WHEN one of them couldn’t find his groove, the two other stepped up.
That’s how the Tiger Cubs’ Big 3—Prince Martin, Alvin Ungria, and Nicko Bahia—played all season long, complementing each other especially in crucial stretches. Though the team didn’t bag the title, the Cubs improved from sixth to third place this year.
Unfortunately for the Cubs, they will be without the trio next season. The Big 3 will be showcasing their skills in the collegiate ranks, hoping to land spots in the loaded Growling Tigers’ roster.
The 5’11’ Martin, a product of the School of St. Andrew, had a breakout season with the Cubs, with two career-high, 40-point games. He averaged 16.1 points and seven rebounds in 15 games this season.
In the FCBL-Freego Cup last May, Martin displayed his torrid shooting, collecting 40 points, including nine triples, to lead the Cubs against Chiang Kai Shek College, 75-63.
He later duplicated this feat the second round of the UAAP when he exploded for 41 markers on an 11 of 16 field-goal shooting as UST turned back the De La Salle Junior Archers, 85-63.
The 17-year-old Martin was later included in the Top 10 Outstanding by the Philippine Secondary Schools Basketball Championship (PSSBC) as he averaged 15 markers per game. He is now training with the Growling Tigers. so he has to work hard and wait for his break to come.
“I know that it’s really different in college. It‘s survival of the fittest and I‘ll try my best [to be a member of the Tigers],” he said.
Junior ‘beast’
Ungria was named selected in the UAAP junior’s mythical five after averaging 15.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per outing. Not bad for forward, who, at 5’11,” is relatively small for the position. But he makes up for it in explosiveness.
Ungria scattered 31 points in the Cubs’ 83-77 victory over the Ateneo Blue Eaglets in the first round.
Bahia played a crucial role, especially during crunch times, in his two years as a Tiger Cub.
In a game against University of the Philippines where he tallied his season-high 18 points, the agile shooting guard, known for his pull-up jumpers, chipped in two crucial three-pointers. His efforts helped the Cubs earn their ninth win and book a ticket to the Final Four.
A transferee from Ateneo High School, he was the focal point of offense in Season 74, following the departure of Kevin Ferrer, the previous season’s MVP. The Cubs finished at sixth place with five wins and nine losses, the worst in five years, that time.
Bahia helped changed things the following year. With the help of Martin and Ungria, he led the Cubs to a decent third-place finish.
“Every game, you should be all-out because the next game could be a do-or-die game. I’m glad all my perseverance paid off,” said Bahia, who averaged 10 markers per game this season. Alexis U. Cerado
