LA Salle kept itself in the Final Four race of the UAAP Season 82 women's basketball tournament with a 64-57 win over University of the East on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Kent Pastrana starred for the Lady Archers with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists as they leveled their standing to 5-5, still in fifth place.
Nigerian center Maureen Okoli also got 10 points, six boards, three assists and one block, as Charmaine Torres had eight points and five rebounds.
"Of course, we're taking it one game at a time for us to survive and enter the Final Four," said an coach Cholo Villanueva.
La Salle is one game behind Far Eastern University and Adamson, who share third place at 6-4.
Villanueva says focus is not on the semi race but the next game against the Lady Tamaraws.
"We're not looking that far. We need to outwork our opponents in each possession and win each possession and it could only lead to a win," he said.
The Lady Archers slowly brokeaway from the Lady Warriors before unleashing a 24-point attack in the third quarter to hold a 58-38 lead.
It rose to 24 points in the payoff period, before UE chipped the lead away and ended the game with a respectable seven-point losing margin.
UE suffered its sixth straight loss to stay at the bottom of the standings at 1-10.
Princess Pedregosa paced the Lady Warriors with a double-double of 16 points and 17 rebounds.
Tin Cortizano added 15 points and seven boards, as Jearzy Ganade had 11 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists.
The scores:
La Salle 64 - Pastrana 17, Okoli 11, Torres 8, Quingco 6, Revillosa 6, Sario 6, Dalisay 5, Paraiso 4, Jimenez 2, Binaohan 0, Castillo 0, Espinas 0, Jajurie 0, Malarde 0.
UE 57 - Pedregosa 16, Cortizano 15, Ganade 11, Cuadero 7, Terrinal 6, Ordas 2, Fernandez 0, Nama 0.
Quarterscores: 23-16; 34-25; 58-38; 64-57.