For 12 games, the De La Salle University Green Archers had been invulnerable, breezing past their opponents to the tune of 18.1 points per game. And as the wins piled up, first year head coach Aldin Ayo continued to downplay their streak, making sure that the team remains focused on the goal: bringing the UAAP crown back to Taft Avenue.
“Hindi nagma-matter sa akin ang Final Four. Ang importante ay manalo. Kasi nga, lahat ito, everything will be put to naught if we don’t win the championship,” the 39-year-old mentor said.
“Call it pressure, pero pressure talaga, everybody is expecting us to win, pero sabi ko nga nung press con, the pressure motivates us.”
Saturday afternoon, though, the Green Archers suffered one thing they have not experienced for the past seven months: a loss. And it was not just any loss; it came at the hands of the school’s arch-rivals.
“Well, there’s always a first time. Masama lang e galing pa sa Ateneo,” Ayo remarked after the game.
For the majority of the game, the Green Archers were vulnerable — a sight rarely seen all season. Their highly-regarded press was easily penetrated, while their shots were not falling, shooting just 29 percent from the field.
“Alam na rin naman ng lahat kung anong gagawin namin, pero siyempre, yung detalye, yun ang hindi nila alam,” the 39-year-old mentor remarked. “In terms of kung na-figure out yung ginagawa namin, I cannot say that.”
Instead of nitpicking the errors his team had made, the one-time NCAA champion coach took all the blame.
“Hindi ko maque-question yung effort ng mga bata kasi grabe magtrabaho yung mga bata,” said Ayo, who made his La Salle-Ateneo debut.
“Siguro, if there’s someone to blame, ako yun. Hindi lang ako, the whole coaching staff.”
“Kasi yung mga bata, they’re doing their best e. So responsibility ko yun, responsibility ng coaching staff. Yung mga bata naman, ginagawa lahat e. Siguro, kulang lang pinagawa namin kaya ganun yung situwasyon,” he admitted.
The architect of the mayhem defense, though, wants his troops to savor the feeling of losing, to use it as a motivation that will fuel their grind.
“Siyempre they feel bad, pero sabi ko nga sa kanila, we have to savor whatever feeling na meron kasi it will help us a lot.
“Buo naman e. Wala namang titinag sa amin e, kahit Ateneo nakatalo sa amin, this is our first loss. We’re still a team and I think, mas makakatulong sa amin ito in terms of motivation, mas mamo-motivate kami,” he said.
“All members of the team, from the boss [Danding Cojuangco] up to the utility, for sure motivated kami.”
“Lagi kong sinasabi sa kanila, before everything else, they have to overcome themselves. Yung sarili mo muna, then pag-ready ka na sa sarili mo, lift your teammates, then kalaban na. So maglilinis muna kami ng bakuran,” he added.
And up next for the Green Archers will be the defending UAAP champions, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws. Ayo believes his team will be more motivated than ever to get back to the hard court.
“Sarili muna namin yung aayusin namin. Decision-making. Every time we play defense, it’s all about making the right decisions. On offense, it’s all about playing for each other, playing as a team,” he said.
“Kahit kami, we’re loose. Excited ako makaharap si coach Nash [Racela].”
