Pint-sized shooting guard Trixie Antiquiera punched through the biggest shots of the match to lead National University to a clean sweep of the season via a 59-48 triumph over Far Eastern University to claim their first University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s basketball tiara on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Antiquiera, who finished with 12 points on three-for-eight shooting from long distance, was given the green light by Head Coach Patrick Aquino to shoot from rainbow country, and connected on two of the biggest shots of the match – including a four-point play conversion off a Jackie Tanaman foul with 2:14 left to muff FEU’s last gasp.
The Lady Bulldogs thus made history in their second straight finals appearance in the program’s eighth season in the league.
Finals most valuable player and season mythical five member Gemma Miranda wound up with 14 points and eight rebounds in the contest, with Andrea Tongco contributing 12 markers and three steals.
“I just told them to concentrate on their execution. Nagmamadali kasi sila palagi. So, I told them to execute well, there’s always someone who’s always open kasi dinodouble kayo palagi, lalo na si Afril [Bernardino]. So when you swing that ball from one side to the other, may nalilibre,” said NU Head Coach Patrick Aquino, who has been with the team since 2010.
Aquino added that he gave Antiquiera the green light and the confidence to hoist treys without thinking twice prior to the game, in which she delivered with the knockout blow that stopped FEU’s 7-0 blast to cut down their advantage from nine points to just two, 49-47, with 3:03 left in the game.
“I told Trixie before the game started na when you get that ball, you don’t have to dribble just take that shot. Kasi naghehesitate siya palagi. Sinabi ko na stay in that corner and take that shot and palagay ko makukuha mo ‘yan,” he said.
Ana Valenzona fired 14 points and gathered six rebounds. Jackie Tanaman added 10 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, while April Siat contributed 10 points and nine rebounds for the Lady Tamaraws, which had to go through four consecutive do-or-die games just to enter the finals.
