Shawn Tuano’s instinct to protect his teammates took over in the closing seconds of Ateneo de Manila University’s crucial clash against University of Santo Tomas, leading to a heated altercation with Growling Tigers big man Collins Akowe as the Blue Eagles bowed out of Final Four contention in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday.
With Ateneo trailing 86-81 and just 21.6 seconds remaining, Jared Bahay attempted to foul Akowe to stop the clock.
The UST big man, however, shoved Bahay’s hand away, prompting Tuano, who appeared to mistake the motion for an elbow, to rush toward Akowe and send him to the floor with a push.
“I grew up always trying to protect my teammates, and I saw him throw an elbow. Maybe it was unintentional, but at that point, my instincts kicked in with brotherhood and protecting your brothers who you fight out there on the court with,” Tuano explained.
“I just can’t let anybody do that to my point guard, especially one of the smallest guys on the court.”
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
The Ateneo guard, however, downplayed the force of his shove, stressing that his reaction was purely instinctive and not an attempt to escalate the confrontation.
“Instinct kicked in, but I don’t think I pushed him that hard; he’s a big fella, look at him over there, he’s pretty big, so I don’t think I pushed him that hard,” he said.
Despite the heated exchange, Tuano insisted that there was no lingering animosity toward Akowe, describing the incident as a product of emotions running high in the closing moments of a crucial game.
He admitted, however, that the two have yet to speak since the incident.
“We leave it all on the court, but off the court, it is what it is; it’s basketball at the end of the day. When we’re out there playing, with the drums and the crowd, emotions get high; it’s just a basketball thing,” he shared.
Beyond the altercation, Tuano also reflected on the Blue Eagles’ resilience throughout a difficult campaign, emphasizing that the team’s bond remained strong despite falling short of its postseason goal.
“We all went through a major tragedy. Our resiliency in terms of being there for each other is super high,” he said.
“So our resiliency, I think, is very good; we have a lot of trust in each other and we try to do our best.”
Tuano finished with 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting and four assists in Ateneo’s 89-84 defeat, which officially eliminated the Blue Eagles from Final Four contention.
With their postseason hopes extinguished, Ateneo will look to close its campaign on a positive note when it takes on the UE Red Warriors in its final game of the season on November 25 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
