Despite a challenging shooting night, reigning NCAA Most Valuable Player Clint Escamis emerged victorious in his first match-up against former University of the East teammate Harvey Pagsanjan.
Mapua University narrowly defeated Emilio Aguinaldo College, 69-66, on Wednesday afternoon at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Escamis and Pagsanjan last played together as teammates for the Red Warriors in UAAP Season 84.
Though they now compete for different schools, Escamis expressed his admiration for Pagsanjan’s performance and integration into his new team.
“Napakasarap makalaban siya siyempre his new home sa EAC eh. I’m happy na fit siya sa system, fit siya sa coaching staff nila. I’m happy na maganda pinakita niya pati yung minutes niya,” shared Escamis.
(C) UAAP Season 84 Media Team
The homegrown Mapua guard also enjoyed the playful banter exchanged during the game, noting the camaraderie they shared.
“May playful banter kanina sa court, so masaya din,” he added.
The backcourt partnership of Escamis and Pagsanjan did not yield significant success during their time at UE, failing to break the team’s decades-long Final Four drought.
However, both players have found success in their respective leagues – Escamis with an MVP award and a Finals appearance, and Pagsanjan leading a restructured EAC team aiming for a Final Four spot.
For Escamis, the lack of success in the UAAP was not due to any deficiency in their chemistry.
“Siyempre hindi naman purkit hindi kami nag-ano. Actually nag-click kami na eh, click kami ni Harvey on and off the court, pero siyempre may ibang factors din na nagpaplay into it,” he stated.
Escamis and Pagsanjan will have at least one more chance to face each other in the second round of the season.
For now, both players will focus on their upcoming games with their respective teams.
