ARMED with a 29-point lead at the end of the UAAP athletics and fencing tournaments, UST is on track to dethrone De La Salle University for the UAAP general championship.
UST now has 210 points while La Salle trails with 181.
UST lost the title by two points last year.
But this season appears to be a different story as UST has more leverage following an 11-point advantage going into the second semester. And with the athletics and fencing teams pushing that lead to 29 points, the University has a better chance of preventing another second semester collapse.
Matthew Li, a Tiebreaker Times reporter who covers most UAAP events, said it will come down the wire for both schools.
“Same as two years ago, it will be neck-and-neck. Most likely, it will go down to softball and men’s volleyball. Doon magkakatalo kasi sa men’s volleyball, medyo alanganin ‘yung both teams and every win matters there,” Li said. “In softball, UST has a bigger chance than La Salle so that will pull them up.”
In 2015, UST was on the verge of allowing La Salle nab its third straight general championship but the Tiger Softbelles went on a magical run to give the University a 283-280 lead.
However, the following year, the Softbelles could not save UST once more as the race was decided by the results of the men’s football tournament. The Golden Booters settled for fourth place (8 points) while the Green Booters landed third (10 points). If the Golden Booters just finished one notch higher than the Green Booters, UST could have secured the overall crown.
By the numbers
At the conclusion of Season 78, UST and La Salle scored 125 and 129 points, respectively, in the second semester. Assuming that both schools score the same number of second semester points this year, UST could protect its lead in the general championship race as its 11-point first semester lead will give it a seven-point advantage at the end of the year.
The Golden Tigresses, Tiger Spikers, Golden Sox, Lady Booters and Female Woodpushers and Female Tennisters, who contributed just 30 points combined in 2016 compared to the 51-point production of the Female and Male Tracksters and Male and Female Fencers last year, will have to improve in their respective standings to bolster UST’s case for the overall crown.
The Softbelles, Male Woodpushers and Female Tennisters, who all finished second last season for a combined 36 points, will need to up the ante to give UST just enough breathing room in case some of its teams struggle along the season.
UST is still the most successful school in the UAAP with 40 overall titles.
