From 2014 to 2022, the NU Lady Bulldogs had a 108-game winning streak, dominating the UAAP women's basketball scene with seven straight women’s championships.

The first victory of that streak came against the UST Growling Tigresses, 62-46, in the Season 77 opener.

Fast forward to today, coach Haydee Ong’s Growling Tigresses solved the arduous puzzle the Lady Bulldogs laid en route to a long-awaited title.

“Seven consecutive years as champions is one hell of a program for them. Beating them today and never giving up, I think that says about these special ladies that they deserve to be champions of Season 86,” said Ong after the Tigresses’ epic 71-69 title-clinching win versus the Lady Bulldogs.

UST last won a UAAP basketball title in 2006, the same year their men’s counterpart last won their own.

Ong knew it would take a special crew to break that drought and take down NU’s empire that has only seen their long streak end last year at the hands of the DLSU Lady Archers — coincidentally, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

“I think that says a lot to the level that NU raised the bar for women’s basketball,” she said.

As a player, Ong had a storied career with UST, winning three straight championships from 1987 to 1990, before transitioning to coaching with the Ateneo Blue Eagles from 2008 to 2014 and with the Growling Tigresses in 2016.

Amidst that shift from the Blue Eagles’ nest to the Tigresses’ lair, she saw the rise of the Lady Bulldogs under the leadership of national team head coach Patrick Aquino.

Ong has set her sights on that NU standard since then.

“I’m telling you, hindi ako makatawid ng bola sa NU. Ang lamang nila parati sa akin, 70, 80, but I never gave up,” she said. “Sabi ko, I will start the program for UST, and that this is a long journey.”

Two years after NU’s first win of their fabled streak, Ong came in as the Tigresses’ head coach, losing to the Lady Bulldogs by 54, 22, 21, 30, and 29 points, respectively, in the following three seasons.

It took her until last season to lose by just one possession against NU, yielding by three points on Oct. 9, 2022, for the Lady Bulldogs’ 99th consecutive win of their streak.

The Lady Bulldogs and Tigresses’ fates have intertwined since then, as most of the women’s basketball games were held at UST’s QPav Arena, including NU’s landmark 100th win.

“We were three or four years behind, sinabi ko sa mga pari and you have to trust the program, the system, and finally, the long wait is over,” said Ong. “Ang sarap sa feeling as coach.”

In the finals showdown, Ong faced off with fellow UST alumnus Aris Dimaunahan, who expressed his pride with his players after conceding the title they held for nearly one decade.

“I’m also proud of how our team. Since day one (they) put in the effort to try to improve ourselves individually and as a group,” said Dimaunahan, who succeeded the NU program from Aquino after the pandemic.

“It goes a long way, it’s from coach Pat (Aquino) pa,” Dimaunahan added. “We’re happy that we are the barometer of excellence and success in women’s basketball in the country.”

“Maganda ‘yun for our community na kami ang nagiging inspiration nila for them to play better and play harder,” said Dimaunahan.