No UST, or any other UAAP school this time around for Kent Pastrana and her new teammates — only Gilas Pilipinas.
UAAP champion Kent Pastrana is eager to work with her collegiate rivals for the sake of the national team, with the UST star expected to make her debut for Gilas Pilipinas Women in the upcoming William Jones Cup and FIBA Women’s Asia Cup next month.
One of the latest additions to the Gilas pool of head coach Pat Aquino, Pastrana joins more than a handful of UAAP rivals also donning the national team colors.
[READ: UST’s Kent Pastrana raring to make waves in anticipated Gilas women debut]
Among them are players from UST’s nemesis NU, with a bulk of players coming from the Lady Bulldogs' current and past program. Angel Surada is among current NU players who are with Pastrana in the national team.
Other schools also have active players in the lineup, like UP’s Louna Ozar and FEU’s Yvette Villanueva.
Not one to get her commitments mixed up, Pastrana is welcoming the chance to connive with her UAAP foes in stride, her eagerness showing to come out with positive results for the national team.
“Sinasabi nila magkakalaban kami sa UAAP, eto na ngayon, parang buong UAAP na yung magkakasama kami dito ngayon. Magtutulungan kami na ipaglaban yung bansa natin na Pilipinas so, excited kami lahat na i-represent yung Gilas, yung Pilipinas,” she said.
Pastrana also underscored the chance for all UAAP players in the Gilas lineup to further their own skills that they can then take back to their respective teams — especially as another competitive tournament looms once UAAP Season 88 rolls around later this year.
“Of course, opportunity sa amin na maglalaro sa UAAP and come UAAP, siguro yung experience na makukuha namin, maapply din namin. Happy kami lahat and of course, excited,” said Pastrana.
At the end of it, Pastrana hopes to be able to navigate her way with the team well.
Adjusting to a new program with Aquino and his coaching staff by her side, Pastrana is willing to be a sponge to anything and everything that she can learn from the team — especially since this will be her first foray against international teams.
“Siguro for me, gagawin ko lang yung best ko. Kung ano lang yung dapat kong gawin, kung ano yung kailangan kong gawin and sasabihin mga coaches. Susundin ko lang sila kung ano yung part ko, ano yung mga kailangan ko pang i-contribute,” she said.
“Of course, di namin magagawa yun kung di dahil sa buong team so we play our best lang. As a team, and as an individual.”
The Gilas Pilipinas Women are currently in deep preparation for the two upcoming tournaments with rising stakes.
At the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, Gilas can qualify for a World Cup slot if they finish in the Top 6.