Six years ago, the UAAP held its first-ever High School Girls’ Basketball Tournament as a demo sport, with University of Santo Tomas and Adamson University declared co-champions after the pandemic halted the Finals series.
The Junior Growling Tigresses were led by the Danganan twins, Kai and Coi. And as UST women’s basketball head coach Haydee Ong revealed on Wednesday, they were the very reason she started the squad’s grassroots program, even before the UAAP decided to hold a tournament for girls.
Six years later, and after a combined four ACL injuries, the potential Ong first saw in the Danganan twins at age 13 is finally starting to be realized in the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Basketball Tournament — their first time playing together in a long while, as injuries had previously delayed that moment.
“‘Yun nga po, tinamaan ng injuries during the pandemic. I’m happy lang na hindi nawala ‘yung tiwala ni Coach Haydee sa amin kahit na puro injuries,” said Coi on Wednesday, after UST completed a 14-game sweep of the elimination round with a 101-84 win over FEU at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Hindi kami nakapaglaro ng ilang season pero nandoon pa rin ‘yung tiwala niya na kaya namin ibalik ‘yung performance namin noong high school.”
Coi impressed in the sweep-clinching victory with 15 points and six rebounds, reminiscent of how the twins used to dominate the four-team field back in the Season 82 High School Girls’ tournament.
Between Season 82 and the ongoing Season 88, Kai suffered an ACL injury in her right knee. On the other hand, Coi endured two ACL injuries in her left knee and one in her right knee.
Despite setbacks that delayed the growth of what could have been a cornerstone of the UST program, Ong’s belief in the twins remains unwavering.
“Sabi ko nga lagi sa kambal, I started the high school program because of them. Kahit wala pang UAAP, nakita ko sila, nagpunta sila sa akin as young as 13 years old. Nasa akin na sila Coi at Kai, so sila ‘yung malalapit sa puso ko,” said the long-time Tigresses mentor.
“So kahit anong mangyari, anong injury, nandiyan kami ang UST para umalalay sa kanila. And I think ‘yung investment sa kambal, unti-unti na nakikita ng mga tao.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Thanks to the twins, Ong’s dream of building a grassroots program for UST has become a reality, and the Tigresses are gradually reaping the rewards.
Back in Season 86, UST ended the seven-season dynasty of National University, winning the championship after an epic three-game Finals series.
While the Lady Bulldogs reclaimed the throne last year, the Growling Tigresses aim to take it back, completing a stunning 14-game sweep of the elimination round and earning an outright Finals berth.
Nine of the 16 players on UST’s roster came from the high school program.
“Nung kinuha naman ako ng UST, sabi ko sa kanila na pagsabak ko agad sa UAAP… Sabi ko we’re five, six years very late na sa program ng NU. And ang maganda doon, sinuportahan nila ako,” shared Ong.
“I told them ang start no’n ay sa high school program because wala tayo masyadong budget to recruit the best players. Kaya sabi ko, we will start sa grassroots at magde-develop tayo ng mapapakinabangan ng UST hanggang college.”
