assists, and two steals.
On the other side, despite the gallant efforts of Rachel Lacayanga, Moana Vacalares, and Ronquillo, UE faltered in the extra period, scoring only one point. Their hunt for a first win since ending a 40-game skid against De La Salle University in Season 87 last September 22, 2024, continues.
Lacayanga led UE with a monster double-double of 18 points and 16 rebounds, while also adding two steals and one assist. Ronquillo added 16 points, but both she and Lacayanga fouled out in overtime, which proved costly.
Vacalares chipped in 12 points, four rebounds, two steals, and an assist, while Kezza Buscar and Yanez provided 11 points apiece in the loss.
The Lady Warriors aim to bounce back when they face the season hosts, University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses, on the same date and venue.
The Scores:
UP (84) – Nolasco 21, Cunanan 15, Ozar 14, Mendoza 11, Vingno 6, Maw 5, Barba 5, Evangelista 4, Mejasco 2, Castro 1, Solitario 0, Tapawan 0, Santos 0, Pascua 0, Pesquera 0.
UE (75) – Lacayanga 18, Ronquillo 16, Vacalares 12, Buscar 11, Yañez 11, Guillim 2, Dalguntas 2, Ramos 2, Onate 1, Gomez 0, Lituania 0, Lumibao 0, Delig 0.
Quarterscores: 19-14, 39-33, 47-55, 74-74, 84-75