University of Santo Tomas (UST) shook off early jitters to fend off De La Salle Zobel (DLSZ), 90-59, and open its University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 girls’ basketball tournament title defense on a strong note Wednesday morning at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.

Moving on from the graduation of their championship core — Season 87 Most Valuable Player Barby Dajao, Janna Wenceslao and Grachelle Boteros — the Junior Growling Tigresses brushed aside a slow start behind a pivotal second-quarter surge led by Riri Perez, Lea Pinuela and Indonesian center Koukou Talla.

Perez came close to finishing with a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists, on top of three steals and two blocks. Talla provided solid support with 15 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting clip, along with 12 rebounds, two assists and one block.

With the victory, the Junior Growling Tigresses joined rival National University Nazareth School, which cruised past the Ateneo de Manila University last Sunday, as the early leaders in the four-team field.

“We lacked calmness and stability in the first few quarters. We hope that in the next games, the girls can adjust, especially those who are new,” UST head coach Sen Dysangco said.

“I hope they will grow into it (and) that they mature fast enough so their real ability will come out.”

After a sluggish opening quarter that saw the Junior Lady Archers lead by as many as five points, UST seized control with a commanding 28-15 second period. Back-to-back layups from Pinuela and an and-one basket by Sandra Abrantes highlighted the surge, as the Tigresses went into halftime with a 45-32 advantage.

From there, the Tigresses stayed firmly in the driver’s seat. Three straight layups by Pinuela, Perez and Sabel Anacan capped a decisive 22-6 run that ballooned a 13-point lead into a commanding 67-38 cushion.

DLSZ showed signs of life when Ching Gales converted a layup to trim the deficit to 69-49 with under seven minutes remaining. However, a Perez three-pointer, a Janice Oczon layup, and a Talla free throw quickly restored an insurmountable 77-51 lead with 5:21 left on the clock.

Oczon chipped in 13 points, seven rebounds, and one steal, while Pinuela tallied 10 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals.