NU Lady Bulldogs sets UAAP record with 74 straight wins

In the words of team captain Ria Nabalan, “As long as we’re together, no one can beat us.” (File Photo: Phoebe Joy B. Gonzales/Facebook)

Four-time defending champions National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs continued to stay undefeated since the start of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 77 and have set records with their 74th straight victory against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Lady Tigers last Saturday, October 28. This is the longest winning streak by any team in any sport in the UAAP, the closest accomplished by Adamson’s women’s softball team.

In the words of team captain Ria Nabalan, “As long as we’re together, no one can beat us,” with league Most Valuable Player (MVP) Daniel Animan adding, “Even if the game is close, I don’t think of losing. As long as we keep fighting, as long as our pride is there, we will soldier on until the end.”

The Lady Bulldogs’ game against the Lady Tigers’ score ended at 96-57. Nabalan was the highest pointer at 31 points, followed by Kaya Pingol with 20 points, and Animan and Rhena Itesi scoring 15 each. 

Head Coach Pat Aquino shared that “Making history hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s really more a relief right now that we’re done chasing the record,” adding, “We can focus now on the more important thing, which is winning a title.” He elaborated that the team was not allowed to talk about the record in the locker room despite seeing it all over the news, telling them, “You have to worry about the winning and then at the back of your mind, there is the streak.”

Aquino also told the media that he did not expect the Bulldogs to make it that far, but wanted “to finish four or six games more and hope that [they] could have that intensity.” “I hope women’s basketball here in the Philippines will get more attention,” said Aquino in reference to the record, “I hope this is something like a starter for everybody, that hopefully these girls who are really working hard for it will be given a chance to prove themselves.”