Tag: Vol. LXXXIV

MOTHERS know best, they say. And sometimes, a gamble that puts a large part of one’s future at stake, works wonders for some people. Like yours truly.

The thought provoked me after I visited the Lord’s Ten Commandments last night for the first time since fifth grade and found something perennially relevant.

“Honor thy father and mother,” the fifth commandment read.

The commandment entails obedience, a much-coveted luxury I made sure my parents would get from me scot-free. I entrusted to them, especially to my mother, my life’s steering wheel. I just took the back seat, watched things unfold before me, and let her get the job done for her son.

FORMER UST team captains stepped up for the Lady Spikers in the Shakey’s V-League.

The duo of open spiker Aiza Maizo and setter Rhea Dimaculangan, who both suited up as guest players of UST, powered the Lady Spikers against Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 25-16, 25-23, 25-20, at The Arena in San Juan last April 25 to assure UST of a spot in the quarterfinals.

Maizo and Dimaculangan, both former MVPs, chalked up 16 points and 24 successful sets to help the Lady Spikers win their last elimination round assignment before the quarterfinals last April 30. The second-seeded UST sits behind defending champions Ateneo de Manila University in the Group A standings with a 3-1 win-loss card.

FOR THE first time since the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) finals, the Growling Tigers tangled with Ateneo de Manila University sans the pint-sized guard Jeric Fortuna.

But the Tigers still managed to pull off a 63-57 victory over the Blue Eagles despite a sloppy start at The Arena in San Juan last April 20.

Assistant coach Estong Ballesteros said the Tigers felt the absence of the veteran playmaker, who is now with the San Miguel Beermen in the Asean Basketball League (ABL), as they seemed to be out-of-sync on the offensive end early in the game.

FOLLOWING criticisms on the new residency rule from athletes and supporters alike, the UAAP board has added a new clause to minimize the impact on transferring athletes.

With the revision, an athlete who transferred to another UAAP-member school can play right away provided that he secures a release paper from his former school.

“An incoming collegiate athlete who is a high school graduate from a UAAP-member university and enrolled in another member university shall take a mandatory two-year residency, except when a prior release is issued by the member university for the athletes concerned,” the UAAP board said in a statement last April 24.

THE UST Tigresses relied on the late-game heroics of veteran players Lore Rivera and Maica Cortes to topple University of the Philippines (UP), 70-65, and clinch their first win in the Filoil Flying V Pre-season Cup at The Arena in San Juan last April 27.

Rivera delivered a double-double performance for UST with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Cortes had a monster game as well with 17 markers and 21 boards.

With four minutes to play, UST made an 8-2 run highlighted by Rivera’s putback to erect a six-point lead, 57-51.

But UP’s Bea Daez, who scored a game-high 23 points, capitalized on several turnovers committed by the España-based cagebelles to reduce the gap to one, 61-62.

RETURNING point guard Tristan Laman delivered a solid all-around performance to lead the UST Tiger Cubs past University of the Philippines, 79-75, in the Filoil Flying V Pre-season Premier Cup at The Arena in San Juan last April 26.

Laman, who missed the last UAAP season due to an elbow injury, dropped 12 of his 19 points in the playoff period to help UST win its first game in two outings. He also dished out four assists and seven steals. The Cubs improved to a 1-1 win-loss card.

Diego Dario led the Junior Maroons with a game-high 32 markers, scoring mostly on easy layups against UST’s fragile defense down low.

“His (Laman) maturity and his veteran smarts are now showing in the court,” coach Allan Ascue said.

THERE is no such thing as unrealized potentials, only unfulfilled promises.

UST Tiger Jin Christian Al Dela Cruz may not be tagged as a promising taekwondo player early in his career. But that did not keep him from becoming a winner.

He has collected major awards in local and international competitions, including the UAAP Season 75 Athlete of the Year award. It was no easy feat for someone who had no special trait other than his bulky 5'10" frame.

Head coach Dindo Simpao does not think so. What separated dela Cruz from the rest was his dedication to learn and improve.

“He greatly exceeded my expectations,” Simpao said. “What carried him through was his persistence, diligence and personality.”

IF NOT for the love for UST, he would have gone overseas to pursue a career in billiards.

Highly-touted Thomasian poolshark Rodlin John “RJ” Bautista believes education should still be on top of everything. For him, success in billiards will be much sweeter after earning a college diploma.

“There were offers [to play abroad] but UST is a good school, and I prioritize my education,” Bautista said, who is taking up Marketing at the College of Commerce and Business Administration.

At 18, he has already collected numerous awards in and out of the country. The latest one came last Jan. 13 when he regained his title in the Tiger Cup 10-ball tournament at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City, besting 200 amateur and professional players.

WHY JOURNALISM? This is what most of my professors in the Faculty of Arts and Letters asked when I was still a freshman. I really did not know the answer until I passed the qualifying and specialized examinations of the Varsitarian in 2011. Honestly speaking, I planned to transfer to another university and enroll in a different course, but everything changed when I became one of the writers of the V’s Witness section, the religion section. Before that, I was just an ordinary student of UST who attended class and did class requirements.

When I was a kid, I always told myself that I would play not only in the Philippine Basketball Association but also in the National Basketball Association of the United States.

I prepped up myself, attending summer basketball clinics and participating in different minor leagues. All my hard work paid off when I became a varsity player in high school and before entering college, one of the top schools of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Philippine Christian University (PCU), put me on their wish list. But I decided to enrol in UST because I had wanted to join the UST Growling Tigers. Eventually, PCU was removed from the NCAA and my confidence grew as much as my desire to play ball for the Tigers.