For much of UAAP Season 89, Waki Espina could only watch from the sidelines as injuries limited his opportunities to contribute to Ateneo de Manila University.
But when the Blue Eagles needed him most, the 21-year-old swingman made sure he was ready.
Making a rare start in place of the allergy-stricken Kieffer Alas, Espina delivered a season-best 16 points on an efficient 5-of-6 shooting clip, including four triples on five attempts, in Ateneo’s 89-84 loss to University of Santo Tomas on Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Despite his breakout performance, the Blue Eagles fell to 5-8 in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament, officially bowing out of Final Four contention.
For Espina, however, the opportunity to finally showcase his abilities meant more than what the numbers reflected.
“Man, I just wanna say thank you to my coaching staff and my teammates for continuously trusting me despite everything I’ve been through this season,” said the 6-foot-3 sniper.
“Not a lot of guys know, but I have suffered a lot of injuries, and it’s just been really hard for me mentally and physically, and I’ve been trying to fight through them.”
Before Sunday’s contest, the third-year Blue Eagle had appeared in just seven of Ateneo’s first 13 games, averaging a mere seven minutes, 0.43 points, 1.57 rebounds, and 0.14 assists per outing.
“But with the support and backup of my teammates and coaching staff, I’m really grateful to them for me being able to be on this court today and for me being able to play my heart out.”
His 16-point explosion against the Growling Tigers was nearly six times his combined scoring output of three points in his previous seven appearances.
With fellow De La Salle Zobel product Alas unavailable, Espina embraced the responsibility of stepping into the starting lineup, even after spending much of the season battling physical setbacks.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
“It was a real honor. I know how hard Kieffer works for us every single game,” Espina shared.
“I talked to him, actually, prior to the game, and he told me that he’s gonna be out, and I told him that I’ll make sure I do my best to fill his shoes.”
Despite missing valuable practice time because of his injuries, Espina credited his work ethic and commitment to staying prepared for helping him seize the opportunity.
In what turned out to be a comeback game of sorts, Espina spearheaded a crucial fourth-quarter run as the Blue Eagles trimmed a double-digit deficit to just two points.
“I guess just staying true to my work ethic continuously, working out, and always being ready, cause you never know when that opportunity will knock on your door and you gotta always be ready to answer that,” he explained.
“Despite everything, I just try to stay ready throughout every situation, and today it showed.”
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
Still, his individual breakthrough came with the bitter reality of Ateneo’s premature elimination from the postseason race.
With only next Wednesday’s matchup against University of the East remaining on their schedule, the Blue Eagles will now look to close their campaign on a positive note.
For Espina, that means preserving the brotherhood that helped him overcome his struggles throughout the season.
“Man, that would mean the world to us, honestly. Everyone’s pretty down right now, but the biggest thing for us right now is staying together, keeping that brotherhood alive,” he said.
“Just pushing through with whatever’s left of this season, by God’s grace somehow; if there’s a chance, then best believe every single day, we’re gonna come in ready and give our 100 percent.”
