Camille Clarin admitted that National University’s loss to De La Salle University last season, which snapped their winning streak of 108 matches, still stung.
The defending champions looked poised to surpass the University of Connecticut’s 111-game winning streak in the United States, only to suffer a defeat at the hands of the Lady Archers, with a score of 57-61 in overtime on November 23, 2022.
Fast forward to the present, Clarin has turned this pain into her personal motivation.
The Gilas Pilipinas winger delivered her best performance yet in the UAAP Season 86 Women’s Basketball Tournament against La Salle last Sunday, scoring 19 points, grabbing six rebounds, recording one steal, and having a plus-38 rating on the floor.
“I think that’s something I hold very close to my heart every time we meet them on the court,” said Clarin after the Lady Bulldogs’ 91-58 win over the Lady Archers.
“That’s what I think about, and I believe that when we step on that court, we want to remind them that they caught us at a bad time, but it will never happen again.”
Clarin averaged 12 points in four games before facing the Lady Archers.
It is safe to say that playing against last year’s runners-up ignited a fire within her. She shot 5-of-8 from the three-point line to power the Lady Bulldogs through.
In contrast, she was 2-of-7 against the University of Santo Tomas on October 11, 2-of-9 against the University of the Philippines on October 8, 3-of-8 against Far Eastern University on October 4, and 3-of-8 against Ateneo de Manila University on October 1.
“I’m just thankful that my shots have finally been falling. Every game, I’ve had a slow start, so credit to my teammates for still passing me the ball no matter how many shots I miss,” said the Blair Academy alumna.
“I think their confidence in me means the world, so I’m glad that I got to show them that their belief in me didn’t go to waste in this game.”
NU’s win against La Salle was its biggest one this season in terms of the margin of points.
Aside from Clarin, the Lady Bulldogs have players like Stef Berbarabe, Tin Cayabyab, and Angel Surada, who have experience playing for Gilas Pilipinas in international tournaments.
The Lady Bulldogs remain favorites to go all the way for an eighth straight season despite appearing more vulnerable due to their strong lineup. It is up to La Salle and the rest of the UAAP to find a way to take the crown away from the league’s standard-bearers.
“I think it’s about bringing that same intensity you experience on the international stage to the UAAP. Overall, as you can see, it has elevated the game for everybody—not just NU,” said Clarin.
“It’s great to see that if we bring our experience, the league also lifts itself up. It’s great that we get to play with each other because we know each other’s strengths and we play off each other well.”
