Tag: 2015

UNFORTUNATELY, the third time still was not the charm.

The Tigers, for the third time in the last four years, ended another season with a heartbreak, losing to the FEU Tamaraws in three games for the UAAP basketball championship.

In the winner-take-all game, UST stormed back from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter as Ed Daquioag took over and gave the Tigers a six-point lead, 59-53, with over three minutes left in the game.

But FEU’s Roger Pogoy had other plans. He scored seven straight points to secure the Tamaraws’ 20th basketball title and their first since 2005.

THE UST Tigresses failed to notch a semifinals spot for the first time in three years following a 53-64 overtime loss in their do-or-die game against the Ateneo Lady Eagles in the UAAP Season 78 women’s basketball tournament held at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym last Nov. 18.

The Tigresses finished fifth place with a 6-9 record.

After forcing overtime, the Tigresses ran out of steam and blew their chance to take the lead after missing all of their four fastbreak layup attempts.

The Tigresses trimmed Ateneo’s 16-point lead to six at the start of the fourth quarter, 34-40, after a furious 17-7 run led by Misaela Larosa and team captain Maica Cortes.

THE UST Growling Tigers booked a spot in the Final 4 with an 83-76 victory over the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in the UAAP Season 78 men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena last Oct. 25.

Kevin Ferrer, who shot an awful 1-of-11 from the field in UST’s loss to the Ateneo de Manila University, led the Tigers’ offense with a career-high 29 points, 23 of them coming in the second half, and a season-high 14 rebounds.

Veterans Louie Vigil and Ed Daquioag chipped in 16 and 15 markers, respectively.

Ferrer and Daquioag led a 7-2 rally in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Fighting Maroons, 76-68.

THE UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe (SDT) recorded its best finish in seven years, placing second to defending champion National University (NU) Pep Squad in the 2015 UAAP Cheerdance Competition at the Mall of Asia Arena last Oct. 3.

Performing before a record crowd of 25,388, Salinggawi and its African-inspired routine got 651.5 points behind NU’s 668 points.

With an inarguably perfect routine, SDT led the competition in the dance criteria with 354 points with a deduction only three points. But NU’s caveman-themed routine was still good points for its third straight cheerdance crown.

This was SDT’s fifth silver in cheerdance history. Salinggawi still shares the most number of cheerdance titles with University of the Philippines Pep Squad at eight.

THOMASIAN athletes are hungrier than ever to keep the overall crown in España. Here is the second part of The Varsitarian’s prediction of the University's performance for the first semester sports this UAAP Season 78.

Growling Tigers
Last year: Sixth place
Prediction: Finals

With Ed Daquioag’s emergence as an MVP-caliber player, along with Kevin Ferrer's and Karim Abdul’s steady performance, the Tigers are primed to go to the last dance after stumbling to a 5-9 finish last season.

The Tigers’ bench, one of the deepest in the UAAP, will be spearheaded by sharpshooters Renzo Subido and Louie Vigil, along with rookie scorers Mario Bonleon, Enrique Caunan, Marvin Lee, and Zachary Huang.

THE VULNERABILITY of homegrown talents being lured by other universities has been intensified with the enactment of a new law that “protects and promotes the rights of student-athletes.”

Republic Act No. 10676 or the “Student-Athlete Protection Act” voids the UAAP's mandatory two-year residency, implemented in 2013, on high school student-athletes not released by their alma mater.

Section 4 of the law, enacted last Aug. 26, states that “residency shall not be imposed on a student-athlete who is a high school graduate enrolling in a college or university” while collegiate transfers would only be limited to a maximum of one-year residency.

UST Golden Tigresses’ hopes of ending a three-year finals dry spell vanished after a straight-set loss to UAAP defending champions Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles, 18-25, 18-25, 19-25, in a do-or-die Game 3 of the 12th Shakey’s V-League Collegiate Conference semifinals at the San Juan Arena last. Sept. 16.

The Lady Eagles dominated with 32 attack points, nine block points and seven aces.

UST only had 27 attack points, three block points and four service aces while committing a 27 errors.

Ateneo was leading 24-14 in the last frame before UST racked up five straight points. A service error from Tigress EJ Laure secured the Lady Eagles a finals berth.

EVEN THE country's premiere collegiate sports league is not immune from dirty politics.

Just last August 28, President Aquino signed Republic Act (RA) 10676 or the Student-Athletes Protection Act junking the two-year residency enforced by the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) on high school athletes opting to play for another school in collegiate level.

Under the new law, student athletic associations like the UAAP and the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) are barred from imposing residency requirements on high school athletes who are transferring to another college.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Tiger Spikers
Nakaraang taon: Ikalawang puwesto
Prediksiyon: Kampeon

Pangungunahan ni Season 76 Rookie of the Year Kris Roy Guzman ang kampanya ng Tiger Spikers ngayong taon patungo sa titulo kasama ang bagong katambal na si Anthony Lemuel Arbasto.

Mamumuhunan sa depensa ang koponan bunsod ng pagkawala ng beteranong si Mark Gil Alfafara na pinangunahan ang koponan sa huling dalawang taon.

“Nag-mature na siya (Guzman) at saka nakapaglaro na siya sa Nestea [beach volleyball competition] kaya malaki‘yung advantage niya,” ani Tiger Spikers assistant coach John Paul Doloiras.