UST secures UAAP women's finals spot with win over Adamson

University of Santo Tomas (UST), the reigning champion in UAAP Season 87 women's basketball, secured their place in the finals with a decisive 71-59 victory over Adamson University on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The second-seeded Tigresses demonstrated strong defensive play and teamwork to overcome the third-ranked Lady Falcons, who had previously won an overtime match against Ateneo.

UST will face National University (NU) in a best-of-three finals series starting Sunday, after NU swept their way through eliminations with a perfect 14-0 record.

Coach Haydee Ong emphasized mental toughness and praised his team's defensive effort, led by Kent Pastrana's near triple-double performance of 23 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists.

Adamson's coach Ryan Monteclaro acknowledged the challenge posed by UST, who won their championship last year with a thrilling three-game series victory over NU.