JOINING the sea of yellow on a do-or-die Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Colieum is Senator Joel Villanueva — cheering his heart out for the UST Growling Tigers as they dispatched the FEU Tamaraws, 81-71.

"It's a great feeling to experience the Thomasian spirit in this arena. I'm really happy they got into the Final Four. Being here, I get to experience the UST community bonding that I always appreciate," he shared in an interview with SPIN Life.
Not known to many, Villanueva was actually part of UST's Season 57 championship roster in 1995.
The senator, who is the current chairperson of the UP Board of Regents, ensured that he is still, and will always remain loyal to the España-based squad, especially with the Tigers facing the twice-to-beat Maroons next.
He stressed, "Everyone knows that whatever they do to me, burn me, or cut me to pieces, I will always [be] a Growling Tiger."
After playing with UST in an alumni exhibition match last August, Villanueva has been squeezing time out of his busy schedule to see the Tigers live.
"I always watch them in person whenever I get the chance. I was in Europe for the inter-parliamentary union the last two weeks, which is why I was not able to watch."
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph