Pastrana and Soriano Lead UST's Championship Redemption Story After Season 88 Heartbreak

The Growling Tigresses faced their first stumble of the season when they dropped Game 1 of the UAAP Season 88 women’s basketball finals. After cruising through a perfect 14-0 elimination round, the unexpected loss stung hard — but it became the catalyst they needed.

Coach Haydee Ong’s response was methodical, not panicked. She extended practice sessions, pushed the team through extra drills, and watched as her players tightened their execution with quiet determination. The confidence in the locker room remained steady: these Tigresses had unfinished business.

From Setback to Statement

What followed was dominant basketball. The UST women’s team rolled through Games 2 and 3, dismantling NU and claiming their second title in three years. But the real story wasn’t just about winning — it was about who led the way.

Pastrana was relentless in the title-clinching Game 3, dropping 16 points while grabbing 9 rebounds, dishing 5 assists, and recording 5 steals. Soriano complemented the effort with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. The duo wasn’t just winning games; they were validating a championship vision that started taking shape when Pastrana transferred from La Salle.

Pastrana walked away with Finals MVP honors, but her focus remained laser-sharp on what mattered most. “My goal is not to win the Finals MVP, my only goal is to win the championship,” she said. “I’m so overwhelmed because our sacrifices and the years we have been together at UST have paid off.”

Building a Winning Culture

The chemistry between Pastrana and Soriano didn’t happen overnight. Soriano was already an established force — the Season 85 MVP who had steered UST to a bronze finish. When Pastrana arrived to complete her residency in Season 86, the championship vision snapped into focus for Ong and her program.

But Season 87 derailed those plans. NU claimed the finals, a loss that lingered long and motivated the redemption arc of Season 88.

What made this victory different was the team’s collective mindset. “We are so happy because our sacrifices have paid off,” Pastrana reflected on her partnership with Soriano. In daily practice, the Tigresses built a culture of constant improvement. “We all help each other to improve individually, not just as a team, and maybe every day we can improve even 1%, 2%, even a little bit,” Pastrana explained. “It’s not just us who grow, my teammates grow too.”

Soriano echoed that philosophy: “We wouldn’t have gotten this if we didn’t help everyone. I told Kent, we can’t do this alone. We need to bring the whole team.”

Coach Ong’s Vision

Haydee Ong summed up what Pastrana and Soriano represented in her program: “They are heaven-sent. Because they know how the program in UST works.”

She credited UST’s high school feeder system and player development program as the backbone of sustained success. “When I came in 2016, that was the No. 1 thing I said because we don’t have the budget to get the best players for recruitment,” Ong explained. “The player development program that I instilled in UST, that’s the most important.”

After the championship celebration, Ong’s thoughts quickly turned to the future. Pastrana and Soriano were graduating, and the program would need new leaders to fill the void. “I will miss Eka. I will miss Kent, and life must go on. The program must go on,” Ong said. “Hopefully, come Season 89, there will be a new Kent Pastrana and a new Eka Soriano who will fill their shoes.”

For now, UST stands atop the women’s basketball landscape, riding the momentum of a championship earned not through individual brilliance alone, but through collective heart, unity, and relentless team development.