It has been 368 days since National University was dethroned by University of Santo Tomas, but for Lady Bulldogs team captain Camille Clarin, the pain of that loss still feels fresh.
One play, in particular, stands out in Clarin’s memory – when Growling Tigresses ace Kent Pastrana shook her off and drained a jumper that tied the game in the dying moments of the do-or-die Game 3 last Season 86.
UST and Pastrana also held Clarin to just two points on a dismal 0-of-11 shooting from the field.
That pivotal play helped the Growling Tigresses bring an end to NU’s seven-year reign in UAAP women’s basketball.
Determined to make up for the defensive lapse that cost the Lady Bulldogs last season’s title, Clarin stepped up as a crucial asset in NU’s 72-71 triumph over UST in Season 87’s Game 1 on Sunday afternoon at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
With Pastrana isolating against Clarin in the final moments, the presumptive Season 87 Mythical Five member was poised to convert a potential game-tying or go-ahead basket to lift the Growling Tigresses to victory.
However, Clarin locked down on Pastrana, forcing her to pass the ball to Tacky Tacatac, who missed a wide-open corner triple attempt.
Thanks to Clarin’s defensive efforts, the Lady Bulldogs moved one step closer to reclaiming the championship – their eighth title in the past nine UAAP seasons.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“That play, that last possession, one year and two days ago, was executed by Kent Jane. That moment has stuck with me, and it was the exact same possession this year,” Clarin shared.
“It was all about defense. No matter how many points they kept scoring, we just focused on the next step. What’s the next play that can bring us back into the game? And that was just relying on each other,” she continued.
While Pastrana had her way for much of the contest, Clarin was determined not to let the reigning UAAP Athlete of the Year deliver another clutch performance against her this time.
Clarin’s late-game defense on Pastrana held the UST ace to 22 points on 8-of-21 shooting, along with six rebounds, three steals, and two assists.
“If she scored 22 points, she wasn’t going to score 24. That’s all I cared about. It was that last possession. Because that was the possession that would win the game, and I made sure that, no matter what, she wasn’t going to score,” the Gilas Women mainstay explained.
“The ball fell in our favor, and I guess you do learn from your mistakes. If a mistake sticks with you for a year and two days, and you don’t learn from it, I don’t know what will. But I’m glad I did.”
Despite her desire to get back at UST and Pastrana, Clarin acknowledged the immense talent of the reigning UAAP champions, recognizing their skill since they first entered the league in Season 82 in 2019.
“And you’re telling me I stopped her? Twenty-two points, six rebounds? Kent is amazing. There’s no stopping Kent. But because my teammates are there, because they push me so hard, I know I’m not going to let that happen again,” she concluded.
