NU falls short of BLIA Cup final return

UAAP National University missed out on another BLIA Cup championship appearance after falling to Japan's Tohoku Gakuin, 75-63, in the semifinals on Saturday at the Kaohsiung Arena in Taiwan.

For the second straight year, a Japanese team ended the Lady Bulldogs' title hopes in the prestigious tournament. NU finished as runner-up last year after losing to Japan Women's College of Physical Education in the championship game.

Tohoku Gakuin controlled the match from the beginning, steadily building its lead and taking an 11-point advantage into the fourth quarter.

NU attempted to mount a comeback in the final period but could not cut the deficit to single digits. The Japanese side clamped down defensively, limiting the Lady Bulldogs to just five field goals on 14 attempts in the fourth quarter while forcing four turnovers to close out the win.

Tin Cayabyab led NU with 18 points and five rebounds, while Zaydhen Rosano added 11 points. Cielo Pagdulagan also scored in double figures with 10 points.

Ann Pingol struggled to find her rhythm offensively, finishing with four points, but contributed seven rebounds.

Despite the semifinal loss, NU still has a chance to claim a podium finish as it faces Fo Guang University in the third-place match on Sunday.

The Lady Bulldogs reached the knockout stage with a perfect group-stage record, defeating Malaysia, National Taiwan Normal University, and York University while winning by an average margin of 5.0 points.

Takemoto Aoi led Tohoku Gakuin with 16 points, while Ishita Yuma and Saito Rena each contributed 14 points to send the Japanese side into the championship game.