DRIVEN BY last season’s heartbreak, the NU Lady Bulldogs barked louder than before to drown out the roars of the UST Growling Tigresses and reclaim the UAAP crown.
In a highly emotional winner-take-all bout, the Lady Bulldogs subdued the defending champions Growling Tigresses to clinch their eighth title in nine years, 78-73, on Sunday, Dec. 15, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“We gave it our all….I’m just sad that we didn’t win the championship, but I’m happy because we fought hard,” UST veteran Tacatac said postgame.
“I told my teammates that I didn’t score in the last game… I’m grateful that I was able to contribute, even if it wasn’t enough,” she added.
Tacatac is set to leave the Tigresses next season after exhausting her playing years in the UAAP.
UST opened strong after guards Eka Soriano and Brigette Santos drained early threes to mount an 11-6 advantage. The Lady Bulldogs responded with a 7-0 run but Tigress rookie Karylle Sierba nailed a corner triple to close the first frame, 17-all.
NU picked up the pace in the second salvo as rookie sensation Cielo Pagdulagan spearheaded a 10-0 blitz to push a 34-27 advantage. UST fought back with an 11-4 run, putting the game at a 38-all deadlock by hafttime.
In the second half, the aggressive Jhocson-based squad exploited the España team’s scoring drought as it built a commanding 50-38 cushion. Despite efforts from UST’s Mythical Five member Kent Pastrana and Sierba, Pagdulagan kept NU in control, 65-49.
UST manged to outscore NU in the final period 23-13. Down by double-digits in the last 10 minutes, Tacatac scored 11 crucial points to breathe life into the Tigresses. But it was already too late to stop the Lady Bulldogs from regaining the title they lost last year .
Pagdulagan, who was named Finals MVP, steered NU to victory with 20 points, nine assists and three rebounds. Veterans Angel Surada and Camille Clarin added 14 markers each, while Karl Pingol chipped in 10.
Only two UST players reached double digits. Sierba tallied 20 points, while Tacatac added 14 points in her farewell game. Pastrana was limited to just eight points.
“For me, I feel like I wasn’t able to fight hard enough for them, especially with the promise I made to Tacky to give her a great exit. But I’m so proud of her—so proud of all of them,” Pastrana said. F – Nicole Atuan
