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'Dream come true': Pastrana delivers on championship promise for UST

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Kennedy Caacbay, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Kent Pastrana of UST Growling Tigresses. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News " src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/12/06/20231206-uaap86-nu-ust-1md_7723-md.jpg"/><figcaption>Kent Pastrana of UST Growling Tigresses. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA – Kent Pastrana once vowed to gift a championship to head coach Haydee Ong and the University of Santo Tomas.</p><p>But fulfilling that promise required beating the most dominant women&#x27;s basketball team in the country – the NU Lady Bulldogs.</p><p>National University, which ended the eliminations at the top with a 13-1 slate, also won the title in the last seven UAAP seasons.</p><p>That dynastic reign ended on Wednesday.</p><p>The Growling Tigresses finally overcame the Lady Bulldogs, 71-69, in the do-or-die match of the UAAP Season 86 women&#x27;s basketball finals at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/06/23/uaap-ust-women-dethrone-nu-clinch-first-title-since-06">UAAP: UST women dethrone NU, clinch first title since ‘06</a></li></ul><p>Pastrana chipped in 16 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal, and the game-tying bucket in the dying moments of the fourth quarter.</p><p>The UST star was emotional in the postgame interview, where she also revealed that promise to Ong.</p><p>&quot;Sobrang happy ako na &#x27;di ko ma-explain &#x27;yung nararamdaman ko ngayon,&quot; Pastrana said.</p><p>&quot;Magpapasalamat ako kay Coach Haydee (Ong), kasi grabe &#x27;yung tiwala na binigay niya sa &#x27;kin, grabe &#x27;yung responsibility ko dito, kasi nag-promise din ako sa kaniya, bago ako pumasok dito, na bibigyan ko siya ng champion(ship),&quot; she added.</p><p>&quot;Ito na &#x27;yon, dream come true na. Ito na &#x27;yung binigay ko sa kaniya.&quot;</p><p>She did not forget to thank her teammates, who were also crucial in the victory. Pastrana had been the UAAP Rookie of the Year in Season 82 when she was still playing for La Salle, before making the jump to Espana. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="UST Growling Tigresses celebrate victory as UAAP Season 86 women" s="" basketball="" champions.="" Mark="" ABS-CBN="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/12/06/ust-celeb.jpg"/><figcaption>UST Growling Tigresses celebrate victory as UAAP Season 86 women&#x27;s basketball champions. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Finals MVP Tantoy Ferrer led the scoring effort for the Tigresses, who had a double-double of 19 points with 14 boards, while Nikki Villasin contributed 12 and the go-ahead layup with 24 seconds remaining in the payoff period.</p><p>&quot;Nagpapasalamat din ako sa teammates ko siyempre kasi &#x27;di namin makukuha &#x27;to kung &#x27;di din dahil sa kanila. Pinaghirapan namin &#x27;to,&quot; Pastrana said.</p><p>&quot;Ginawa lang namin &#x27;yung best namin, kung ano&#x27;ng dapat naming gawin, &#x27;di kami sumuko hanggang dulo,&quot; Pastrana said as she emphasized that it takes 40 minutes to win a basketball game. &quot;Ang panalo, nasa dulo ng laban.&quot;</p><p>Ong, meanwhile, credited her team&#x27;s efforts in the last minute of the season, when they stopped the NU Bulldogs from sinking a basket.</p><p>“We made good stops in the last 1 minute. That spelled the difference. ‘Yung puso ng players ko. Hindi sila bumigay. Kahit down sila,” she happily shared with reporters.</p><p>UST outscored NU, 24-8, in the fourth quarter to snatch the victory.</p><div><br/><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3apXJb-1PUM?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Kent Pastrana revealed that she once vowed to bring a championship to her coach Haydee Ong and UST along with it – that promise was fulfilled today.

'Dream come true': Pastrana delivers on championship promise for UST

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'Dream come true': Pastrana delivers on championship promise for UST

Kennedy Caacbay,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 06, 2023 05:17 PM PHT

Read More:

Basketball

UAAP

UAAP Finals

UAAP Season 86

University of Sto. Tomas

UST

UST Growling Tigresses

NU

National University

NU Lady Bulldogs

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