The SlickMaster's Files: Tigers With An Upset

Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Tigers With An Upset

9/30/2013 12:34:07 PM

And yet again.

Just when you thought that one university from the streets of Jocson in Sampaloc, Mania will end their championship drought, their España-based brothers (in UAAP) had a different plan – that is to steal their hopes and literally crush their spirits.

Okay, forget the cheer dance sport that they ruled for a very long period of time (and the bitter fact of going over several slumps on their stunts). University of Santo Tomas is back on the “big dance” stage of basketball, and they will face La Salle for that matter.

UST lost to DLSU’s rival Ateneo Blue Eagles – the last of their 5-straight championships dating back to 2008. Ironically, it is also UST who went triumph over the ADMU squad. All and that despite losing their first contest off that inbound, game-winning, alley-oop, play from Macky Escalona and Doug Kramer. Thanks to that powerhouse effort from Jervy Cruz, Chester Taylor, Jojo Duncil, Japs Cuan and Dylan Ababou.

And hey, they’re also part of the lower-seed, right? Third to be exact, and they managed to send another heavily-favored (in that season) University of the East into oblivion. Yes, right after defeating them in 2 semi-final games.

Fast forward to 7 years later: they’re at the fourth spot; they defeated Ateneo in a battle for the last semi-final slot; and yet again they threw another huge upset – at the expense of another heavyweight contender – the National University bulldogs.

How tough it is to live one more day; and you live another, and yet again – you managed to live another? What a total underdog story, eh?

MVP who? Well, I have to admit – I had thought of this school will end their championship drought which lasted for about 6 decades already. However, Bobby Parks Jr.’s crew did not succeed on their plan. All that with some off-court trash-talking between parks and UST coach Pido Jarencio. And with Jarencio surprised on the outcome (76-69), he felt vindicated as if they weren’t expecting that they will make it to the finals.

On that note, they became the first fourth-seeded team to reach the championship stage since 1994, when the Final Four was introduced. Now, can anyone top this? Kevin Ferrer and Jeron Teng’s crew (and don’t forget – even if it’s their import-like baller in Kareem Abdul) is back. The question now is… will they be swept again? Or they will repeat the same magic of ’06? Hey, Pido was then the coach of that team, right?