It was only in 2009 that the UPH Eagles women?s basketball team was promoted to be able to compete in the Libamanas (Liga Basket Mahasiswa Nasional), which consisted to ten of the top college basketball sides in Indonesia.
 |
| Senior UPH guard Ajeng Tranitya stepping for a layup against Ubaya. (photo by Lukman Ten & Evra M. Chuardi) |
| It was only in 2009 that the UPH Eagles women?s basketball team was promoted to be able to compete in the Libamanas (Liga Basket Mahasiswa Nasional), which consisted to ten of the top college basketball sides in Indonesia. The promotion was earned as dominant post players Raysha Saputra and Stella Lukman drove the Eagles. That season, the Eagles scraped through to avoid relegation and stayed in the Libamanas.
A year later, UPH recruited several new top prospects and had players who were called up to the Indonesian national team for the collegiate age group, which included Reza Yolanda, Nur Rahmawati, Ivonne Sinatra and Shiela. Rather disappointingly, however, UPH only managed to finish in fifth place and narrowly missed out on the Final Four. In the next edition of Indonesia?s collegiate basketball competition, ACSI Libamanas 2011/12, the Eagles confirmed their remarkable progress. In a knockout competition consisting of 12 teams, where the Eagles received a bye in the first round, UPH?s women?s basketball team managed to advance from the Elite Eight and Final Four round to reach the National Championship game. UPH Eagles recorded a victory against the champions of the West Java Conference Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad) in the Elite Eight phase and overcame the challenge of Universitas Airlangga (Unair) in the Final Four. The Eagles won 62-55 against Unpad and 56-35 versus Unair. Unfortunately for UPH, the Eagles were faced with a tough opponent in the National Championship game: perennial title challengers Universitas Surabaya (Ubaya). UPH were definitely the underdogs for the ACSI Libamanas final; in all honesty, the Eagles reaching the National Championship game was already a surprise considering that they were competing against stronger teams in the women?s basketball of ACSI Libamanas. With less history in reaching the latter stages of Indonesia?s collegiate basketball tournament than their opponent, the Eagles look visibly burdened. UPH failed to deliver in the second half despite being on par with Ubaya in the first half of the National Championship game. In the end, UPH lost to Ubaya 64-77. Don?t let the fact that UPH only finished in second place fool you. This was not a failed season by any means. Three years ago, nobody recognized the UPH Eagles women?s basketball team. Now, they are the finalists of ACSI Libamanas 2011/12. If their meteoric rise continues for next season, it means that there is only one more place where the Eagles can rise to: national champions! The Eagles women?s basketball team had talent — which we knew from how many of players has been selected for the national team or been called up to represent their respective provinces — but the loss to Ubaya in the ACSI Libamanas National Championship game gave them other crucial things. The first crucial thing is experience, which will definitely help give the Eagles cooler heads when in tough situations in difficult games next season. The second thing is the lesson learnt after playing equally, if not more, talented opponents in ACSI Libamanas. The third and last thing is the bitterness of defeat, which will certainly motivate them to play harder and try to go all the way next season. (kt) |
