For the first time since UAAP Season 76, a school other than National University has won a collegiate basketball tournament, whether it is 5-on-5 or 3×3.
University of Santo Tomas stunned the then-unbeaten Lady Bulldogs in the final of the Season 85 women’s 3×3 basketball tournament, 18-11, last Thursday at the CaSoBe Resort in Calatagan, Batangas.
The Growling Tigresses gave NU its first-ever loss in the three-a-side game since its inception in the league back in Season 80, snapping a 26-game winning streak.
“Actually ever since nung pumasok kami ni Coach Haydee Ong sa UST, we really have to see yung level na ginawa ng NU ano? Talagang tinaasan nila yung standard nila and sila talaga yung golden standard na hinahabol namin ever since,” said UST 3×3 head coach Sen Dysangco.
“We’re just so happy na ngayong araw, doon nagculminate yung aming pinaghihirapan para matalo sila finally,” said the relieved Dysangco moments after the Tigresses won the title.
Five-on-five head coach Haydee Ong and Dysangco took over leading UST back in Season 79 in 2016. At that time, the Lady Bulldogs had already won two straight championships on a 32-game winning streak.
That streak stretched up to 108 games, the longest streak in any sport in UAAP history, before De La Salle University did the improbable and snatched a 61-57 overtime win in the second round of Season 85.
NU, however, still won the championship – its seventh consecutive championship.
Many great Tigresses have tried to beat the Lady Bulldogs, from the likes of Sai Larosa, Shanda Anies, Jhenn Angeles, to Season 82 MVP Grace Irebu, but it was the quartet of Eka Soriano, Tantoy Ferrer, Tacky Tacatac, and Rocel Dionisio that finally got over the hump.
With this significant win, Dysangco expects the Growling Tigresses to use this as motivation heading into Season 86, this time in the 5-on-5 tournament.
The whole UST team was in CaSoBe when Soriano and Co. ended years of being on the losing end versus the Lady Bulldogs.
“It’s a very big thing lalong lalo na sa mga bata namin na ngayon lang nila naexperience so now they know what it takes, kung gaano kahirap magchampion and the next step is marerealize nila gaano rin kahirap na magstay doon sa top,” said Dysangco.
“Stepping stone namin ito, we will try to make this a stepping stone para pagdating namin sa UAAP sa September next season, makunan namin ng lakas at lessons para magamit namin doon.”
Ong noted back on December 4, 2022, after UST settled for bronze in the 5-on-5 tournament, that her team will be loaded in the next season. This was after playing with just 12 players the entire tournament as injuries hampered them.
“I have two rookies coming in Charity Gicana and a foreign student-athlete so medyo loaded ako next year. That’s a good problem for me,” said Ong in her exit interview last December.
Expected to be back in the lineup after being sidelined due to injuries are Ferrer and the Danganan twins, Kai and Koi. Also about to debut are former La Salle player Kent Pastrana, rookie Charity Gicana, and a foreign student-athlete.
