In her final year with National University, Ann Pingol made sure to leave her mark by capturing the biggest individual accolade in collegiate basketball.
The 5-foot-7 graduating winger was officially crowned the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Most Valuable Player on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Pingol, 24, who is also set to join Gilas Women for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, became just the third Lady Bulldog to win the league’s highest individual plum after Afril Bernardino (UAAP Seasons 77–79, 2014–16) and Jack Animam (Season 80, 2017).
Built on two triple-double performances, the younger sister of former Adamson and NU standout Kaye Pingol tallied 93.571 statistical points — 2.142 SPs ahead of dethroned MVP Kacey Dela Rosa of Ateneo.
“Siguro, malaking confidence booster siya para sa akin. Nung first [year] ko pa lang sa UAAP, hindi ko naman ito ina-aim ‘eh kasi kumbaga, I just play my game and kung ano lang flow ng system namin. Na-surprise lang ako na ‘yon yung naging outcome,” Pingol said.
She averaged 14.29 points, 8.93 rebounds, 5.14 assists, 3.57 steals, and 1.07 blocks per game in the Lady Bulldogs’ 12-2 elimination round campaign.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
In the junior high school boys’ division, Goodluck Okebata became the first University of the East Red Warrior in 21 years to win a regular-season MVP award.
The last Red Warrior to claim the top individual honor was Julius Porlaje back in the UAAP Season 67 Junior Basketball Tournament in 2004.
Okebata, a 15-year-old Lambunao, Iloilo native standing at 6-foot-4, amassed 96.214 SPs off averages of 19.71 points, 13.43 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.29 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game in UE’s fifth-place, 8-6 finish in Season 88.
He edged out University of Santo Tomas’ Rowie Cabañero by just 0.571 SPs.
“Itong MVP na ito, it’s not only for me. It’s for my kuyas and sa mga coach ko rin na nagtiwala sa akin. Para rin ito sa mga magulang ko na nagtitiwala sa akin. Hindi lang sa akin itong MVP na ito, kung hindi para sa kanilang lahat ito,” Okebata said.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Cabañero, a 5-foot-6 guard from Mahaplag, Leyte — who also recorded two triple-double outings in the eliminations — was still named the Rookie of the Year in the 16-and-under division.
Joining Pingol and Dela Rosa in the women’s Elite Team are UST’s Kent Pastrana (86.643 SPs) and NU’s Kristine Cayabyab (73.571) and Angel Surada (71.714).
Meanwhile, the junior high school boys’ Elite Team is composed of Okebata, Cabañero, FEU-Diliman’s Dwyne Enriquez (89.286), NU-Nazareth School’s Moussa Diakite (85.143), and FEU-D’s Prince Cariño (84.769).
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Ateneo’s Erica De Luna emerged as the women’s Rookie of the Year after finishing 25th in the SP race with 47.214. She posted averages of 7.5 points, 4.43 rebounds, 2.57 assists, and 1.79 steals in her freshman campaign.
Also awarded their third-place trophies were Ateneo (collegiate women’s) and UST (junior high school boys’).
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
The Blue Eagles finished the elimination round as the third seed with an 8-6 record before defeating Adamson in the stepladder quarterfinal, 66-56.
Ateneo fell to NU in the semis, 79-84.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Meanwhile, the Junior Tiger Cubs were the second seed with a 10-4 slate but lost to FEU-D in the semifinal, 75-82.
