There are moments when teams and individual athletes must dig deep to overcome adversity, and National University Nazareth School showcased this resilience by closing out the first round of the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Tournament in dramatic fashion.
The Bullpups erased a 12-point deficit late in the fourth quarter to stun Ateneo de Manila University, 91-89, last Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
For Bullpups coach Kevin de Castro, finding a way to motivate his players before the game was crucial.
“Actually, pumasok lang yun nung natutulog ako. Sabi ko parang may kulang sa amin (dahil) di namin nako-close out yung games,” de Castro said.
“So binalikan ko yung movie na pinakita ko sa 19-and-under last year, yung Facing the Giants. Pinakita dun yung ‘death crawl.’ Chinallenge siya ng coach niya to go 50 yards, and he went beyond the end zone. Yan ang sabi ko sa kanila: you give your absolute best every game.”
And the Bullpups responded to that challenge in the face of adversity.
Down 71-83 with 5:08 left on the clock, NUNS mounted a fierce comeback, digging deep just like the characters in Facing the Giants during the ‘death crawl’ scene.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Chester Tulabut was the Bullpups’ main man during this stretch, tying the game at 89-89 with 13.3 seconds remaining and sinking the game-winning free throws with 6.6 seconds left.
For Tulabut, the scene from the movie resonated deeply and helped fuel his belief that anything is possible with enough effort and determination.
“Siguro po yung sinasabi ni Coach Kevs, at nakatulong din po yung movie na pinakita niya sa amin, na ang mensahe ay lagpasan pa namin yung limit namin,” Tulabut, a 6-foot winger from Pampanga, shared.
“Di po kami nag-stick lang sa comfort zone namin. Nilaban po namin ng buong puso, tsaka andun po yung pride na manalo.”
With a 3-4 record and tied for fifth place at the end of the first round, NUNS still has everything to play for in its quest to reach the Final Four.
The victory over Ateneo was especially significant, as it marked the Bullpups’ first win this season against a team above them in the standings.
De Castro hopes this win will serve as a springboard for his team to secure more victories in the second round, which begins this Saturday.
“Credit sa kanila,” de Castro said. “Nakita ko yung heart at yung desire na hinahanap ko for the past six games. Siguro naging motivation sa kanila yung pinakita kong movie kahapon. Sabi ko sa kanila, yung absolute best ibigay niyo, then i-re-reward kayo ni Lord kung ibibigay sa inyo o hindi. Kasi magdadasal kayo, sana manalo, sana manalo, pero kung di niyo tatrabahuhin, wala mangyayari sa atin.
“So yun. Wala na akong ibang sasabihin. Talagang credit sa kanila. Nag-adjust lang kami. Sumunod sila sa game plan, and yun, binigay sa amin yung panalo.”
