There’s always two sides to every story.
Saturday evening, Ateneo Pilipinas and its fans went from furious to ecstatic in a span of 3.1 seconds.
A late whistle called on Thirdy Ravena that resulted to two freebies for Chen Ying-Chun that gave Chinese-Taipei a two-point lead with 3.1 seconds left infuriated the Philippine-side.
“Actually it was coach Tab [Baldwin] and coach Sandy [Arespacochaga] who told us to regroup and stay focused… Just focus on the next play na gagawin namin,” disclosed Matt Nieto. “Kasi tapos na yung play na yun we have to move on.”
With an intricately designed off-a-timeout play, Nieto was able to get the lead back for good. Ateneo Pilipinas got the last laugh.
But on the flipside, stunned silence enveloped the packed Xinzhuang Gym. The exact opposite of the festive atmosphere created by Chen’s free throws.
And for one Taiwanese fan, it was heartbreaking.
Instagram user @kate.501 documented the roller-coaster ride she experienced during the final seconds of the contest.
https://youtu.be/SxV5156qIvg
Kate though acknowledged later on how good Nieto’s shot was, according to Mico Halili.
