Ann Pingol owned the UAAP women’s basketball scene last season and won the Season 88 MVP award. This season, she’s playing with a bigger target on her back.
The graduating NU Lady Bulldogs forward admitted that the game has gotten harder since her MVP win, with opposing teams now building their defenses around stopping her.
“Siguro after nung MVP ko, sabi ko parang hindi na ako makagalaw ah,” said Pingol after NU held off the FEU Lady Tamaraws 66-60, at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
Instead of letting it frustrate her, Pingol has chosen to see the extra attention as preparation for the next level.
“‘Yun nga sabi ng coaches, siyempre there’s so much room for improvement pa rin. Kumbaga dito ko unang ma-e-experience ‘yung mga makukuha ko ring experience kapag mag-professional basketball ako,” she said.
The difference shows in the numbers. Through NU’s first five games of Season 89, Pingol is averaging 10.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.4 blocks. In her MVP season, she put up 14.29 points, 8.93 rebounds, 5.14 assists, 3.57 steals, and 1.07 blocks per game as NU went 12-2 in the elimination round.
Pingol Rises Up Against FEU
Despite being slowed down in Season 89, Pingol picked things up against FEU as she scored a season-high 14 points, along with 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
NU head coach DA Olan isn’t worried about the dip in scoring. To him, Pingol’s value was never about putting up points.
“Well, si Karl Ann naman, nakuha niya ‘yung MVP not by scoring. Hindi siya ‘yung scorer talaga. She’s a playmaking big. That’s why she became MVP last season, not by scoring but by assists niya and ‘yung rebounds niya,” said Olan.
“Very versatile kasi she can penetrate, she can shoot from outside, pero the reason she was the MVP last year is not really because of the scoring; it’s a little bit of everything. Complete package kumbaga.”
Pingol knows that too. With the first round nearing its end, she wants to improve the parts of her game that don’t show up in her scoring. She had just 1 assist against FEU.
“Personally, more on sharing the ball lang kasi the past few games nagwa-one-on-one kami lahat,” she said. “‘Yung rebounding ko, dapat offense and defense makakatulong ako. Kahit hindi ako maka-score, kahit hindi ako makahawak ng bola, at least nandiyan ako. Makikita nila ako na nagre-rebound para sa kanila.”
