The UST Growling Tigers recovered from an alarming losing skid in the middle of the elimination round to set up a UAAP Final Four rematch against defending champion UP.
The phrase “Ibalik ang Korona sa España” has reached close to iconic status — but perhaps, it rings true a little more this time around in men’s basketball.
After breaking through and finishing on the podium last Season 87, the Growling Tigers have once again legitimized themselves as title contenders.
The team showed that potential in Season 88, taking down big ticket teams like UP, La Salle, and NU in the 14-game elimination round where they finished with an 8-6 slate.
But it wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine for Pido Jarencio and his boys, with this season also including an alarming four-game skid that almost derailed their playoff hopes.
As Nic Cabañero and Forthsky Padrigao hope to rally their team to a title in their last year in the UAAP, we take a look at the ups and downs for the Growling Tigers leading up to the UAAP Season 88 Final Four.
UST’s revelation
Arguably the biggest difference make for UST in Season 88 is the addition of presumptive Rookie of the Year Collins Akowe.
From the decorated NU-Nazareth School high school program, Akowe jumped ship to join Jarencio’s squad in UST and could be just what doctor ordered as the Growling Tigers search for their first title since 2006.
Akowe wasted no team in the UAAP seniors, making waves with a dominant debut against the UP Fighting Maroons.
And even as his numbers dipped from video-game like to more human, Akowe remains as the no. 1 threat for UST and is arguably the best player on the floor whenever he's in it.
Akowe averaged a double-double throughout eliminations with 16.43 points and 14.5 rebounds per game.
With the rookie getting used to Jarencio’s system and feeling the chemistry grow with the team, Akowe will be UST’s pillar not just in the toughest stretch of Season 88, but for years to come.
Lining up at the charity stripe
Despite a strong 5-1 start to the season, the Growling Tigers followed it up with four straight losses which put their Final Four bid in peril.
While they recovered with three consecutive wins to steady the ship, one thing stood out in how the Growling Tigers go about their games: free throws.
Multiple times in the season, sorry misses from the charity stripe doomed UST — none more evident during the game against Adamson in the second round, where the Tigers blew an eight-point lead in 32 seconds with their inability to close the game from the line.
Jarencio and his coaching staff has since doubled down on making sure the Tigers practice their free throws, which should definitely come in handy in the Final Four.
Deja vu?
The Growing Tigers are coming in to the Final Four against UP with a chip on their shoulder, especially as they lost to the Fighting Maroons under the same set up last year.
Still, it's not as if all the recent history is against UST as the Growling Tigers have their explosive Season 88 debut to lean on, when they issued a 20-point shellacking to the Fighting Maroons.
With everything on the line and facing a do-or-die situation, the Growling Tigers hope to peak at the right time and go against the odds against an equally-determined UP Fighting Maroons.
UST and UP clash in the Final Four on Wednesday, December 3, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.