The last four games have been tough for the Ildefonso brothers and the National University Bulldogs.
They could have easily been 4-0, but a troika of one-point defeats and a crushing overtime loss led them to an 0-4 slate.
Against the UP Fighting Maroons, Dave Ildefonso sparked a spirited NU comeback, cutting a once-14 point lead down to one with 11.6 seconds left.
NU had a chance to win the game late, but John Lloyd Clemente airballed his triple attempt as time expired.
After the game, Kobe Paras went over to Dave and Shaun Ildefonso since he felt for his close friends.
“I grew up with Shaun and Dave. When I started playing basketball, they were basically my teammates,” said Paras, who had 25 points, six rebounds, and two assists in their 80-79 win over NU.
“So we have a bond that no one really knows about.”
Dave had 25 points in the game, while Shaun added 13 points and seven boards.
Seeing his friends suffer heartbreak after heartbreak, Paras told the brothers to just keep on pushing.
“But I just told them to keep their heads up and they’re gonna win a game soon. They’re a great team, and coach Jamike [Jarin] does a wonderful job coaching them.”
Besides Paras, UP head coach Bo Perasol also felt for Jarin, whom he worked with during his stint in Ateneo. Moreover, Perasol shared that Jarin should be the rock for his young team in these trying times.
“Well, as I said, I went to his dugout last game to encourage him. The point that he is making right now is that he has to rise through this adversity as their leader. They are just 0-4. They could have easily beaten those four teams. It just went to the other side,” Perasol shared.
“You feel bad for them, but you have something to look forward as well when they play.”
