Last Thursday, Ateneo Pilipinas played their fifth game in five days in the 2018 William Jones Cup.
But with the grind still on-going, the Blue Eagles need to dig deep. As they, next man up.
Against the Indonesian Men’s National Basketball Team, it was Isaac Go and Patrick Maagdenberg who stepped up. Go, who was averaging 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds prior to the game, erupted for 21 points spiked by six triples. Maagdenberg, on the other hand, added 14 markers off the bench — way up from his 1.0 points per game average prior.
“I guess it was just my day. I didn’t play well yesterday [against Japan B], but my teammates and coaches still had belief in me,” shared Go, who credited his teammates for making him wide open.
“I just wanted to come out and make up for the game yesterday.”
The schedule though has been tough for Ateneo Pilipinas. Unlike the other squads that have a day break in the middle of the tournament, the Blue Eagles were given their day break during opening day.
Eight games in eight days. But that was the cards dealt and they have to deal with it.
“Five games in five days is tough. This trip has taught us to be more professional.
“Taking care of our bodies, watching what we eat, being ready mentally for each opponent, being able to put a good or bad game behind us are just some of the things that fall under being professional. I guess we’re just continue to play who we are. We can’t allow external factors to affect the way we play,” expressed the 203-centimeter tall Blue Eagle.
There is no rest for the weary however as they still have LSU-Atletas, Chinese-Taipei, and Iran on deck.
