The UST Growling Tigresses believe they could be the David to NU’s Goliath
THE UST Growling Tigresses expect Round 2 of the UAAP women’s basketball tournament to be a war, but they’re ready to continue making a splash despite their youth and lack of size.
The Tigresses ended the first round with a 6-1 win-loss slate, with their only loss coming from the NU Lady Bulldogs, who have yet to be beaten since 2013.
UST head coach Haydee Ong credited the Tigresses’ stellar first-round performance to the team’s strong emotional bond they developed during the lockdowns.
“One advantage ay during the pandemic, I got to know the players more,” she told the Varsitarian. “I made sure that every day on Zoom I see the girls and we pray the rosary together. It’s very important to us, it bound us together even more during the pandemic.”
And the team’s chemistry worked wonders in the first round, where the Tigresses ranked second overall in both offense and defense.
The Tigresses scored 84.71 points per game (ppg) on 41.49-percent shooting while holding opponents to 61.0 ppg on 33.41-percent shooting in the first round.
They were the top team in three-point shooting, converting a league-best 31.76 percent from three.
Ong said what her players lack in height they make up for in shooting and hustle.
“Hindi mo alam sinong puputok because everybody can score,” she said. “And ‘yung mga rookies ko, especially ‘yung bigs ko, very coachable, so talagang maganda ‘yung samahan namin.”
The team is composed of eight first-year players and four holdovers from Season 82.
“I think what’s special about this team is halos lahat rookie,” the coach said. “They are really really working hard together kahit hindi lang sa points, ‘yung role nila that was given to them, ‘yun ‘yung ginagawa.”
But even though her team had the second-best record through the first round, Ong said she was expecting tougher competition in the next round.
“This second war is the war that we’ve all been waiting for because all coaches will be scouting us, all coaches will be adjusting,” she said. “At the end of the day, ang sabi ko lang, kung sinong mas maraming bala, kung sinong always prepared, will always win the war”.
The Tigresses are led by the four-headed monster of Tacky Tacatac, Eka Soriano, Joylyn Pangilinan and Nikki Villasin.
Tacatac and Soriano were part of the Grace Irebu-led Season 82 team that fell to NU in the finals. Meanwhile, Pangilinan, a one-and-done for the Tigresses, and Villasin, a two-and-through, are recent recruits who also play big roles in UST’s leadership hierarchy.
The four combined for 54.61 ppg in the first round, higher than the scoring average of the entire University of the East team that had the league’s lowest average scoring output.
“Right now, nakikita ko sa team na ‘to, lahat kami nagtutulungan kahit maliit lang kami,” Tacatac said. “Kahit maiwan ka, confident ka na may sasalo sayo, kasi walang nangiiwan samin, kada isa samin ready na sumalo sa isa’t isa.”
Tacatac also said the Tigresses were able to gel in the first round because players were ready to accept their roles.
“I’m very happy na ginagampanan nila nang maayos yung roles nila, and yung energy na binibigay nila sa team is helpful talaga, kasi, doon nagsstart talaga ‘yung energy ng bawat isa,” she said.
Villasin, who only joined the team in July, said she immediately saw how hardworking her teammates were.
“I know we’re gonna go Final Four and we’re gonna be in the championship because everyone works too hard,” she said. “They never rest and they’re always watching basketball. You go home, you’ll hear them watching basketball. They’re always improving.”
NU matchup
Ong said she was confident the Tigresses could be the David to NU’s Goliath this season.
The Tigresses fell short against the NU in their first-round matchup by just three points. During the game, the Tigresses outscored the Lady Bulldogs in every quarter except the first, which NU won by 11 points.
“Very formidable team pa rin ang NU, sila pa rin ang team to beat sa women’s basketball,” Ong said. “But we could be the David to their Goliath. It boils down to our defense—our individual defense and team defense.”
UST and NU are the top two teams in both inside and perimiter scoring. The Tigresses are best in the league in perimeter scoring with 39.14 ppg (NU at No. 2 with 28.14 ppg), while the Lady Bulldogs dominate the inside with 46.57 ppg (UST at No. 2 with 36.86 ppg).
The Lady Bulldogs bolster a roster taller than UST’s, but the Tigresses edged them in offensive rebounding numbers in the first round, 135-120.
“Opposite kami e. Malalaki sila, malalakas sila sa ilalim compared sa amin. Walang beterano sa bigs namin. Much better sila sa ilalim, pero I could say na may laban kami from the outside. Ayun ‘yung bala namin talaga, yung outside shots namin,” Tacatac said.
According to Soriano, the Tigresses also have better endurance than the Lady Bulldogs.
“Kasi ako, naniniwala ako na mas lamang kami sa kanila sa hangin, sa takbuhan, sa stamina. Mas matangkad lang sila pero mas naniniwala ako sa sistema namin,” she said.
Because of their perimeter-oriented play, the Tigresses ranked dead last in free throw attempts. They only shot 13.43 free throw attempts per game in the first round, far from the Lady Bulldogs’ 24.43 attempts per game, the second-best in the league.
Ong said that in the second round, UST would be more aggressive in attacking the box, especially in transition.
“Ang sinasabi ko lagi, we may not be the best team in the league, but as coaches we should find strategies, plans for out team to succeed,” Ong said. “So that’s what we’re doing right now.”
