It took 766 long days for the University of the East, but the Lady Warriors can finally breathe a sigh of relief after securing their first win in the UAAP women’s basketball tournament since 2024.
The victory was an ecstatic moment for UE, which pulled off a 68-65 grind-out win over De La Salle University on Wednesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. It was also the same team the Lady Warriors defeated for their last victory in Season 87.
For head coach Ian Valdez, however, the triumph represented the culmination of years of experience and perseverance throughout his lengthy basketball career.
“I’m very happy lang sa laro ng team ko today. First time ko manalo dito sa UAAP. I’m very happy, ‘di ko ma-explain ‘yung nararamdaman ko ngayon,” Valdez said.
“All the sacrifices for the past two years na ‘di kami nananalo. Nagbunga lahat ng sacrifices na tinuturo ko sa mga players ko. Sobrang happy lang ako, as in. Sobra.”
The victory was all the more special for Valdez, who finally secured his first win as the Lady Warriors’ head coach since his appointment in Season 88.
The struggles UE has endured, however, were nothing unfamiliar to the tactician.
Valdez was part of the inaugural Malayan High School of Science squad when the then-Mapúa Institute of Technology first fielded a juniors’ basketball team in the NCAA in 2008, eight years after the old Mapúa high school was phased out.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
“Lagi kong shina-share sa mga players ko na if you know me, galing din ako sa losing team. I’m from the Mapúa Red Robins, kami ‘yung start ng team na ‘yon noong 2008,” he shared.
As a member of the Red Robins, Valdez endured a winless campaign in Season 84, when Malayan suffered 12 consecutive losses.
Those defeats were equally disheartening, with some coming by triple-digit margins, including a 120-point loss to La Salle Green Hills.
“Ganun din ‘yung feeling eh, ‘yung tambakan, walang panalo and all. So ‘yung lessons doon sa team ko noong juniors kami, ‘yun lang din ‘yung shina-share na stories ko sa kanila palagi,” he added.
Despite the years separating those experiences, Valdez has drawn from those shared moments of heartbreak to connect with the Lady Warriors, who have endured record-breaking losing streaks of their own.
Before their victory in Season 87, UE had suffered 70 consecutive losses before finally snapping the skid. The Lady Warriors then endured another 31-game losing streak before breaking through once more in Season 89.
“Kailangan maging resilient kami kasi ganun talaga ‘yung basketball eh. In time, darating din na ‘yung team mo naman ‘yung magiging beterano. So far ngayon, kami ‘yung pinakabata,” Valdez mentioned.
The Lady Warriors currently have four sophomores and two freshmen on their 15-player roster, highlighting the youth of a squad still finding its footing in the league.
Among the team’s three seniors, Rachel Lacayanga also emphasized the significance of Wednesday’s breakthrough, having experienced UE’s previous victory two years ago.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
“Sobrang saya talaga dahil parang ‘yung first round namin sobrang nahirapan kami kasi sunod-sunod ‘yung talo. Siguro ngayon lang namin binuhos talaga lahat,” the senior said.
“Sabi namin na babawi kami sa second round, so sobrang saya ko talaga na lahat ng teammate ko, nagtulungan kami, and siyempre sa coaches din namin na pinagkatiwalaan kami, kaya eto po ‘yung result kaya sobrang saya namin.”
Lacayanga led the way with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, alongside four assists and four steals, in UE’s three-point victory.
The Lady Warriors’ breakthrough did not come out of nowhere, either, as they had shown flashes of brilliance against some of Season 89’s most formidable squads before finally translating those performances into a win.
While the victory provided a much-needed release from the pressure of their lengthy drought, Lacayanga is determined to ensure that Wednesday’s triumph will be the first of many.
“Pagkatapos ng game, tinawag ko ‘yung mga teammate ko. Sabi ko, hindi lang ‘to isa, kailangan natin sundan to. Alam namin na kaya po namin,” she said.
