University of Santo Tomas’ return to the University Athletic Association of the Philippines women’s basketball throne holds a deeper meaning for head coach Haydee Ong.
Aside from the Growling Tigresses ending a 17-year title drought and bagging her first title as head coach, the exciting Season 86 finale between UST and powerhouse National University has reignited the public’s interest in women’s basketball.
An advocate for the development of the sport, Ong liked what she saw in Game 3 of the finals last Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Although the audience turnout paled in comparison with the record 25,192 gate attendance of the De La Salle University-University of the Philippines men’s Game 3, the crowd watching the women’s sudden death looked promising.
“That’s what I’m here for. That’s the reason why I don’t want to retire,” Ong said after the Tigresses completed a dramatic come-from-behind, 71-69, win to topple the seven-season reign of the Lady Bulldogs.
“I really wanted women’s basketball to be as popular as the women’s volleyball,” the former national women’s team head coach, who took over the UST coaching rein last 2016.
The first finals that went the distance after a decade was not decided until the last second.
A thrilling windup got the crowd excited as UST came back from a 15-point hole late in the third quarter before making a huge run especially in the closing minutes of the game.
Graduating player Tantoy Ferrer gave everything she had to lead the Tigresses’ offense but it was Kent Pastrana and Nikki Villasin who came up with the late-game heroics.
Pastrana pulled UST back in the game before Villasin sank the go-ahead transition layup that turned out to be the championship-clinching basket.
The closing moments got everyone up on their feet.
“Slowly they see how good women’s basketball players are playing right now. In fact, there are now more males watching the game because they really are impressed with what women’s basketball players are capable of,” Ong said.
But the mentor’s ultimate dream is for women’s basketball to go up to a higher level, which will give players a career beyond collegiate wars.
“Hopefully, we’ll have a professional league as well,” she said.
