UAAP: Luisa San Juan ties Napa and Caidic’s UAAP record

PROVING that basketball isn’t just for men, De La Salle University’s (DLSU) Luisa San Juan made history yesterday, September 25, by tying the UAAP record for most three-pointers made in a single game. 

San Juan scorched the Araneta Coliseum nets after making a total of ten three-pointers in their game against Far Eastern University, propelling the entire team to an 89-65 win. 

Khate Castillo set the first record with eight triples in 2017. San Juan is now at the top of her game, having set a women’s record of ten while tying the all-time UAAP records of superstars Jeff Napa and Allan Caidic.

An overwhelming feeling

San Juan finished the game with 34 points, matching the season best established by Ateneo’s Kacey Dela Rosa against UP on September 8. 

Nonetheless, the 22-year-old member of the Gilas Pilipinas Women 3×3 credited the entire squad, notably his head coach Cholo Villanueva, for giving her the courage to shoot throughout the game.

“I got my confidence from my teammates and my coaches. They believe in me, and the trust that they give me, ‘yun ang pinaka-malaking bagay for me,” San Juan said, of the trust she received from the Lady Archers squad.

“I don’t know the records, but I’m grateful. I wasn’t expecting that, I just do my role and I think it starts with kung ano pinapagawa samin ni Coach Cholo.”

The proudest

Meanwhile, Lady Archers head coach Villanueva was pleased to see his team earn their first victory of the season and see San Juan’s hard work and dedication in practice finally paid off.

“She’s been working hard in practices, pushing herself offensively and defensively, putting in the work in her shot,” said Villanueva of finally seeing the fruits of their labor.

“She was just taking those open shots. This girl doesn’t lack confidence, every time she has the ball, she’ll try to score. She’s very skilled in those aspects of the game.”

“We’re breaking records dito sa program of the Lady Archers, pero seriously, it’s a good win for us. The grit that I wanted to see from the girls, they showed it today,” added Villanueva, who had also coached Castillo.

Equally talented

San Juan was overwhelmed when she realized she had broken one record and tied another. Furthermore, the Lady Archer feels that men and women are equally talented, and that dunking is the only difference.

“I think ang hindi lang nagagawa ng women ay yung dunking eh, but apart from that, physicality, ‘yung shooting, ‘yung strategies, pare-pareho lang,” said the Filipino-British San Juan.

Aside from San Juan, her effort was bolstered by Tricia Mendoza’s double-double of 16 points and 15 rebounds and Kyla Sunga’s 14 points and 15 rebounds. 

The DLSU Lady Archers will seek to capitalize on this momentum when they meet the defending champions, the University of Santo Tomas, on Sunday at the Big Dome.