National University forward Ann Pingol was overcome with emotion after the Lady Bulldogs edged the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses, 72-71, in a nail-biting Game 1 of the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Finals.
The victory brought the Lady Bulldogs within striking distance of reclaiming the championship and completing their redemption campaign.
Pingol, a standout from Iloilo City, delivered a stellar performance, scoring 10 of her 18 points in the first half.
Her efforts earned praise from NU head coach Aris Dimaunahan, who credited her for keeping the Lady Bulldogs afloat during a challenging stretch that saw them fall behind by as much as 11 points.
For Pingol, her standout game was a way to repay the trust and support of her teammates and coaches, especially after she struggled in their previous games.
“Yun nga, alam ko naman sa sarili ko na in the last eliminations game, nag-re-rely lang ako sa kanila,” Pingol admitted.
“Sabi ni Coach Aris na sa first half, gusto ko na sa akin naman sila mag-rely. Isipin nila na nandito rin ako para sa kanila.”
She revealed that her motivation came from her teammates’ emotional pep talk the night before.
“My motivation lang are [my teammates] and each other lang. Last night, we talked. Ang seniors ko, nag-drama. Kinuha ko yan as motivation and inspiration na maging ganito sa Game One—na agresibo at andiyan ako para sa kanila,” she added.
Pingol’s all-around effort was pivotal. She not only scored 18 points but also tallied nine rebounds, two assists, three steals, and a block.
One of her assists came in the game’s most critical moment when she set up Cielo Pagdulagan for the game-winning layup with just 50.3 seconds remaining.
Dimaunahan reflected on this moment, recalling a preseason game against UST where Pingol made a costly turnover in a similar situation.
For him, it exemplified the importance of instilling trust and resilience in his players.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Just a little bit of a story, we played UST in the preseason. I gave the ball to Karl Ann Pingol, and then they stole the ball from her. But today, matigas din ang ulo ko. Sa tigas din ng ulo ko, gusto ko matuto yung tao because again, the best teacher is experience,” Dimaunahan shared.
“I mentioned this to Karl Ann during viewing sessions na di ako susuko sa kanya. Kung ganun ulit mangyari sa game, ibibigay ko pa rin yung bola sa kanya for her to be able to get over that hump. I’m just glad.”
He commended Pingol’s composure under pressure, noting the difficulty of executing such a play in a high-stakes moment.
“Hindi madaling play yun. If you’re a basketball player, you know that it’s not an easy pass because of the situation, because of the time and the score and the event, but she executed it and everybody did their job in that last play. It was a clear line for Cielo to make the basket,” he added.
As NU inches closer to the title, Pingol and the Lady Bulldogs are determined to keep their focus, knowing the Growling Tigresses will come back stronger in Game 2.
“Mag-a-adjust kami sa next game,” Pingol said.
“Alam naman namin na first half ang kalat namin. Siguro, yun yung i-a-adjust namin. Mag-play with the system na lang kasi kanina parang ang gulo namin sa offense and defense. Yun talaga yung dadalhin namin sa game na ‘to.”
