Mataas pa rin ang pag-asa ng defending champion Ateneo de Manila University sa kabila ng pagbubukas ng ikalawang round ng University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 86 men’s basketball tournament na may sunod-sunod na talo.
Pinuri ni Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin ang kanyang mga ward para sa isang magagaling na paninindigan laban sa isang malakas at determinadong bahagi ng University of the Philippines sa kanilang eliminations rematch noong Linggo sa Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ngunit alam din ng Kiwi-American mentor na ang Blue Eales ay kailangang umunlad at matuto mula sa mga hamon na kanilang kinakaharap patungo sa mahalagang yugto ng karera para sa Final Four slots.
“They all learn and we certainly talked about that. But more importantly, we talked about how proud I am of the effort they put out there,” sabi ni Baldwin matapos ang kanilang 60-65 pagkatalo sa UP.
“They stood toe to toe with a really, really good basketball team. We had a chance, so, this season has had a lot of that for us. We’ve come out on the short end too many times. How many times can I say growth? But you know, it’s what this team is learning,” dagdag niya.
Ang Ateneo ay tumabla sa ikaapat hanggang ikalimang puwesto kasama ng Adamson University na may 4-5 win-loss record.
Ito ang kauna-unahang pagkakataon para sa Blue Eagles na matalo ng limang laro sa eliminations mula noong kinuha ni Baldwin ang coaching reins noong 2016.
Ang Ateneo, na nawalan ng isang bahagi ng kanilang beteranong championship core, ay nagpupumilit na magtala ng mga tagumpay ngayong season, mainit at malamig.
Sa rematch laban sa isang bahagi ng UP na kanilang tinalo sa overtime, 99-89, para tapusin ang unang round, nahirapan ang Blue Eagles na ituloy ang kanilang laro.
Maliban sa masasabing run na burado sa 12-point lead ng Fighting Maroons sa huling bahagi ng fourth quarter, kulang sa finishing kick at composure ang Ateneo para kumpletuhin ang pagbalik.
Bumagsak ang tatlo, 63-60, may 42.9 segundo ang nalalabi, nagkaroon ng pagkakataon ang Blue Eagles na itabla ang laro matapos ang UP ay walang laman sa hawak nito.
Ngunit si Jared Brown, sa halip na mag-shoot ng tres upang itabla ang laro sa pagwawakas ng oras, ay piniling ipasa ang bola kay Joseph Obasa, na pagkatapos ay hindi nakuha ang kanyang layup sa point-blank range habang si Fighting Maroons guard Gerry Abadiano ay humawak sa defensive board at nakuha. sa linya para sa coup de grace.
“Well, I don’t have to say anything. We all know he should have isolated Malick (Diouf) and tried to shoot a three. He was the first one to say that after that scenario. And if you guys ever played in front of 20,000 people in a must win situation and you’re gonna make a smart decision in the last possession, it’s not easy. It’s freaking difficult,” sabi ni Baldwin.
“I think the biggest weakness of our team is that they don’t have a playing chemistry and you know, playing chemistry is not just like ‘we like to play together.’ It’s having a collective understanding where your efficiencies are,” dagdag niya.
“Everybody knows anything about chemistry, you can’t create a good formula, you have to get the right elements working together in the right way. And that’s what chemistry in a basketball team needs. That’s a work in progress for us, for these guys,” sabi pa niya.
