When coach Bo Perasol accepted the job as mentor to the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, he emphasized that the first order of business was to remove the losing mentality of the Maroons.
“Gusto ko lang malampasan namin yung pagiisip na talunan tayo. Gusto kong lumaban lang kami doon. Whatever happens is going to happen.”
The Fighting Maroons, however, fell to a 0-3 hole to start the 79th season of the Men’s Basketball tournament. But still, the former Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagle mentor has looked for a silver lining within those losses.
Wednesday afternoon, UP finally won their first game of the season, taking a 75-71 win over the hapless University of the East Red Warriors. It was a small victory for Perasol, but a celebration for a program that has been long suffering.
Two years ago, the Fighting Maroons ended a streak of futility, a 27-game losing streak to be exact. The UP community celebrated the victory with a bonfire – a celebration usually reserved for championship wins. The celebration itself was over-the-top, highlighted by a reunion of OPM legends The Eraserheads.
Perasol, a UP alumnus, shared that he now knows the reason why the UP community had celebrated with a bonfire.
“I do understand why the first time UP won a year ago, they celebrated with a bonfire,” the UP MBT coach said after achieving his first win as mentor.
“We all understand it because we are struggling within a struggle. We are trying to overcome a lot of things in our minds.”
“Pero when you’re in the program, ganun pala kasaya pag nagstra-struggle ka and you’re up against all odds against bigger taller more talented line-ups, kami nagstra-struggle,” he reflected.
“Sasabihin ng iba corny ng UP, isang panalo lang bonfire na. Ngayon naiintindihan ko na. Because the community can see, while we do our best, most of the time we fall short.
“When we come out as victors they can celebrate with us,” Perasol shared.
The former Fighting Maroon is still sticking to his word of bringing in more than three wins this season.
“This is proof that we can win games against a tough team like UE. We hope we can capitalize on this.
“There’s still 10 more games,” he declared.
