After a series of heartbreaking losses, National University head coach Jamike Jarin finally got the monkey off his back with a 61-39 victory over the FEU Tamaraws.
Moreover, the fiery tactician finally got his first crack inside the UAAP Media room this season. Safe to say, Jarin made the most out of the opportunity.
Right after the final buzzer, Jarin hurried to the press room. To the surprise of everyone, moreover, he brought along his 16-strong team.
“Okay, before anything else, I would like to thank God Almighty for the victory and for making us still very competitive. Even [in spite] of all the losses we’re still here. The reason why I brought all these young men here because we win together and we lose together,” said Jarin.
“That’s our mantra — walang iwanan.”
Instead of letting the members of the press bombard him with questions, Jarin opted to step aside and let the Bulldogs talk about the win. And as he left, he paid tribute to the 16 Bulldogs and his coaching staff that survived their roller-coaster ride.
“Before you ask me more questions, you know how I am every time we win sila ang bida hindi ako. So I’ll leave the press room right know. Sila ang bida, sila ang naglalaro — they deserve all the credit. Maraming, maraming salamat,” he added.
For him, the win was a testament to the young Bulldogs, who fought valiantly in spite of the string of bad luck that hounded them dating back to their UAAP Season 82 debut.
Prior to this victory, the Bulldogs had suffered consecutive heart-wrenching defeats to Adamson, La Salle, and UST.
Each game could’ve easily gone their way if not for bad breaks. But despite their 0-5 start, Jarin’s wards remained resilient. They continued to hold their head up high, believing that the elusive victory was bound to come.
And it finally did. For the first time in six outings, Lady Luck finally blessed the Bulldogs’ side. With the Tamaraws shooting brick after brick, NU embraced their defensive game plan. They then held the Tamaraws to a school-low 39-point outing in a disappointing 15-of-79 shooting clip.
“Sobrang happy kami kasi we got our first win. At saka to be honest, sobrang swerte namin sobrang daming missed na libre na shots ng FEU. We executed yung pinapagawa ng mga coaches, yung game plan… Siguro yun lang” said rookie Migs Oczon, who finished the match with nine points and seven boards.
Now, after finally getting the breakthrough that they’ve been waiting for, expect NU to sustain their momentum for the long grind to come.
