Ateneo de Manila University head coach Tab Baldwin had some choice words for his wards after their 83-78 loss to archrival De La Salle University last Sunday.
And the Blue Eagles’ response was loud and clear on Wednesday afternoon: a 79-52 romp of University of Santo Tomas at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Moreover, they did so by being unselfish on the court.
“I think 27 assists on 27 made field goals made – [that’s] a pretty big statement. And that’s exactly what we were missing the last game,” said the Ateneo bench tactician.
“We were missing that eye for another. One of the Atenean principles is to be a man for others.”
Forthsky Padrigao previously saw himself held to a disastrous 2-of-18 shooting from the field against La Salle. This time, he registered 20 points, eight assists, five steals, and three rebounds while only committing a single turnover.
Dave Ildefonso found his stride in the second half with two top-of-the-key triples. He finished with 10 points alongside nine rebounds and six assists.
“When they respond as they did today, I think that needs to be acknowledged and applauded,” said the former Gilas Pilipinas head coach.
“They need to understand that while the world may be out there looking for superstars, your best friends are looking for somebody to have their back. And I think we would all rather have a good best friend than fame,” added Baldwin, who rued the team’s “self-imposed composure” against the Green Archers.
“That’s what I want from our team, and I think that we’ve taken steps from the last game. And this game, I think we took steps forward that and I’m proud of them.”
With Ateneo back on track and now at 3-1, all alone in the second spot, Baldwin has his eyes back on the prize – something he said the team can forget about if they don’t make the necessary adjustments after their loss.
But a big challenge awaits them come Sunday, a Finals rematch against Katipunan neighbor University of the Philippines at 4:30 PM.
“It’s a big game, and I think we want to be in the running for the twice-to-beat advantage. And the realistic pathway to that is to win [the game against UP].”
