Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

Basketball

Coach Pat looks back on Lady Bulldogs’ 50 straight wins


Fifty straight victories

Only a few teams can say that they have achieved that feat. In recent memory, there’s the Adamson University Softball Team, and now the National University Women’s Basketball Team.

In a streak that has spanned four seasons and three consecutive championships, the Lady Bulldogs have proven to everyone that they are the best women’s basketball team in the Philippines. Bar none.

Making it much sweeter was that win number 50 came at the expense of last season’s fellow finalists, the De La Salle University Lady Archers, 77-56.

And the architect of this success has been coach Patrick Aquino.

The University of the Philippines alumnus took over in 2012. Before then, the Lady Bulldogs constantly struggled to reach the post-season.

A year after taking over, Aquino led the Lady Bulldogs to a finals appearance, where they succumbed to the Lady Archers. Nevertheless, the defeat became a stepping stone, as NU won the next three championships.

“I’m just happy not for me but for the school itself na from nothing before five years ago, six years ago,” reflected Aquino.

“We had this program and we’d like to continue it on and hopefully it will be a longer streak in the end.”

But beyond racking up the wins and seizing gold, Aquino’s program has also developed future national team stars like Marizze Andrea Tongco, Afril Bernardino, Gemma Miranda, and Jack Animam.UAAP79WomensBasketball-NUdefUP-14zero-2 Coach Pat looks back on Lady Bulldogs' 50 straight wins Basketball News NU UAAP  - philippine sports news

“The thing is the program is with the support of the school, everybody. That’s where the program starts talaga,” shared Aquino.

“After that, it’s all the girls’ work.”

While 50 straight wins is an milestone in itself, the target of the Lady Bulldogs still remains the same: defend their crown.

#ReadMore  Aljun Melecio assures La Salle: 'I am not leaving'

The three-time UAAP champion is not one to rest on his laurels and will no doubt remind the girls of that goal.

“We’ll just take it one game at a time. I just want to have that effort from the girls every day, every practice that we have. Once I see them working really hard, it’s gonna be easy for them in the game,” said Aquino.

“They have to be prepared every time.”

Written By

Lorenzo's a frustrated author who knows a thing or two about Football and Basketball. Went all green from Ortigas to Taft. Supports Liverpool FC, FC Bayern Munich and the Alaska Aces


You May Also Like

Basketball

As much as the country treats basketball as a religion, there are always matters larger than the sport in the grander scheme of things....

Basketball

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY maintained its undefeated run in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament with a 103-48 rout of struggling University of the...

Basketball

Highly touted rookie Cielo Pagdulagan encountered rookie jitters in the first round of the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament. Although she averaged...

ADMU

National University breezed past Ateneo de Manila University with a commanding 20-point victory, 82-62, to kick off its second-round campaign in the UAAP Season...

Basketball

National University saw its seven-year reign in UAAP women’s basketball come to a heartbreaking end last season, as they suffered a come-from-behind loss to...

ADMU

The UAAP has released the second-round schedule for Season 87 basketball, introducing key changes to the three divisions currently playing. In the first round,...

ADMU

National University completed its first-round sweep of the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament after taking down a resilient Ateneo de Manila University,...

Basketball

Nicole Pring enjoyed a breakout performance for National University in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament, and she was quick to credit...

Advertisement