Sandy Arespacochaga of Ateneo de Manila University lamented the Blue Eagles’ 61-66 loss to Far Eastern University in overtime, marking their third loss in the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The Blue Eagles appeared poised to steal the win from the Tamaraws after executing an 18-3 run. Chris Koon, Ian Espinosa, Jared Brown, and Kai Ballungay all contributed baskets to level the game at 57-all.
However, FEU’s fifth-year guard L-Jay Gonzales had other plans.
He scored two difficult baskets from which Ateneo could not recover.
“In the end, I think our turnovers and missed free throws really hurt us. We also missed some wide-open lay-ups, while FEU capitalized on theirs. L-Jay Gonzales hit two tough pull-up jumpers. So, once again, congratulations to FEU,” Arespacochaga expressed.
The long-time Ateneo deputy and former head coach from Season 67 played a more active role on the sidelines. He also addressed the media after the game since coach Tab Baldwin was feeling under the weather.
On the other side was his long-time colleague, Gabby Severino, who left the Blue Eagles program before Season 84. Severino actively provided advice to coach Denok Miranda and the Tamaraws throughout the game.
It was indeed strange not to see Severino, Arespacochaga, and Gene Afable together on the Ateneo bench, but basketball leads people to unexpected places.
“I can speak personally and on behalf of the staff that we love Coach Gabby. He’s like a brother. Back in the old days, he was one of my captains when I played. He was my teammate, along with Mark Molina. They were my leaders,” Arespacochaga reflected.
“Besides that, we spent many years together at Ateneo. He’s like a brother. We love him, and I’m sure he loves us as well. Of course, it’s a competition. He’s on the other side, but it’s like a brotherly bond,” he continued.
“He’ll always be loved by us, and likewise, I’m sure.”
Ateneo’s record now stands at 2-3 in the standings. The defending champions have undergone changes compared to the previous year when they were led by Ange Kouame, BJ Andrade, and Dave Ildefonso.
The Blue Eagles will conclude the first round against the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the Philippines next week. The challenge of winning both games is something they must overcome.
“This is an emotional game too. We feel the loss. Sometimes, it’s actually good to experience a loss, and that’s the reality of sports, right? There’s a winner and a loser,” Arespacochaga emphasized.
“Sometimes we try to hide or say, ‘It’s okay, it’s okay’ when you lose. Sometimes in life, it’s beneficial to feel the loss. That’s something we want our players to experience, and hopefully, it will motivate us to take care of business in the next game.”
