ON Saturday in front of a Mall of Asia Arena crowd packed with yellow and blue baloons, UAAP rising stars Angge Poyos and Shaina Nitura crossed paths in the seniors’ ranks for the very first time.
They go way back, though, way before the limelight was at its brightest for the fearsome wingers of University of Santo Tomas and Adamson, respectively.
Back in Season 85, then-Grade 12 ace Poyos emerged as one of the top scoring aces to watch out for just as Nitura first landed in the Lady Baby Falcons’ nest.
UST and Adamson shared the spoils in the elimination round, with the latter drawing first blood before the former struck right back in Round 2.
Nitura & Co. would reach the finals that year as runners-up to NU-Nazareth School before gaining a measure of revenge one year later with a 14-game Season 86 title-winning tournament sweep.
Fast forward to the big stage in Season 87, Poyos’ Golden Tigresses had the last laugh on Nitura’s Lady Falcons in four sets, 25-21, 20-25, 25-13, 27-25.
READ: UST withstands white-hot Nitura for third win in a row
In the individual numbers game, however, Nitura was unleashed with a triple-double of 28 points, 14 digs, and 12 receptions — the second-highest scoring performance of her career after a record-breaking 33-piece in her debut game.
For her part, Poyos, the reigning Rookie of the Year, posted her fourth straight double-digit scoring game with 21 points, eight receptions, and five digs.
We back, way back
"Sobrang sarap sa pakiramdam na nagkaharap ulit kami ni Shai kasi nung high school nga, nagkaharap na kami and now, nasa collegiate level na kami,” said Poyos.
“Sobrang hanga rin ako sa leadership niya inside the court and yung maturity sa loob ng court, nili-lead niya ‘yung team talaga. And ‘yun nga, masaya kasi nakuha namin ‘yung panalo.”
One thing that hasn’t changed about Nitura’s game since their early beginnings? Her unpredictability on the court.
“Mula nu’ng nagkaharap kami ni Shai nung high school days namin sa UAAP, ine-expect ko (pa rin) talaga na magaling siya and maraming variations ‘yung palo niya,” shared Poyos.
Here's to getting more and more of these face-offs between high school rivals now on the seniors stage.
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