After a dream ending to the UAAP Season 87 Boys’ Basketball Tournament, where will the UST Tiger Cubs go next?
There won’t be any goodbyes just yet for the UST Tiger Cubs and its graduating class led by Koji Buenaflor, Carl Manding, Charles Bucsit, and Racine Kane.
Following their historic UAAP Season 87 Boys’ Basketball title run, the Tiger Cubs will now shift their focus to the NBTC 2025 National Finals set to open this March 31, where they will take on top high school basketball programs from around the country.
Given this, UST’s seniors aren’t dwelling just yet on their collegiate basketball plans, especially with the chance to end their high school careers with another title.
“Syempre, champions muna kami and ayan muna ‘yung isipin namin. Celebrate, then spend time together with mga teammates namin, lalo kami last time na namin dito with sila coach [Manu Iñigo]. Siguro after NBTC [to think of their future] then may 3×3 pa,” said the big man Buenaflor, with his batchmates sharing similar thoughts.
The Tiger Cubs last Thursday survived a furious comeback attempt by the Nazareth School-NU Bullpups in Game 3 of their thrilling finals bout, which secured their 12th overall UAAP Boys’ Basketball title, and first since Season 64 in 2001.
It was a tight-knit series between the two teams, with the Bullpups drawing first blood in a 77-70 Game 1 victory, before the Tiger Cubs’ outside shooting came alive to snag Game 2, 85-89.
Come Game 3, the Tiger Cubs capitalized on Collins Akowe getting fouled out in regulation to secure an 83-77 victory in overtime to secure the Season 87 Boys’ Basketball title.
This season’s title is much sweeter for the Buenaflor-Manding-Bucsit trio, having been with the Tiger Cubs since the Boys’ Basketball Tournament returned in Season 85 after a three-season absence caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Sarap po sa feeling, sobra. Thank you po kay Lord, siguro po talagang nabawi po ng championship na ‘to ‘yung heartbreak namin the last two seasons,” said Manding, referring to the Tiger Cubs’ fourth-place finishes in Seasons 85 and 86.
Along with their Boys’ Basketball title, this UST core also holds a 3-2 record against NSNU for Season 87, being the sole team to beat the Bullpups in eliminations prior to outlasting them in the finals.
“‘Yun nga po ‘yung sinabi ko nung Game 2, ‘yung hunger po namin dinala namin from those seasons, binuhos na lang po namin lahat ngayon. Sabi rin po ni Coach Manu sa amin na Game 3 na, wala nang bukas. So ibuhos na namin lahat and thank you Lord nakuha na namin.”
Added Buenaflor, “Napakalaking bagay sa akin kasi ito ‘yung mga bagay na makukwento mo sa mga anak mo pagdating ng panahon, magiging pride mo ito sa habang buhay.”
Images courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.