INSIDE THE familiar walls of the Blue Eagle Gym, where he once donned the blue and white, Forthsky Padrigao walked into the hardwood, this time in gold and white, composed and ready to face his past.
The UST guard, who ran Ateneo’s offense with poise and flair for season 84 and 85, returned to his old nest along Katipunan on Saturday, October 11, not as a prodigal son seeking redemption, but as a leader on a mission.
By the end of a grueling triple-overtime battle, Padrigao and the Growling Tigers clawed out a 98–89 victory over the Blue Eagles in one of the most dramatic encounters of the UAAP men’s hoops.
The moment, which was witnessed by a sprinkling of yellow-clad spectators in a sea of blue, belonged unmistakably to Padrigao.
Before the tip-off, Padrigao made a quiet gesture of respect, kneeling to touch the center court containing the iconic blue eagle logo. He once celebrated victories, including the Season 85 championship, in that very stadium where he helped his fellow Tigers hand the Blue Eagles their second loss this season.
The victory was made more remarkable by the fact that the game saw the first triple-overtime in the 32-year history of the UAAP Final Four era.
“I have the utmost respect for Ateneo,” Padrigao told The Flame after the game.
“I’m really grateful for the time I spent here, but I’m truly happy for us, for UST, especially for my teammates and my coaches, because we really worked hard for this win. My teammates showed heart and grit, and that’s why we came out victorious in this game.”
Because of their dramatic victory, the Tigers now sit atop the leaderboard at 4–1 with the NU Bulldogs, the only squad that has tarnished their record so far.
From blue to gold
For two seasons, Padrigao wore the Ateneo colors with pride, guiding the team to a title in 2022. Now in his final UAAP playing year, he led UST with the same calm, calculating demeanor that once made him a Katipunan favorite.
The game itself was an instant classic. What began as a tense back-and-forth duel evolved into a war of attrition that stretched through three exhausting extra periods.
Padrigao had a sluggish start, scoreless in the opening frame as Ateneo surged early. But like all great floor generals, he found his rhythm when it mattered most.
He scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half and first overtime, orchestrating UST’s offense and hitting crucial shots when the game and emotions hung in the balance. With 39.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter, he buried a cold-blooded three-pointer to tie the game, silencing the crowd that once roared for him.
He followed it up with another clutch triple in the first overtime, keeping UST alive to unleash a decisive 13–4 run in the third extra frame to seize control.
“I just had to make the shot and move on to the next play because the game wasn’t over yet,” Padrigao said.
“These are the kinds of shots I always practice, so at that moment I just had to shoot the ball—actually, nothing on my mind.”
For Padrigao, the night was both a reunion with friends and mentors and a test of composure.
“I have good friends here in Ateneo. They watched, they even asked tickets from me,” he said during the post-game press conference.
Once the sharpshooter that dazzled Katipunan, he’s now UST’s emotional compass — steady, vocal and unafraid of the moment.
“I just needed to do my job and my role with the team. Nothing personal for me. I treated this game as a regular game,” he said.
“I think that’s what was needed from us, and that’s our job now as leaders—we really needed to step up and do our part.” F
