University of Santo Tomas worked its way towards getting the shot to defend its UAAP women’s basketball crown.
But there were no big on-court celebrations, just a team huddle after the final buzzer and a gingerly walk back to the dugout after the school hymn. That’s because the Growling Tigresses know what’s ahead of them.
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Santo Tomas stopped Adamson dead on its tracks at the close of the stepladder semifinals on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum and will be squaring off against a familiar foe in National University (NU) for the Season 87 championship with both finalists eyeing a sort of redemption.
No side has been able to stop the Lady Bulldogs this season, and erasing the two losses in their record in the elimination against National U is spurring the Tigresses in their bid to repeat.
For the Bulldogs, getting back at the team that unseated them last season after a seven-year reign is more than enough motivation.
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“It’s redemption season for NU,” Santo Tomas coach Haydee Ong said. “For us, it’s going to be we want a repeat this season, to have the back-to-back [championship].”
“We’ll prove ourselves to our supporters that what we were able to do last season [was no fluke],” veteran guard Kent Pastrana said in Filipino. “We’ll do what we need to do and we want to [take the gold] back-to-back.”
Not a secret weapon
Pastrana was again the tip of the sharp Santo Tomas sword against the Falcons, finishing two assists shy of a triple double after dropping 23 points that went with 16 rebounds.
She’ll be the very same weapon that will lead the Tigresses in their repeat bid when the Finals starts next week.
National U made it to the title series outright after sweeping the eliminations, leaving the second-ranked Tigresses awaiting the winner of the Adamson-Ateneo match in the first game of the stepladder semifinals.
The Lady Falcons really showed their worth, even taking the lead at the half after a bum start that had them trailing, 21-4.
That’s why Ong was livid at the halftime break.
“I scared them,” Ong joked when asked what the conversation was with her wards at halftime. “The adjustment of what we need to do in the second half was important and the girls were able to execute.
“Those in-game adjustments were really important during the Final Four and especially now that we’re going to the championship,” she added. “We need to work more and work harder together for NU.”
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Undersized big CJ Maglupay was efficient with 13 points on 75 percent shooting apart from 11 rebounds and six steals for the Tigresses, who also drew 10 points from Tacky Tacatac and Brigette Santos, who had seven steals.
“We’re always the underdogs and [the Bulldogs] always have the advantage so we really have to work,” Ong said of the coming best-of-three series. “We need to work [hard] to beat them.”