After the UAAP Season 86 finals heartbreak, Camille Clarin finally gets redemption for the NU Lady Bulldogs against the UST Growling Tigresses in Season 87.
NU veteran Camille Clarin came out with a chip on her shoulder as the Lady Bulldogs faced their Season 86 tormentors UST during their first round meeting in UAAP Season 87 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.
After ending their three-game series with a sorry outing that lost the Lady Bulldogs their eight-peat bid last December, Clarin waited for the longest time to get back at the España squad. When she smelled blood in the water at the Big Dome, Clarin just didn’t look back.
In a game where NU led by as much as 24 points, 61-37, Clarin left it all out on the court.
“I didn’t get to play UST in the preseason so this game is nine months coming," said Clarin.
“It’s like my baby, like I waited nine months to play this game, to make something happen again, to forget about that game. I think this was the perfect way to do it,” she added.
In a steady effort for the Lady Bulldogs, Clarin finished the scrappy affair with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists as NU finished the match as the only team without a loss so far this season.
But more than the stats, it was being able to show up for the Lady Bulldogs when they needed her the most.
“That game was heavy, like it weighed down on me for months and I’m just so thankful that I had a chance to be with these players again, to compete with them again, and to be their captain again,” Clarin said.
“I think I take that responsibility so much more this year, and I’m making sure that I’m always there for them. Whatever role I need to be. Game 3 I wasn’t there, so I made it a point that every game, no matter who we’re gonna play up against, I’m gonna be there for them.”
Clarin took pride in how the Lady Bulldogs composed themselves in the game, especially after a spirited comeback try from the Growling Tigresses.
Known for keeping their opponents at bay, the UAAP veteran was happy at how NU stayed true to its identity on defense.
“I think everyone knows that those three players are some of the best players in the league, so we put a big emphasis on that during practice," Clarin said, speaking of UST’s Kent Pastrana, Eka Soriano, and Tacky Tacatac.
“The first practice that we had were our high alert players and I think that everyone who knew they were gonna matchup with them took the extra effort to watch film, to know their tendencies. When you respect a player, you wanna step up, you want to guard them, you wanna prevent them from scoring, and I think we did exactly that," she added.
Still, even after the confidence boosting win over the Growling Tigresses, the job is far from done for the redemption-seeking Lady Bulldogs. WIth the long season still ahead, things are just going to get harder.
Up next for the Lady Bulldogs, who are undefeated in four games, are the vastly improving Adamson Lady Falcons whom they face on Wednesday, September 25, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.