WMPBL: Aguilas one win away from crown after outlasting UST

Mar Prado of Pilipinas Aguilas celebrates against UST in Game 1 of the WMPBL Invitational Tournament Finals, April 16, 2025 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. Handout/WMPBL

MANILA -- Pilipinas Aguilas is one win away from becoming the inaugural champion of the Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Invitational after a gutsy 95-86 double-overtime win against University of Santo Tomas, Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

A collective effort propelled the Aguilas to the Game 1 win, as Trina Guytingco, Mar Prado, Chack Cabinbin, and Cheska Apag came together for a 9-0 run that pushed them past the finish line.

The quartet, along with Alexis Pana, tightened the screws on defense and shut down the Growling Tigresses in the final three minutes and 56 seconds of the contest. 

Elaine Etang stepped up in the clutch as well for Pilipinas Aguilas, calmly sinking two free throws to tie the game at 74-all in regulation and send it to overtime. She later drilled a go-ahead triple in the first extra period for an 83-80 lead, only for Kent Pastrana to call bank and answer with a buzzer-beating three, forcing a second overtime.

READ: Tigresses, Aguilas set for clash in WMPBL Finals

"First of all, I'm really, really proud of our girls. We were down big at the start of the game, 11-2, I guess. Maybe finals jitters, or UST played well to start the game. But we stayed composed," said interim Aguilas head coach Paolo Layug after the close win.

"Actually. I think the biggest thing for me was that we were able to recover even after Kent Pastrana's [big] game-tying buzzer-beater after the first overtime. A lot of teams could get deflated after a shot like that, but our team was able to respond very well in the second overtime," he added.

The Aguilas will look to close out the series in Game 2 on Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, while UST is determined to battle back and force a deciding Game 3 which is still scheduled at NAS on April 23.

Prado tallied a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds, adding four assists and three steals, though she also committed eight turnovers. Pana matched her output with 19 points of her own, along with eight rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a block.

UST's Eka Soriano puts up a shot against Pilipinas Aguilas in Game 1 of the WMPBL Invitational Tournament Finals, April 16, 2025 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. Handout/WMPBL

Etang, who is still with Adamson University, chipped in 16 points, four assists, and three boards, while Cabinbin contributed 10 points, five assists, and three steals in the emphatic win for Pilipinas Aguilas in the tournament backed by sponsors Uratex, Discovery Suites, Red Dynasty, Gotobox, Gerry's Grill, Prettiest, Team Graphitee, Evo Performance Helmets, Ryzen Helmets, Katinko, Dorayd, Sogo Hotel, Global Bosny Manufacturing, and Bavin.

On the other side, Pastrana paced UST with 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals. However, the Growling Tigresses star was unable to finish the match after fouling out with 1:46 left in the second overtime, following a reach-in foul on Prado.

Team captain Eka Soriano added 20 points and five rebounds but also committed nine turnovers, while rookie Gin Relliquette contributed 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, and four steals in the heartbreaking defeat.

The Scores:

Pilipinas Aguilas 95 – Prado 19, Pana 19, Etang 16, Cabinbin 10, Apag 8, Cac 6, Adeshina 6, Guytingco 5, Omopia 4, Limbago 2, Ramos 0,

UST 86 – Pastrana 23, Soriano 20, Relliquette 17, Maglupay 9, Onianwa 6, Bron 5, Sierba 3, Ambos 2, Danganan 1, Tacatac 0, Pescador 0, Pineda 0

Quarterscores: 16-17, 30-36, 59-56, 74-74, 83-83, 95-86.