A NEW coach has been chosen to handle the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs.
Bonnie Garcia, one of Aldin Ayo’s assistant coaches with the UST Growling Tigers, will be the interim head coach of the juniors’ basketball team.
The school’s official publication said Garcia’s appointment by Growling Tigers’ head coach Ayo comes almost a month after Chris Cantonjos quit his post.
Garcia is the former coach of the Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and Sta. Lucia Realtors in the Pilipinas Commercial Basketball League in 2016.
Ayo currently handles UST’s basketball operations for both high school and college.
In an online interview, Ayo said he chose Garcia in order to keep a single training system from the junior division to the senior division.
“We want to compete sa high school level and prepare them pag-akyat sa college,” said Ayo in a statement.
Meanwhile, Far Eastern University seeks to formalize its Final Four entry against Adamson University today in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Sporting a 7-4 slate, the Lady Tamaraws are aiming to boost their twice-to-beat incentive bid in their crucial 2 p.m. duel with the Lady Falcons.
Ateneo, still undefeated in the second round, eyes to solidify its hold on the No. 2 spot as it plays University of the Philippines in the day’s other match at 4 p.m.
FEU is separated by two games with Adamson University in the race for the last Final Four berth.
Once they accomplish their initial goal of making it to the semifinals, the Lady Tamaraws’ next target is to crash into the Top 2 at the end of the double-round eliminations.
Being the lower-ranked team in the semis, FEU crashed out in the Finals’ hunt in the last two seasons, as Bernadeth Pons and company are hoping for a different story this time around.
The Lady Falcons are looking to grab a piece of fourth spot that have eluded them in a painful five-set loss to the Lady Eagles last March 25.
Adamson University, which has a 5-6 slate, is looking to tie fading National University.
The Lady Bulldogs, who went down to 6-6 after losing only once in the first round, are clinging to a half-game lead over the Lady Falcons.
Running second with a 9-3 card, Ateneo hopes to get some lift from Adamson University by beating FEU and secure one of the two twice-to-beat slots in the Final Four.
But the Lady Eagles should not be complacent against their Katipunan rivals, as the Lady Maroons are making a last-ditch run to make it to the Final Four via the backdoor.
Tied with idle University of Santo Tomas in sixth at 4-8, UP is two games out of the No. 4 spot and a loss will kiss its semifinals hopes goodbye.
The Lady Maroons got a lifeline after scoring a 25-18, 25-22, 25-20 win over the Lady Bulldogs last Wednesday.
In the men’s division, defending champion Ateneo, locked in a tie with FEU in second place at 9-2, tries to grab a piece of the lead against UST at 8 a.m., followed by the UP-De La Salle clash at 10 a.m.