Mason Amos knew the boos were coming.
Stepping onto the court for the first edition of UAAP Season 88’s Ateneo-La Salle clash, the 6-foot-7 Gilas Pilipinas forward braced himself for the jeers of his former school’s fans — loud, unrelenting, and unforgiving inside the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Having made the controversial move from Ateneo to La Salle last year, he expected nothing less.
As soon as the barker announced him as part of the Green Archers’ starting five, the crowd’s reaction confirmed it: boos rained down from the Blue Eagles’ supporters, a reminder that rivalries run deeper than wins and losses.
Amos, however, remained unfazed.
“Honestly, I don’t care about being the talk-of-the-town type of stuff. I’m not reading any of that. I know there’s a lot of hate, but it really doesn’t bother me,” he said after La Salle’s 74-81 defeat.
“People can say whatever they want about me. I’m just gonna do my own thing and play for La Salle as best as I can. That’s all I’m gonna do.”
Though the jeers stung, it was the loss to his former team that hit harder.
With La Salle now at 2-2 in the standings, the Green Archers’ once-hyped return to the finals looks uncertain, and even their Final Four credentials are under scrutiny.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“It’s inexcusable for a team with our talent and pedigree to be down by over 30 points against any opponent, especially Ateneo, who’s clearly on the rise,” admitted the 21-year-old Fil-Australian, who had six points on 2-of-7 shooting in 23 minutes of action.
“We played horrible. That’s on us. No excuses. They were the better team today. I’m not gonna sugarcoat anything. We can’t shoot free throws. That’s something we have to work on, and we’ve been trying. I trust in the team.”
Amos emphasized that now, more than ever, sticking together is key.
“I’m never gonna bail on them. I’m never gonna show that I have no belief. I’m just trusting this process. I know a loss can be disheartening, especially in a rivalry, but it’s really a blessing in disguise. We just have to keep moving forward—that’s the way to go.”
One glaring weakness, he noted, remains La Salle’s free-throw shooting.
Despite practicing under fatigue to simulate game conditions, success hasn’t translated to match situations. Amos warned that unless this — and other fundamentals — improve, beating teams like Ateneo will remain a challenge.
“Even if you can hit free throws in practice, it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t hit them in the game. That’s the honest truth. Yeah, we struggle with that. That’s part of why we’re losing games. Honestly, it all comes down to effort. In the first half, we had zero effort,” he said.
“We showed glimpses in the first half, but we can’t keep leaving it to the second half to try and win games. Time’s never gonna be on your side. You can make a run, but against a good team like Ateneo, it’s never gonna work.”
#WATCH Mason Amos urges La Salle to stick together after another setback 🏹🏀
📹 Lorenzo del Carmen/Tiebreaker Times#UAAPSeason88 #RivalrySunday pic.twitter.com/yzYcMPbA79
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) October 5, 2025
