The Akari Baby Chargers snapped a two-game losing streak and fended off a late rally from Miriam College for a 38-32 victory in the Akari U16 Girls’ Basketball Invitational at the 3rd Fitness Lab on Friday.
With the win, Akari secured a spot in the semifinals, where they will take on the top-seeded University of Santo Tomas Junior Growling Tigresses.
Andie Ng led the Baby Chargers with 10 points, while Lillie Roth chipped in nine. Nicole Hughes and Frankie Tan each added eight points in a balanced scoring effort.
Holding a slim two-point lead entering the fourth quarter, Akari unleashed a crucial 10-0 run capped by a Roth layup to build a 32-22 advantage with 6:11 left.
Miriam College responded with a 10-2 run of their own to trim the deficit back down to two. But Ng delivered a clutch layup with 1:42 remaining to restore a 36-32 lead and halt Miriam’s momentum.
Despite multiple chances to close the gap, Miriam fell short in the final stretch. Roth sealed the win with a breakaway layup off a steal and assist from Cara Tiu.
