The NU Lady Bulldogs are back in the finals of the women's basketball tournament after clipping the wings of the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 58-43, on Wednesday in the Final Four of UAAP Season 86 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
The top-seeded Bulldogs are gunning for their eighth straight title.
They also extended their winning streak this season to 12 games, finding their rhythm after the halftime break to create more separation against the fourth-seeded Blue Eagles.
The Bulldogs didn't loosen their bite in the final frame to cruise to the victory.
Camille Clarin top-scored for NU with 12 points, all in the first half, and added three rebounds and four assists.
In the second half, it was Karl Pingol's turn to lead the Aris Dimaunahan-coached squad, pouring all of her 10 points to go along with three steals.
"Thank you sa mga teammates ko na in-encourage nila ako para makabawi ako nung second half kasi nung first half wala talaga ako," said Pingol in a media release.
The reigning queens also put a straitjacket on Ateneo's dynamic duo of Kacey dela Rosa and Jhazmin Joson. Dela Rosa was limited to just 10 points, while Joson, in her final game in the UAAP, only had seven markers on 2-of-12 shooting while also committing eight turnovers.
"It's always hard to play against Kacey Dela Rosa and Jhazmin Joson kasi they're considered the 1-2 punch of Ateneo. That's why our main goal every time we play them is to limit them," said Dimaunahan.
Junize Calago led the Blue Eagles with 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and four steals.
It was deja vu for the two teams, as NU also ousted Ateneo in the Final Four last season.
The Lady Bulldogs will wait for the winner of the other duel between the UST Growling Tigresses and the UP Fighting Maroons, which is still ongoing, as of writing.