DISCLAIMER: To non-Filipinos, this post might mean no sense. Haha.
“We are the Tigers, the mighty mighty Tigers. We came to cheer and to WIN IT WITH NO FEAR.â€
I am a Journalism junior at the University of Santo Tomas, and ever since my freshman year I’ve been one of the (very) few who supported our basketball team (the UST Growling Tigers), win or lose. Part of my reason is because I’ve been into the sport since I was a kid. Another reason is because (duh) I study in this particular school. And finally, some of the players are my friends/acquaintances—which is probably the biggest factor.
In my first year, I watched 1 winning game & 2 losing games out of 14 in the UAAP, plus a bunch more in different leagues. During my second year, I watched 1 losing game & 1 winning game, also out of 14 in the UAAP, and some more in different leagues again. But this year, apart from supporting my friend Jojo Duncil & his team (TeleTech Titans) in the PBL all summer, I watched 14 out of 18 games this season of the UAAP. And the UST Growling Tigers emerged as the champions after a 10-year drought.
They started out as underdogs—winning no more than 10 games in the previous 2 seasons (more often than not, I went home from the live venue or turn the TV off disappointed), and only 2 out of 6 in the first elimination round. They have been eyed by the top-seeded teams as a loser team, a team that can be beaten even by the bottom team (who usually don’t win a single game in each season). Yes, the first round may have hurt their ego yet again, but with a new coach in the picture, it also meant a challenge has to be met. Coach Pido Jarencio, a former UST Glowing Goldies player, became the breath of fresh air that the team needed after Coach Aric del Rosario left.
Like I’ve been emphasizing in the previous paragraphs, I’m one of the few who really supported this team who showed great potential since the day I first saw them in action. I always thought to myself, they look good out there, too bad they don’t realize it. Shame, right? But for some reason, this season was very different. True, circumstances may have seemed to be against them. Half the team would be in sickbay, a player was injured severely, another was suspended (who could forget that Duncil-Catamora headbutting incident?), or simply just out of touch. Alas, they still had a positive outlook even after a humiliating game with a 36-point deficit during the final game of the 1st round. Since that experience, they started working even harder than ever. They had a 3-game winning streak in the 2nd round, even beating the top (and then-undefeated) team in the league.
Ending with a 6-6 win-loss card, the Tigers came head to head with another team who had the same stats, and beat them in that game. This put the team not just into the coveted Final Four, but it landed them the 3rd spot (which goes to battle with the #2 team). Since the top 2 teams have a twice-to-beat advantage, the Tigers had to work extra hard & prove that they are worthy of getting into the finals. And yes, they beat that school twice (this time with their complete lineup with the exception of Jemal Vizcarra who had an ACL injury), got into the Finals & jumped for joy. But it didn’t stop there—they had to work again. I remember a friend of mine in the team, June Dizon, told me that they’ll have to work even harder, that nothing can be achieved without hard work. True, I said to myself. At least they know the reality of what the situation they earned.
They proved themselves already. They’ve gotten farther than their goal (coach Pido & team captain Allan Evangelista told us during an interview that they only wanted to reach the Final Four). So when they got into the Finals and lost Game 1 of the Best of 3 series against Ateneo de Manila University (the top team, playing with a 11-2 card pre-Finals), I didn’t feel that disappointed. Sure, they may have lost by 1 point in 1 second, but to hell with it. They’ve gone this far! To me, it’s already more than enough.
However, however… Game 2 was a shocker for most (not for me though). They beat ADMU by 6 points, owning all the quarters and showing they wanted & deserved to win. Two of my friends/favorite players stepped up their game that day. Dylan Ababou (a guy I’ve known since we were 5 years old) put in 22 points, while Jojo Duncil sank in 20. It was a well-faught game, I can assure you of that. Also, it was my brother’s birthday. I watched it with him & his wife so we could celebrate it, then go home & celebrate some more. Hehe. It was a great night.
The next day, I woke up at 4am with only 2 hours of sleep. I arrived at the Araneta Coliseum around 6:20am with an empty stomach, bag-ladden eyes & lots of determination. After hours of waiting? I didn’t get tickets. Boo. Went to sleep earlier than usual (for me anyway), and woke up 3:45am. Arrived at Araneta before 6am. Did I get tickets? No. And that was the day of Game 3! I was so frustrated, I almost cried. Actually, when my brother dropped by to check on me, I did cry. Pathetic, right? I know. But after 2 sleepless nights, endless lines where people kept cheating (think I was one of the first 100 who arrived and ended up with a stub of #449). Bullshit.
Thank the heavens then that a friend of mine had a ticket for General Admission seats. But after all this hardship, it still sucked. I eventually got a ticket for a better seat for Php500 (the original price of the ticket was Php100), but I didn’t care. All that mattered to me was I had a better seat, one that I deserved for all the hardship I’ve been through. It’s all worth it anyway.
During the entire game, I was at a loss for words. Sure, I cheered & screamed the whole time, but when the crucial minutes came about, I just stood there, motionless, praying for a miracle. The game went into overtime, both teams with fouled-out players, both in penalty, both hungry for the championship title. The difference? One team wanted it more. One team worked for it even more. One team, I guess in a way, deserved it more. Their shots were in, their moves were almost void of errors, they had everything on their side. It was a see-saw game, up till the very end. Final score? 76-74 in favor of UST.
I couldn’t believe it. WE WON!!! Before the overtime, I looked at the crowd and had the feeling that I needed to pinch myself to make sure it was all real. Now, after the final buzzer, I jumped & screamed like there was no tomorrow. I hugged my friend who was with me, I felt that my whole family was teary-eyed for me (knowing I went through so much just to support the team in their final game), and I knew that my friends in the team are overjoyed because they worked too damn hard for this. I’m at a loss for words as to how I felt that night, so it could be an obvious fact that up till now, they might still be at a loss for words too.
That night, however, it rained. Sure my brother & I had fun watching the cheering squads & drumlines having a go at it, playing stupid jokes and acting like old buddies. However, I missed the first victory party at my school. It was a Monday night, so those who were still there had a great time eating, partying & watching fireworks. Day 2, there was a victory parade plus a constant replay of Game 3 all over campus. Day 3 (yesterday), we had a thanksgiving mass, then a free concert party. Tons of great bands, fun moments with the team & such. And up till last night, I’ve been seeing them on TV nonstop, even today in the newspaper, my friend Jojo was in the sports section again.
I’m glad our school regained our glory. Congratulations not just to the Senior Mens’ Basketball Team, but also to the Womens’ Basketball Team (and other sports I believe our school became champions in). You guys deserve the glory. You guys rock.
My sincerest congratulations to my friends in the team: Dylan Ababou, Japs Cuan, June Dizon, Jojo Duncil, Allan Evangelista, Mel Gile, Chester Taylor & Jemal Vizcarra. Congrats also to coach Pido, and the rest of the team: Franciz Allera, Mark Canlas, June Cortez, Jervy Cruz, Anthony Espiritu & AC Marquez.
John Lee Apil, you’re the Tigers’ official angel. Rest in peace. (=