Multi-titled Adamson University head coach Franz Pumaren vowed to change the culture of Adamson basketball when he took over the mantle of head coach nine months ago.
During the Adamson press conference in which Pumaren was introduced as the team’s mentor, the 52-year-old mentor vowed that he and his staff will bring back Adamson basketball.
“Rest assured, from our group [and] my coaching staff, we will ensure that Adamson gets the respect it deserves from other schools and from the basketball fans,” he said.
During the off-season, little by little, brick by brick, the former De La Salle University Green Archer head coach nitpicked every mistake his players made. From sophomore JD Tungcab to big man Papi Sarr, every Soaring Falcon had been scolded by the famed head coach, either during time-outs or in practice. No one was safe.
“Coach Franz is a great coach kasi he will teach you how to be tough and sa practice, he will push you,” fourth-year team captain Dawn Ochea shared about Pumaren.
“Walang laro-laro, walang crybabies. He wants you to be better than sa sarili mong kakayahan.”
For Pumaren, it was about removing the losing mentality of the Soaring Falcons.
Saturday evening, the Soaring Falcons exorcised their losing streak to the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles. With a magical shot by Ochea — his sole field goal of the game, the futility they experienced at the hands of Ateneo was vanquished.
However, it would not have been that way if the same scenario had not occurred in the off-season. In one particular tune-up game, Pumaren recalled drawing a play for Ochea with the game on the line.
“If I can recall, we had a particular practice game and we designed the same play,” Pumaren reflected. “But in that game, Dawn was gun-shy during that game.”
Ochea, who is currently averaging just 5.67 points per game, lingered on that one moment, knowing that it will happen again. And it happened did, this time in a UAAP-sanctioned game.
“Naalala ko yung mali ko sa tune-up na yun before,” the 20-year-old captain said.
“Parang nag-choke ako at hindi ko alam gagawin ko nun.”
“Parang instinct na lang [dapat yun]. Sinabi ni coach sa akin na no matter what, I have to take the shot and do-or-die na lang pag pumasok or hindi.'”
But during the Ateneo-Adamson tilt, no one expected Ochea to take the final shot as he had been on the bench for almost the entire final frame, playing just 11 minutes in total. With 4.1 seconds remaining remaining, he needed to step up.
“Sabi kasi ni coach na kapag naka-deny sila Jerrick [Ahanmisi] at ibang guards namin, siyempre hindi sila mag-eexpect na off the bench ang mag-scoscore,” he furthered.
“I’ve been doing that shot sa mga practice namin kaya I was confident with that shot.”
“It was divine intervention also,” Pumaren added. “It’s very seldom that you find someone who has been sitting on the bench for quite a long stretch and, despite of that, he was able to convert.”
And with that shot, Ochea did not let the ghosts of last summer haunt him and, more importantly, he helped the Soaring Falcons gain some sort of respect.
“Binawi ko lang, yung shot na yun pambawi ko lang,” Ochea proudly said.
