National University Nazareth School’s quest for redemption in the UAAP Season 87 Boys’ Basketball Tournament ended in agonizing fashion last Thursday, as it fell short in a thrilling overtime showdown, 77-83, against University of Santo Tomas at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
After taking the series opener with a hard-fought 77-70 victory on March 13, the Bullpups saw their championship hopes slip away in the decisive Game 3.
Once again, they were leaving with a silver medal finish and a bittersweet end to their season-long pursuit of glory.
As their season came to a heartbreaking close, not only did the Bullpups have to live with another near-miss, but the program also faces the tough reality of a significant rebuilding phase.
NUNS will lose 10 key players to graduation, including some of the cornerstones of their success.
Leading the departing Bullpups is Season 86 MVP and Season 87 inaugural Best Foreign Student Athlete Collins Akowe, along with key contributors Mac Alfanta, Migs Palanca, Jid Locsin, Jedric Solomon, Iver Napa, Gabriel Nepacena, Thomas Pillado, Allan Timbang, and Alnhumaeri Usop.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
NUNS head coach Kevin de Castro acknowledged the challenge of losing the core group he developed since taking over the program in Season 85.
However, the third-year coach remains confident that the Bullpups will still be competitive next season, despite a stacked UAAP field that includes the likes of the Tiger Cubs, the FEU-Diliman Baby Tamaraws, and the Adamson Baby Falcons.
“Mabigat talaga kasi, like sinabi nila, three years yung core nila Mac nandito, si Collins two years, tapos si Jid one year. Yung pupunan ng mga maiiwan para kila Solomon, Palanca, Alfanta, at lalo kay Collins, mabigat. Pero we will try to be competitive pa rin for next year,” De Castro said.
“Hindi talaga naging favor itong season sa amin, ang gusto ko lang ma-emphasize is yung next year yung challenge. Back-to-back finals appearances tapos dalawang silver medals, the next year, ito yung sinasabi ng tao na third time’s the charm. Sana next year, makuha na namin.”
(C) Julius Domondon/UAAP Season 86 Media Team
Now, the pressure of De Castro’s “third time’s the charm” philosophy will fall on the shoulders of Chad Cartel, Mot Matias, Josh Natinga, Shaun Lucido, Rob Celiz, Kurl Figueroa, and Sofiane Bouzina.
With this daunting task ahead, De Castro hopes that the lessons learned over the past three seasons — bronze in Season 85 and back-to-back silver medals in Seasons 86 and 87 — will fuel the holdovers as they aim to reclaim the title for the first time since Season 82 in 2019.
“Yung experience nila so far tapos yung lessons na nakuha nila sa season na ito and sa aming mga seniors, ‘yon gamitin nila para makabawi next season. Sa end ko, first year ko, bronze, second year silver, tapos sabi nga nila, third year hoping na gold pero nag-fall short kami,” he said.
“Sa next season, sana i-take nila ito as a lesson na everything dito sa UAAP, hindi madali kunin din. Kailangan paghirapan at pagtrabahuan.”
