UST Growling Tigers, Tigresses, Tiger Cubs and Tigress Cubs


The UST Growling Tigers, Tigresses, Tiger Cubs and Tigress Cubs are the collegiate and high school men's and women's varsity teams of the University of Santo Tomas in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. They hold the most UAAP Overall Championships with 48 senior and 24 junior overall championships.
UST is one of four member universities that participate in all 15 sporting events of the league. They also participate in various sports leagues, such as the Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup, the Premier Volleyball League, the PFF Women's League, and the UNIGAMES.

Team identity

Mascot and colors

The gold and white colors of the flag of Vatican City were adopted by the University of Santo Tomas for their school colors because of its Pontifical status.
They were known as the Glowing Goldies until a name change in 1992. UST Rector Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, who was appointed in 1991 recalled in a speech to the school's administrators and faculty members during his 2007 Rector's Report on how UST's present Growling Tigers moniker came to be.
It was during the parade of school mascots in the opening ceremonies of Season 54 when an embarrassing incident occurred. Unlike the other member schools, UST had no mascot to represent their varsity teams and it gave the host school a hard time in coming up with a suitable representation for the Glowing Goldies. A “fat Dominican friar” who was carrying bags of gold had come out with the other mascots and drew a lot of laughter from the crowd in attendance.
Fr. De la Rosa later instructed PE moderator Bro. Rolando Atienza to conduct a naming activity for a new mascot. Mrs. Felicitas Francisco, directress of the PE department, suggested the tiger as the new mascot due to its gold and white colors.
When it was UST's turn to be host in Season 55, the new growling tiger mascot debuted in the opening ceremonies. Since then, Mrs. Francisco always donned her tiger-striped coat when she attends UST playoff games. The High School boys' team followed suit by changing their name from the "Golden Nuggets" to the "Tiger Cubs".
The Manila Central University Purple Owls once used the tiger mascot when they participated in the UAAP from 1952 until their pullout in 1962.

Varsity team monikers

The names of the University of Santo Tomas collegiate varsity teams that participate in the 15 UAAP sporting events are shown in the table below.

Basketball

The UST men's and boys' basketball teams were first formed in the year of the NCAA's foundation in 1924. UST won their first and only NCAA men's championship in NCAA Season 6.
In the UAAP, they have the most combined championships with 40 from the men's, women's and boys' teams. The men's total of 18 titles is tied with the UE Red Warriors' for the second most championships behind FEU's 20.
In 1993 the Growling Tigers finished the double-round eliminations with a rare 14–0 sweep and were declared automatic champions of the UAAP Season 56 men's tournament. This was the start of the Growling Tigers' four-peat championship run in the UAAP. The Tigers faced and defeated the De La Salle Green Archers for three consecutive finals series.
UST's last championship before the sweep was in 1967 when they were declared co-champions with UE in Season 30.
The Tiger Cubs and the Tigresses also have successful basketball programs with each team having a total of 11 UAAP championships.
In 1994, the men's, women's and juniors' teams won the UAAP Season 57 basketball championship in their respective divisions. This was the only time that a triple championship was achieved in the UAAP. UST also won double championships in Seasons 58 and 69 with the Growling Tigers and the Tigresses winning both their division titles in both years.
UST's off-season training includes participation in summer basketball tournaments. The Tiger Cubs regularly join the MILCU Summer Showcase, Smart City HOOPS, Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup juniors tournament and the PCABL Freego Cup. The Tigresses recently played in the Fr. Martin Cup Summer tournament and Breakdown Basketball Invitational tournament, while the Growling Tigers continue to participate in the MILCU Under-25 tournaments, the PBA D-League, Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup, Breakdown Basketball Invitational, Fr. Martin Cup Summer tournament, the Millennium Open Basketball championship, as well as pocket tournaments in the provinces such as the Kim Lope Asis Invitational Basketball Tournament in Bayugan, the Kadayawan Basketball Invitational in Davao City, and the Republica Cup collegiate tournament in Malolos. They have also competed in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League, an annual postseason tournament for schools that topped their respective leagues.
The UST Tigress Cubs girls' basketball team were declared co-champions with Adamson in Season 82's inaugural exhibition tournament after the deciding Game three of their finals series was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tigresses finished second in the four-team eliminations with 4 wins and 2 losses behind the Lady Falcons' perfect 6–0 record.

UAAP seasons

SeasonYearMenWomenBoys
21939 Champions
31940 Champions
91946 Champions
101947 Champions
111948 Champions
121949 Champions
131950 Runners-up
141951 Champions
151952 Champions
161953 Champions
171954 Champions
181955 Champions
191956 Runners-up
201957 Runners-up
221959 Champions
231960 3rd place
241961 Runners-up
271964 Champions
281965 Runners-up
291966 Runners-up
301967 Champions
311968 Runners-up
321969 Runners-up
341971 Runners-up
391976 Runners-up
401977 Runners-up
411978 Runners-up
421979 Runners-up Champions
431980 Runners-up Runners-up
441981 Runners-up
451982 Runners-up Champions
461983 Runners-up

Other tournaments

Men
  • 1930 NCAA Season 7 – Champions
  • 2003 Philippine Collegiate Champions' League – 3rd place
  • 2004 Home and Away Invitational League – Runners-up
  • 2012 Philippine Collegiate Champions' League – Champions
  • 2014 Fr. Martin Cup Summer tournament – Runners-up
  • 2015 Fr. Martin Cup Summer tournament – Runners-up
  • 2017 32nd Kadayawan Basketball Invitational – Champions
  • 2017 7th Kim Lope Asis Invitational tournament – Runners-up
  • 2017 Republica Cup Basketball tournament – Runners-up
  • 2018 33rd Kadayawan Basketball Invitational – Runners-up
  • 2018 8th Kim Lope Asis Invitational tournament – Champions
  • 2019 NBA China 5v5 Grand Finals – Runners-up
Women
  • 2002 Women's Basketball League – Champions
  • 2003 Women's Basketball League – Champions
  • 2004 Women's Basketball League – Champions
  • 2005 Home and Away Invitational League – Runners-up
  • 2005 Women's Basketball League – Champions
  • 2006 Women's Basketball League – Champions
  • 2013 UNIGAMES – Champions
  • 2019 Fr. Martin Cup Summer tournament – Runners-up
  • 2019 Breakdown Basketball Invitational Summer Cup – Runners-up
Boys
  • 1989 National Secondary Title – Champions
  • 2017 MILCU x Got Skills Hard to Guard U17 tournament – Champions
  • 2019 12th PCABL Freego Cup – Runners-up

    Notable players

SeasonYearMenWomenBoys
151952Ning Ramos
261963Valentino Rosabal
291966Danny Florencio
321969Garry Artajos
421979Edmund Yee
561993Dennis Espino
571994Dennis EspinoGerard Francisco
581995Chris Cantonjos
591996Emmerson Oreta
611998Alwyn Espiritu
632000Jun Cortez
642001Jun Cortez
692006Jojo DuncilCharmaine Canuel
702007Jervy Cruz
712008Marichu Bacaro
722009Dylan Ababou
732010Kevin Ferrer
802017CJ Cansino
812018Grace Irebu
822019Soulémane Chabi YoGrace Irebu

SeasonYearMenWomenBoys
241961Valentino Rosabal
581995Gerard Francisco
652002Japs Cuan
722009Jeric TengKevin Ferrer
762013Aaron Reyes
812018Tantoy Ferrer
822019Mark Nonoy