Francis Escandor has been one of the most polarizing members of the De La Salle Green Archers in recent years.
The former De La Salle Zobel Junior Archer has attracted criticism because many fans question whether he deserved to be part of the Green Archers for so long in his collegiate career.
Amidst all the noise, Escandor finally came through for La Salle. He contributed 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting in the Green Archers’ 88-79 victory over the UP Fighting Maroons.
To say that his performance and the outcome made him happy would be an understatement.
“I don’t know. I’m at a loss for words right now, but it’s truly a great feeling. I really wanted that win, especially coming from a win against NU. We really wanted that win. From there, we were so grateful that we won,” said the 24-year-old Davao native.
“For me, I just stayed focused on the game plan. I’m really thankful to my teammates for passing me the ball, and I’m also thankful to God for making those shots. I’m just really happy that we won.”
Representing La Salle or any major college basketball program in the Philippines will result in intense scrutiny. There are many armchair fans in the venue or on social media who are quick to criticize when their team loses a big game.
It takes a special kind of character to be able to accept that this comes with the territory. Instead of taking offence at the comments that come his way, Escandor feels that he is better off controlling what he can.
“I mean, I totally respect everyone’s opinion, but I’m not too worried about it,” the graduating winger said.
“Of course, I hear them, but I just want to focus on what I can do and what I can bring to the team. Besides that, I’m really just trying to focus on playing basketball.”
La Salle has now secured pivotal wins against National University and UP in the second round.
The Green Archers are on a four-game winning streak and cannot afford to stumble if they want to secure a twice-to-beat advantage.
Escandor has waited four years for his breakout game. Still, though, he emphasized that he and his teammates need to focus on the challenges ahead rather than being overly ecstatic about this win.
“It’s a unique feeling, bro. Again, I’m at a loss for words right now, but I’m truly thankful and blessed that all my hard work and dedication did not go to waste. From here, I’ll take it as a stepping stone towards the next game and hopefully towards the postseason,” he said.
“We’re just getting ready for Adamson, especially coming off a big win. We don’t want to get too high, and tomorrow we’ll be back in the gym.”
