Finals-bound UST leans on ‘identity’ in UAAP women’s basketball title bid

MANILA, Philippines – All tried, but none truly touched the UST Growling Tigresses in the UAAP Season 88 women’s basketball tournament. After a 14-game sweep and an outright finals berth, the Tigresses know the title chance is now theirs to protect.

According to UST head coach Haydee Ong, who is also the commissioner of the WMPBL, their championship chase will be a litmus test of their program’s character, one that they have built in the past decade. 

“Now that the opportunity is here already, that we’re going straight to the finals, I think what matters is our character and our identity as a team in how we handle the championship series against any team,” she said after the Tigresses finished the elimination round with a 101-84 win over the FEU Lady Tamaraws on Wednesday, November 26. 

The elimination-round sweep is UST’s first since the league began officially tracking statistics in 2003. It also triggered a stepladder Final Four, where UST will wait for its finals foe. 

UST was also dominant throughout the entire season, winning by an average margin of 32.71 points. 

The sweep came after a year of reflection for the Tigresses, following their Season 87 finals loss to NU, whose squad they dethroned a year prior to end the Lady Bulldogs’ seven-year reign as UAAP women’s basketball champions. 

With the Tigresses steamrolling the field all season, Ong says the real challenge now falls on her coaching staff to keep the team grounded and ready for the finals.

“As coaches, we are going to help them prepare for that scenario in the championship,” she said. “But the rest of the challenge will fall to the players.”

Ong has leaned on her veterans all season, riding the poise of former MVP Eka Soriano and Kent Pastrana, while reinforcement Oma Onianwa stabilized the interior they sorely lacked in Season 87.

Pastrana led the team in the elimination round with averages of 16.21 points, 6.79 rebounds, and 4.36 assists per game. 

The team also had numerous key pieces on their roster, including guards Brig Santos and Karylle Sierba, and forwards Coi Danganan and Agatha Bron. 

For Ong, the other players’ contributions hinged on Onianwa’s gravity on the court. 

“I’m telling Oma, even though there are no stats, but the gravity whenever she is on the court, it’s a big thing,” Ong said. “It opens up our shooters. We got more second-chance points because Oma draws two or three players when it comes to offensive rebounding. To me, Oma is very crucial and vital. I keep pushing her on training.”

Oniama tallied 10.21 points and 9.21 rebounds per game in the eliminations for the Tigresses. 

Now, just two wins away from reclaiming the crown for the second time in three years, Ong aims to keep her players fresh and sharpened, while ensuring their hunger stays exactly where it needs to be.

“Rehab is important for the players. It’s not a very easy season,” she said. “We still have two more games to end the season, so we will take a break after this, reset, and review what needs to be improved for ourselves because we still don’t know who our competitor is.”  – Rappler.com