University of Santo Tomas submitted a lean lineup for the UAAP Season 85 women’s basketball tournament – carrying just 12 women, a far cry from the 20 allowed.
With their roster depleted and forced to almost a bare minimum, Tacky Tacatac feels ready to step up for the Growling Tigresses.
“Meron talagang pressure pero it depends naman sa akin on how ko iapproach or ihandle yun,” said Tacatac after UST dismantled Adamson University on opening day, 106-70.
“Minomotivate ko lang palagi yung sarili ko na dapat mag set ako ng good example sa mga bata,” added Tacatac, one of the three leftovers from Season 82 alongside Eka Soriano.
She led the Growling Tigresses’ romp with 21 points on a sweet 8-of-13 shooting from the field, with five of those made shots coming from behind the arc along with five rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
One of the biggest losses for UST this season was Tantoy Ferrer, who injured her left ACL back in the women’s 3×3 tournament in Season 84.
And it was a tough pill to swallow for head coach Haydee Ong and the rest of the Growling Tigresses, who expect Ferrer to be one of the leaders of the squad.
“Actually it’s a very big factor that Tantoy is not playing this season. She’s an impact player even if she’s undersized in her position she gives energy to the whole team,” said Ong.
“Ganon talaga somebody from our team has to step up and Roselle Dionisio played really well today.”
Dionisio got the shoutout with her defensive performance of 10 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals to go with four points.
Offensively aside from Tacatac, UST found four more scorers who breached double digits in Joylyn Pangilinan (19), Nikki Villasin (15), Steph Villapando (14), and Eka Soriano (13).
And for Villasin, a Filipino-American recruit from Chicago, the balanced offensive attack of the Growling Tigresses is something people can expect from them, day in and day out.
“I feel like everybody works really hard at practice. I don’t doubt a single person.”
