For the first time since the finals of the UAAP Season 70 men’s basketball tournament, two brothers coached on opposing sides Sunday afternoon. The two were Pumarens, but this time, it was Franz Pumaren facing older brother Derrick Pumaren.
But this was not the first time the two had coached on opposing teams; they had faced each other back in the 1990’s with the Philippine Amateur Basketball League.
“I played against Franz as coach sa PABL pa,” Derrick Pumaren said. “He was handling Magnolia, ako nasa Triple V back then.”
Two decades later, the two once again faced off under the bright lights of the SM Mall of Asia Arena. When the dust had settled, it was Derrick Pumaren who stood victorious, helping steer the University of the East Red Warriors to their first win of the season.
It was a bittersweet win for the elder Pumaren, as it had come at the expense of his brother.
“I feel bad about Franz. We really have to get our first win sa kanya,” he shared after the win.
“It’s nothing personal We need to win. We were in a deep hole. We had to crawl out of it. It doesn’t matter if it’s Franz or other teams, we still have to win games”
Franz Pumaren, on the other hand, said that he believes that UE’s record is deceiving and they will perform better in the second round.
“Well, I think they’re a very disciplined team, very aggressive team. That’s his team for the last how many years,” the 52-year-old Adamson mentor said.
“I think they’ll do better in the 2nd round after this win.
“They performed well and nothing against UE, but siyempre if you’re down 0-6, the only way is to go up,” he added.
Derrick also complemented Franz’s work with Adamson and believes that the program is in good hands.
“They’ve got some good recruits. They’ve got good pieces there,” he said.
“Franz is a good coach, we know what he can do, the respect he gets from the players that’s why he’s able to turn the team around.”
But today head coach Derrick Pumaren and the Red Warriors were the victors over Franz Pumaren and the young Soaring Falcons. And with the win comes the spoils.
“May dinner [kami] so medyo masaya yung dinner ngayon. Hindi ako magbabayad,” the UE mentor joked in conclusion.
