Janrey Pasaol is ready to shoulder the responsibility of leading a retooled Far Eastern University squad after the Tamaraws suffered a heartbreaker in their UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament opener.
The Tamaraws dropped an 83-83 overtime contest to the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Saturday afternoon at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena.
Despite the narrow defeat, Pasaol’s sophomore debut in the highly competitive UAAP was a showcase of his all-around talent.
The 22-year-old guard from Davao nearly recorded a triple-double with 24 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds, two steals, and one block — proving he can perform under pressure.
However, Pasaol acknowledged moments where his leadership fell short.
FEU squandered an 80-74 lead in overtime, allowing Ateneo to rally behind two clutch three-pointers from Jared Bahay and a five-point burst from one-and-done forward Kymani Ladi.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Katulad ngayon, lamang na kami, ‘yon lang yung gusto ko matutunan pa sa mahaba na season. Kailangan ko pa mag-improve doon,” said Pasaol, brother of former UE Red Warrior Alvin Pasaol.
“Sa akin naman, yung stats wala naman ‘yon sa akin kasi gusto lang namin na manalo talaga. Sabi nga ni Coach Sean [Chambers], babalik kami sa gym, next [game] na naman against NU. Manonood na naman kami ng mga videos so doon na naman kami magfo-focus. Kung ano yung mga kulang namin, doon na lang namin i-improve pa.”
Pasaol is no stranger to bouncing back from tough losses. He had missed three potential game-winning free throws in FEU’s Season 87 first-round defeat to National University, a game that pushed the Tamaraws to an 0-2 start.
The sophomore guard credits his resilience to the mentorship and trust of multi-title PBA champion Sean Chambers, who has guided Pasaol since his days in the Baby Tamaraws program.
“Sa akin naman, nagpapasalamat ako kay Coach Sean kasi simula last year pa lang, malaki na yung tiwala niya sa akin ‘eh. Yung tiwala na binibigay niya sa akin, tinutumbasan ko na lang kung ano yung mga gusto niya at mga magagandang halimbawa lang sa mga bago,” Pasaol said.
Chambers, meanwhile, is confident FEU can turn the opening-day setback into motivation for the rest of the season.
Beyond Pasaol’s steady performance, the PBA legend believes the young Tamaraws core — highlighted by Mo Konateh and the returning duo of Kirby Mongcopa and Luke Felipe — has the talent and grit to challenge the league’s top contenders, including UP, La Salle, and UST, as well as dark horses Ateneo, Adamson, and NU.
“I still think about our team. We finished the game again with Janrey, Luke [Felipe] playing his first game, Kirby [Mongcopa] playing his first game, Mo [Konateh] is still a sophomore, Janrey’s a sophomore,” Chambers said.
“So we’re still so young, and I felt like we just had young moments down the stretch to help put that game away. So we’ll get better from it. We’ll go back to the gym. We’ll work harder.”
