Camille Clarin always makes sure to deliver big for National University in the UAAP Season 85 Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Against University of Santo Tomas, the Season 84 3×3 gold medalist contributed 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 34:41 minutes of action to help NU seal an 87-64 victory – their 108th straight win.
The result was a dramatic improvement considering that the Lady Bulldogs only beat the Growling Tigresses 78-75 in the first round last October 9, 2022.
“I am so proud, especially after that. The first round game compared to the second round game, it’s a world of a difference,” said Clarin. “It just goes to show that as NU, we’re never satisfied with the performance we give and as we go into the second round, it just gets better and better.
“That’s credit to the coaches and my teammates who are so willing to listen. We make adjustments on the fly. It just goes to show how mature the team is getting over the season.”
What made the win more special for Clarin in particular was that her mother, Abbey, flew in from their hometown Toronto to see her play in the UAAP.
What made the circumstances all the more special was that the Lady Bulldogs were actually down by as much as 3-12 early in the game thanks to a Rocel Dionisio basket in the first quarter.
“Actually, the first few minutes, I was so nervous because (the Lady Bulldogs) were down for like nine points,” said Abbey.
“Slowly but surely, they came back. Camille did good defense. I’m so impressed with that. I’m so happy because it’s my first time to watch her live.
For her part, the younger Clarin assured her mother that she had nothing to worry about heading into the game. The Blair Academy alumna was confident because of how she and her teammates prepared for it beforehand.
Despite the stiff challenge posed by the Growling Tigresses, the Lady Bulldogs pulled through in the end.
The national team athlete backed up what she told her mother with a crucial three-point shot that gave NU a 79-61 lead with 3:46 remaining in the game.
“It’s great to see because she never watches any game that’s within single digits. Never in my career because she can’t take it, she can’t handle it,” said the 5-foot-10 cager. “I told her, I was like, don’t worry. I was like, before the game, I told her that we’re gonna beat them by a larger margin for sure than we did in the first round and that’s what we did.
“I was confident about the team, especially what we saw in practice was so much different than in the first round leading up to this game.”
Indeed, it was an afternoon to remember for the mother-and daughter tandem. Camille showed why she is one of the country’s top players. On the other hand, Abbey will have another core memory about her daughter’s basketball career.
What made it more special was that the younger Clarin’s performance came against one of the contenders for NU’s crown.
“It’s fun but it’s nerve-wracking because it’s against UST. I’m always nervous when it’s against UST. I had so much fun. I’m so proud of her,” said Abbey.
“She always says don’t get nervous before the game because I’m so nervous because it’s against UST but right now, after I saw how she did, I’m so impressed with her performance.”
