College of Santo Tomas labored its manner in the direction of getting the shot to defend its UAAP ladies’s basketball crown.
However there have been no huge on-court celebrations, only a crew huddle after the ultimate buzzer and a gingerly stroll again to the dugout after the college hymn. That’s as a result of the Growling Tigresses know what’s forward of them.
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Santo Tomas stopped Adamson lifeless on its tracks on the shut of the stepladder semifinals on Wednesday at Sensible Araneta Coliseum and might be squaring off in opposition to a well-known foe in Nationwide College (NU) for the Season 87 championship with each finalists eyeing a type of redemption.
No facet has been capable of cease the Girl Bulldogs this season, and erasing the 2 losses of their document within the elimination in opposition to Nationwide U is spurring the Tigresses of their bid to repeat.
For the Bulldogs, getting again on the crew that unseated them final season after a seven-year reign is greater than sufficient motivation.
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“It’s redemption season for NU,” Santo Tomas coach Haydee Ong mentioned. “For us, it’s going to be we wish a repeat this season, to have the back-to-back [championship].”
“We’ll show ourselves to our supporters that what we have been capable of do final season [was no fluke],” veteran guard Kent Pastrana mentioned in Filipino. “We’ll do what we have to do and we wish to [take the gold] back-to-back.”
Not a secret weapon
Pastrana was once more the tip of the sharp Santo Tomas sword in opposition to the Falcons, ending two assists shy of a triple double after dropping 23 factors that went with 16 rebounds.
She’ll be the exact same weapon that can lead the Tigresses of their repeat bid when the Finals begins subsequent week.
Nationwide U made it to the title sequence outright after sweeping the eliminations, leaving the second-ranked Tigresses awaiting the winner of the Adamson-Ateneo match within the first recreation of the stepladder semifinals.
The Girl Falcons actually confirmed their price, even taking the lead on the half after a bum begin that had them trailing, 21-4.
That’s why Ong was furious on the halftime break.
“I scared them,” Ong joked when requested what the dialog was together with her wards at halftime. “The adjustment of what we have to do within the second half was essential and the women have been capable of execute.
“These in-game changes have been actually essential in the course of the Closing 4 and particularly now that we’re going to the championship,” she added. “We have to work extra and work more durable collectively for NU.”
Undersized huge CJ Maglupay was environment friendly with 13 factors on 75 p.c taking pictures aside from 11 rebounds and 6 steals for the Tigresses, who additionally drew 10 factors from Cheesy Tacatac and Brigette Santos, who had seven steals.
“We’re at all times the underdogs and [the Bulldogs] at all times have the benefit so we actually must work,” Ong mentioned of the approaching best-of-three sequence. “We have to work [hard] to beat them.”
