Ever since Jerrick Ahanmisi arrived at Adamson University, the Soaring Falcons have not missed the Final Four.
But that all changed on Wednesday afternoon.
Figuring in a do-or-die game against Far Eastern University, Adamson could not buy a bucket in the clutch, falling in a heartbreaker 60-63. It was the Soaring Falcons’ eighth loss of the season.
“It didn’t go as planned, but we still got two games left and we just gotta finish the season out strong,” lamented Ahanmisi.
Adamson head coach Franz Pumaren has always stressed that they go where Ahanmisi takes them. And that was the same case this season.
Last year, the Fil-Nigerian averaged 18.0 points on 41.2-shooting from the field, 41.7-percent from distance. Adamson ended up just a win away from heading to the Finals.
This season, Ahanmisi’s numbers were down all around, posting norms of 14.27 points on a 35.4-percent clip, 31.4-percent from downtown.
According to him, his slump was not because he’d been tasked to lead the squad. He was simply unable to deliver.
“No, no. I don’t really think I had any pressure on me. It’s just that I didn’t perform as well as I was supposed to,” he admitted.
“It cost us, as you guys saw, in the losses that we had.”
With this, Ahanmisi vowed to write his redemption story next year.
“Yeah, I’m playing my final year and however the outcome goes, I’m just gonna give it my all next year.”