UAAP: UST women stay in Final 4 hunt after 3-0 win over National U

MANILA — University of Santo Tomas is still alive in the race to the UAAP Season 89 women’s football Final 4 after a 3-0 triumph over National University on Saturday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.

Maria Gerona (24′), Rojana Nemenzo (62′), and Pia Jumamoy (71′) all found the back of the net for UST, who improved to eight points for fifth place in the medal table.

They trail Ateneo, which has 10 points. Defending champion Far Eastern University, with 27, and De La Salle University, with 19, are both assured of a Final 4 spot and a twice-to-beat bonus. University of the Philippines (15 points) is also through to the semis.

“Well, we did better in the second half,” said coach Marjo Allado. “We changed the tempo, pati ‘yung attitude ng player, because in the last 20 minutes of the first half, ‘yung NU, may clear chances.

“Credit to the players na ‘yung dynamics ng laro, nagpalit—’yung energy, ‘yung desire na maka-score sila. So, we’re fighting for the Final Four,” Allado said.

The victory replicated UST’s 3-0 first-round triumph over NU on September 26. The Lady Bulldogs had opportunities to change the complexion of the match early on, but Steffanie Escalante and Jashmine Fernandez failed to capitalize on key scoring chances.

Both teams will close out the elimination round on Wednesday in crucial matchups with major Final Four implications.

UST takes on UP at 2:00 p.m., needing a victory to keep its semifinal hopes alive and put pressure on Ateneo.

The Blue Eagles will then face the Lady Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m., knowing they may need a win of their own if UST prevails. Should the Lady Booters and Ateneo finish level on 11 points, a playoff would be required to determine the final semifinal berth.