Tag: July 18

UST IS in unfamiliar territory after losing the general championship anew to the De La Salle University last year.

Can the Growling Tigers revive their historic dynasty and secure their 40th UAAP overall title or will the Green Archers make it three in a row and start their own?

Here is the Varsitarian’s fearless forecast on UST’s quest for redemption in UAAP Season 77.

BADMINTON

Male Shuttlers
Last Year: Third Place
Prediction: Fourth Place

NEW COACH Bong Dela Cruz had a tough UAAP debut as his Growling Tigers were crushed by the National University Bulldogs, 40-59, in their season opener at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum last July 13.

A championship-caliber team heading into Season 77, the Tigers committed a total of 26 turnovers, 17 of them during a disastrous second half where NU pulled away for good.

The Bulldogs turned a 16-point lead after three quarters into a 21-point margin with less than a minute left in the game. They capitalized on UST’s poor field goal shooting, a mere 24 percent compared to NU’s 42 percent.

“Our team has many scorers, but [they] failed to deliver during the game,” Dela Cruz said.

UST’s top sports official has expressed reservations over a Senate bill seeking to abolish the UAAP’s two-year residency rule to supposedly “protect and promote the rights” of student athletes.

Fr. Ermito de Sagon, O.P., director of the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics, was doubtful that the proposed Student-Athletes Protection Act could really keep schools from providing unwarranted benefits to lure players.

“I don’t think this bill will solve the problem because any school or university can deny the fact that they are giving excess incentives to their athletes,” he told the Varsitarian.

THE UST Tigresses missed crucial free throws down the stretch and bowed to the defending champion De La Salle University, 50-56, in their first game in the UAAP women’s basketball tournament last July 13.

UST’s Grace Brillantes missed four straight freethrows late in the fourth quarter with her squad trailing by 11 point.

“We still had our opening jitters. We had flaws on both ends but the bottom line is, our free throws cost us the game, especially the free throws in the last minute,” Tigresses head coach Chris Cantonjos said in Filipino.

The Lady Archers erected an 11-point lead in the fourth frame, 52-41, after Trisha Piatos erupted for eight straight points, including two three-pointers.

Rica Jane Rivera and Cherry Ann Rondina, both standouts from the 2014 Palarong Pambansa in Laguna, will suit up for UST, replacing Pam Lastimosa and Maru Banaticla.

Though both rookies, Rivera and Rondina already have the confidence of veterans as they enter the collegiate beach volleyball scene.

“What we will make them [opponents] feel during the game is that they are playing against veterans,” the 16-year-old Rivera said.

The newest duo for the Golden Tigresses are banking on their experience in the Philippine National Games (PNG) where they earned a silver medal last May 24.

UAAP 77 officially kicked off last July 12, featuring an astronomy-inspired opening ceremony led by University of the East (UE), this season’s host at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

With the theme “Unity in Excellence,” eight planet-like spheres were shown hanging above the rafters representing each member university as one united universe.

In her opening speech, UE President Esther Albano Garcia encouraged participating schools to remain united despite the high level of competition. She said victory was best celebrated together.

Fr. Ermito De Sagon, O.P., director of the UST Institute of Physical Education and Athletics, agreed saying unity did not necessarily mean that the quality of games should diminish.