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    Zachy Huang hoping roller-coaster UST career ends on a high note

    Enduring highs and lows, Zachy Huang raring to end UAAP career in UST a champion
    Nov 15, 2019
    PHOTO: Marlo Cueto

    ZACHY Huang has seen it all in his long University of Santo Tomas, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.

    Certainly, there's no one else at University of Santo Tomas that has had a wilder roller-coaster ride in a five-year career than the Cebuano forward.

    Huang was a rookie fresh from his stint in Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu when the Kevin Ferrer and Ed Daquioag-led UST side made a surprising run to the 2015 UAAP Finals, where the Bong dela Cruz-mentored side felll to Far Eastern University.

    He endured the two horror seasons under Boy Sablan, when the Tigers won a grand total of four games.

    And do you remember Paul Desiderio's iconic 'Atin 'to! Papasok 'to' shot that sparked University of the Philippines' resurgence in 2017? Huang's outstretched arms was part of that Desiderio poster.

    But all the suffering ended upon the arrival of Aldin Ayo the following year as the sun soon rose in Espana with the 6-foot-4 forward provided the calming veteran presence. The program was slowly laid down last year as the Tigers grabbed five wins in 2018.

    The sweetest fruit of all of the hardwork came this year when UST took the league by storm with an exciting brand of basketball, high-octane and three-point-heavy, to get it back to the finals.

    Enduring all of those hardships makes this Finals appearance worth it for Huang.

    "Sobrang grateful ako. I'm grateful na naranasan ko yung sobrang baba tapos ngayon, nasa taas na kami ngayon," the fifth-year blue-collar worker said.

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    Huang was there during the entire transformation, from having packed crowds in yellow to almost having no one bothering to show up for their games.

    "At the start of the season, no one was looking at us. We're used to being the underdog," he said.

    Now, the Growling Tigers are back in primetime, still an underdog but sharing equal billing with the defending champion and three-peat-seeking Ateneo in the best-of-three Finals.

    Tough as the climb is, Huang is determined to make the most of this opportunity and finish his career on a high note.

    "Mas masakit matalo when you're in the finals kaysa losing to make it to the Final Four," he said. "Sana ma-grab namin yung opportunity, 'yung goal namin this season. We'll just do our best."

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    Huang is hoping that the UST community will be with the Growling Tigers every step of the way as he winds down his collegiate career the way he started it: in front of an huge, adoring crowd clad in gold.

    "Ibibigay lang namin lahat and sana everyone will be there to cheer for us," he said. "Sana suportahan pa kami ng UST community."

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    PHOTO: Marlo Cueto
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