NU’s lady pups have fangs

National University has struggled in men’s basketball in the UAAP, but has always put up a good fight. This year, though, there is a new sight that will greet spectators. NU is now proud to say they have a women’s team, the Lady Bulldogs, the dream of the late Sonny Paguia, patron of NU basketball.

"They are all graduates of high school, they are all first-year college," says head coach Benjie Navarro. "This team put together by coach Sonny is run and gun. They will really run."

The original incarnation of the team was in its infancy when the affable Paguia died as the last UAAP season was about to get underway. So he never saw his dream come to complete fruition.

Most of the new batch’s players hail from Pampanga, and know that, in terms of size and experience, going in they are facing an uphill battle. Whoever will lead the team is still to emerge. The expectations range from winning at least one game, to making the post-season.

"Management just wants us to keep the scores close," Navarro admits. "As long as the opponents don’t get too far ahead. The last time we put together a team, we took players out right away, because they couldn’t score."

Having seen the other schools in action, the players want a piece of the pie. A big one.

"They expect us to beat maybe two teams or three teams, and that would be okay," says point guard Joice Ramos. "But for us, we expect to at least make the Final Four."

"Maybe we just have to show that we can do it, and not look like beginners," believes center Jelline Batnag. "We can’t look like we don’t know what we’re doing."

While they’re rapidly trying to build up team chemistry against squads that have been together for three or four years, the Lady Bulldogs are hoping to lean on their attacking offense to catch other teams off guard.

"We’re determined," says Batnag. "They won’t think that a new team is a doormat. We want to prove that a new team can be a winner."

"I want this team to be intact up to 2008, 2009," Navarro declares, looking to the future. "We will certainly keep this team together."

Shooting, running and attitude seems to be the Lady Bulldogs’ strength. Having young, raw players makes for a potentially devastating team either way. Their weakness, obviously, is their relative lack of experience. Other schools have played in the UAAP, other school leagues, and even the open Metro Basketball Tournament (MBT). Imagine fielding an entire rookie platoon into a field that is tall, hungry, talented and experienced. It’s akin to feeding newborn pups to a pack of wolves. Unless the pups bite back, and bounce back.

"Win or lose, the team stays strong. We’ve been through a lot of changes. This team doesn’t give up. The team really gets along," Ramos continues. "We really follow the system of the coach, and instructions from the team captain. We’re ready for the UAAP."

"They’ll see we’re a fighting team," adds point guard Christine Ramos. "They will learn not to underestimate us."

Here’s hoping the NU Lady Bulldogs live up the "bulldog" more than the "lady", and are more bite than bark.

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Catch highlights of the PBA finals and the UAAP opening on tomorrow’s episode of The Basketball Show over RPN 9 at 2 p.m.