BACK IN the hunt.
If their recent victory in the Futures Basketball League is any indication, the UST Tiger Cubs are poised to bounce back from a dismal Season 70 campaign when the UAAP juniors basketball wars unfurl in July next year.
The Tiger Cubs, split into two training teams, flashed its new look in an all-UST finale where Team A humbled its Team B counterparts, 83-73, to rule the tournament’s boys division last December 2 at the La Consolacion College gym.
Powered by Cedric Labing-isa, who took MVP honors in the 14-year-old bracket, UST-A capped the 10-team, four-month joust with an immaculate 6-0 win-loss record, beating their opponents by an average margin of 38.2 points per game.
“We are a new team right now. Our players are slowly fitting into the new system. The holdovers like Cedric (Labing-isa) and Joseph (Luna) have quickly matured. They are now the leaders of the team,” coach Alan Asque told the Varsitarian. “It’s still a long way to go before the UAAP starts and we intend to maximize the off-season in time for Season 71.”
Going into the finals, UST-A demolished University of the Philippines Integrated School, 78-57 last September 30, Elizabeth Seton School, 86-21 and Antipolo Our Lady of Lourdes School, 113-21 last October 21 and 28, respectively to enter the quarterfinals where they posted a 113-21 manhandling of Don Bosco-Mandaluyong last November 18.
In the semifinals, UST-A downed UAAP champion De La Salle-Zobel, 87-63 to arrange a finals duel with Team B, which clobbered Don Bosco Caritas-Biñan, 68-59 in the other round-of-4 pairing.
Earlier in the competition, UST-B dropped its first game but regained its bearing in the next, repulsing Sta. Clara Academy, 79-70 last September 30, seven days after dropping a 60-63 contest to Holy Trinity Academy.
UST-B claimed its third victory via default over Chiang Kai Shek Academy last October 14 before ripping St Claire-Antipolo, 101-27, in the quarterfinals last November 18. Meanwhile, Luna was named MVP in the 16-year-old category.
The Tiger Cubs’ off-season triumph came at the heels of its worst UAAP finish in years, ranking dead-last with only two wins to show against 12 losses.
Fresh starts
With the departure of eleven players from the Tiger Cubs liar last season, Ascue believes that the time is ripe to begin anew.
“The rebuilding process will focus on assembling a team that we can lean on for two to three seasons. Expect the team to be strong once they have played together for a season or two,” he said. “We will be competitive next year. I will instill in my players the heart needed to overcome obstacles. We will be back with a bang.” With reports from Paul Nicholas P. Dimerin and Ana Mae G. Roa
