People said it couldn’t be done. Hobbled by player injuries, UST lagged behind ADMU and UE in the second round of the UAAP Men’s Basketball competitions. Many people dismissed UST for the Final Four.
But if there is one team that can come back strong, it is the Tigers. They beat ADMU convincingly to claim the last slot in the Final Four. They faced the top-seeded NU Bulldogs with a twice-to-beat disadvantage. Again, many thought it couldn’t be done. No 4th seed has ever beaten a top seed to get into the Finals and 1st seeds always made it to the Finals.
But this is UST we are talking about. The Tigers, claws and fangs bared, demolished NU in two cardiac games to enter the Finals series.
In 2006, 3rd seed UST made history as it beat 2nd seed, barged into the Finals and won. This year, UST claimed another spot in the UAAP history book for its feat versus NU.
Today, the UST-DLSU Finals series begins. Should be a very interes-Teng yellow-green battle. This takes me back to my high school days at UST EHS, 1993-1997 – also known as the Tigers’ glory era. Also the time of the yellow-green rivalry.
Here are my most favourite scenes and personalities from that era:
1. How the Araneta Coliseum would look like springtime with all its yellow and green colors
2. The freaking posters
– Hi Jason! From Carmela
– Tuition nyo, allowance lang namin
– Utak nyo, allowance lang namin
– School nyo, parking lot lang namin
– God is a Thomasian
3. The super unbiased game analyst Joaqui Trillo (I kid, of course)
4. Numerous campus celebrations and parades
5. Fighting over every copy of The Varsitarian special championship edition – hey, it’s got pictures of the team in there
6. Hounding players for their autographs. – Remember, this was the time before smartphones ever came into existence. I never got an autograph from Gerard Francisco, even if I waited by his car almost every morning. Pfft.
7. Big names – Coach Aric del Rosario, Dennis Espino, Rey Evangelista, Bal David, Chris Cantonjos, Estong “Estrong” Ballesteros, Siot Tanquincen, Dale Singson, Henry Ong (Tata Bautista’s sharp shooting predecessor?), Richard Yee, Gerard Francisco, Udoy Belmonte and my ultimate crush Patrick Fran.
This Finals series is sure to bring lots of great memories too. I look forward to a cardiac series between two great teams with very interesting personalities. Teng vs Teng. Karim vs the entire DLSU frontline. Emotional Quotes Pido vs the emotionless Juno Sauler.
Should be one heck of a series. Go USTe!
Rein
you got me at “my ultimate crush, Patrick Fran and Emotional Quotes Pido, haha! adik ka talaga! RAWR 😀