THE UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas Junior Golden Tigresses secured their spot in the UAAP Season 87 girls’ basketball finals with a commanding 107-47 victory over De La Salle-Zobel on Sunday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Leading the charge for UST was Grachelle Boteros, who delivered a stellar performance with 24 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Her impressive showing earned her a second Player of the Game award and helped extend the Tigresses’ perfect 5-0 record in the tournament.

UST’s win sets up a highly anticipated best-of-three finals series against National University-Nazareth School (NUNS), who also advanced after a strong campaign this season. The series will mark the return of the UAAP girls’ basketball league after a five-year hiatus.

Reflecting on their upcoming finals appearance, UST head coach Sen Dysangco focused on the team’s growth. “We are looking forward, not backward, but this is still part of UST’s culture and history. We will try to give a good showing in the finals,” Dysangco said, emphasizing that the focus now shifts to preparation for the championship series.

In addition to Boteros’ standout performance, Katina Insoy and Rhiane Perez also contributed significantly, scoring 16 and 15 points, respectively. Barby Dajao rounded out the strong showing with nine points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and four steals.

Despite the big win, Dysangco acknowledged the need for further improvement. “We’re happy, especially the girls. But what’s important now is the mental situation of the girls because we are preparing them for the last four games. It’s okay, but we still need some work and improvements,” he said.

The Junior Golden Tigresses will face NUNS once more on March 6 before the highly anticipated finals, where they will vie for the championship.

For De La Salle-Zobel, Sofia Martinez put up 10 points, while Irish Notarte contributed eight points and 10 rebounds in a losing effort. The Junior Lady Archers end their campaign with four losses in five games.

This exciting finale in the UAAP Season 87 girls’ basketball tournament promises to deliver high stakes and intense competition, as UST looks to secure their first title since Season 82.