Chasing UConn: Patrick Aquino hopes Lady Bulldogs break Huskies’ streak with or without him

After breaking the longest winning streak by a UAAP team, the National University Lady Bulldogs are gunning for another all-time streak: The 111-game winning streak of the University of Connecticut Huskies women’s basketball team.

Last Saturday, the Lady Bulldogs broke the all-time streak of the Adamson Lady Falcons in dominant fashion, romping the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses, 96-57, for their 74th straight win.

And there was a sense of relief from decorated head coach Patrick Aquino. Finally, the monkey was off their backs.

“Actually, hindi yung streak hinahabol ko when I first went to NU. Ang importante sa amin is the championship,” recalled the amiable tactician.

“I’m so relieved na tapos na yung hump na ito because the thing is, bonus na lang talaga itong streak. The main goal of our campaigns is the championship.”

The Lady Bulldogs have been overwhelming in the run, which has lasted 1,567 days and counting. According to league statistician Pong Ducanes, NU have had a 23.3 point winning margin during this streak – a plus 1,727 over their opponents.

With no signs of the program letting up for the next few years, it is an attainable goal for the Lady Bulldogs to win 39 more games to eclipse the all-time longest winning streak for world collegiate hoops set by the UConn Huskies from November 23, 2014 to March 31, 2017.

It will take NU two more season sweeps to attain this.

If the Lady Bulldogs complete a fifth straight sweep this season, their winning count will extend to 80. NU will have to sweep Seasons 82 and 83 to reach 112 wins.

Aquino does not know what the future will hold for him and NU. But with or without him, the Team Pilipinas tactician hopes that the program will reach this final milestone.

“I hope na I could break the record with team, but I don’t know if I’ll still be the head coach of NU by that time,” he shared.

“But I hope na kahit hindi man ako yun, the program breaks that streak.”

For now, the agenda of Aquino and the Lady Bulldogs is to win that fifth straight championship, as it will tie the 2008-2012 Ateneo Blue Eagles’ run for an unshared championship streak in the UAAP Seniors Basketball Tournament.