Push Admin

How coach's creative exercise helped Tigresses regain shooting

Article (news)

Levi Joshua Jr. Verora

<div class="media-content"><div class="slider-for"><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/sports/11/07/20221107-ust1.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/sports/11/07/20221107-ust2.jpg"/></div></div><div class="slider-desc"><div class="item-desc"><p>Joylyn Pangilinan and the Tigresses are at 8-2. <cite>UAAP Media</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Head coach Haydee Ong&#x27;s unique approach to help her team end its shooting slump bore fruit in the Tigresses&#x27; latest win. <cite>UAAP Media</cite></p></div></div></div><p>MANILA, Philippines – After a shooting slump in their past two games, the UST Tigresses have finally regained their touch from 3-point range in UAAP Season 85 women&#x27;s basketball.</p><p>The Tigresses shot 11 of 27 from long distance in their hard-earned 73-66 win over Adamson last Sunday at the Quadricentennial Pavilion, putting a halt to their woes from the outside.</p><p>How the team flipped the switch and started converting from beyond the arc again might have had something to do with a mini-game the coaching staff organized last Thursday after the squad’s practice session.</p><p>“It was just for fun. We had a couple of tough days in practice since after the La Salle game, grinding to make sure we do not have that kind of slump anymore,” guard Nikki Villasin recalled. “It was a fun thing our coaches put up for us after training really hard.”</p><p>Head coach Haydee Ong divided her misfiring players into two groups and assigned them unique numbers. She asked them to line up along the half-court line.</p><p>The instruction was simple: corresponding players from each group had to go for the ball when a number was called.</p><p>Once Ong gave the go-signal, her Tigresses rushed towards the ball placed on the free throw line fearlessly. The prize? P2,000 for the first side to convert a 3-ball.</p><p>Senior Joylyn Pangilinan went all out and made a floor dive just to gain the ball, causing some of her teammates to even laugh at the light moment.</p><p>Pangilinan and Villasin were on the same group, and eventually won the pot. The members would eventually split the prize and have dinner together.</p><p>“The past couple of games have been really tough. Our coaches really keep us on track and humble us,” Villasin shared.</p><p>“We definitely learned from our mistakes. Our coaches have been implementing respecting the system and what they have installed for us, so it’s just a matter of us following and trusting what the game plan is.”</p><p>In their last two outings — a loss to De La Salle and a win over UE — Tigresses made only 5 of 47 from deep. Ong admitted that she had to be creative in trying to figure the puzzle out.</p><p>“I’m not really satisfied with how we are playing, especially with my perimeters. We have to improve on our next game, and find out this slack that we have when it comes to shooting, as well as defensive lapses,” Ong remarked last week.</p><p>These percentages were uncharacteristic of the Tigresses, which leaned on the 3-ball for success. Back in the first round, they were shooting a respectable 31.8 percent from long distance, on a high volume of attempts.</p><p>Knowing the Espana side needed to address the problem immediately as they enter a critical stretch in the season, Ong took full responsibility and came up with the mini contest idea.</p><p>Such faith in her players, Villasin said of Ong, was enough to help them reignite their shooting touch from the outside.</p><p>“It’s really important that coach Haydee keeps faith in us. We are already a rookie team mostly, so there is just a lot of pressure going into the UAAP to perform and maintain a record,” Villasin shared.</p><p>“Having our coaches have our back and motivating us put us in a position to win. We are grateful to be led by a staff like that, and it really showed.”</p><p>Interestingly, it was Pangilinan who led UST in the win over the Soaring Falcons, as she finished with a game-high 17 points on an efficient 5-of-11 clip from long range, benefitting from Ong’s trust.</p><p>“They keep saying you take your shots, don’t lose that confidence, keep shooting even if you get in a slump and missing. Having the confidence in each of the five players on the floor puts us in a good position to win,” Villasin added.</p><p>At 8-2 in the team standings, the Tigresses are in a good position to enter the Final Four and claim one of the two twice-to-beat incentives at stake.</p><p>Ong further stated that in order to stay the course, her Tigresses should focus not only on their 3-point shooting but all other important aspects of the system, a doable task as she continues to trust her maturing team moving forward.</p><p>“One thing that is good is the resiliency of the ladies. We’ll keep working hard in the next few weeks, for the next games. We want to have more wins,” Ong said. “One game at a time, play our best every time.”</p>

Head coach Haydee Ong's unique approach to help her team end its shooting slump bore fruit in the Tigresses' latest win.