Dark Ages loom for Blue Eagles

Ateneo de Manila University is in danger of getting thrown back into the Dark Ages following a 57-74 loss to University of the Philippines (UP) in Season 87 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament late Wednesday.

The 28-point setback was the Blue Eagles’ eighth loss in 11 matches, putting them on the brink of suffering their worst finish in the Final Four era heading into their last three matches of the season.

Ateneo’s worst showing in the Final Four era actually happened thrice.

With stars like Vince Hizon and Richie Ticzon leaving, the squad Gabby Severino and Red Camua under head coach Cris Calilan finished with a 4-8 card in Season 57 in 1994.

Things didn’t get better the following season as they suffered a horror 4-10 finish under new head coach Mark Molina.

Two seasons later in 1997, future Philippine Basketball Association champion coach Perry Ronquillo took over the bench job but still failed to change the Eagles’ fate as they suffered a 4-10 slate with LA Mumar, Sonny Tadeo, Paul Tanchi, and Leonard Montilla serving as key players.

Tab Baldwin, the noted international coach who led Ateneo to four titles since getting appointed in 2016, said records hardly matter as they have to treat their embarrassing loss as an opportunity to get better.

“It’s irrelevant,” Baldwin said when reminded that the loss to the mighty Fighting Maroons is also his worst as a UAAP mentor. It was also their most lopsided loss since suffering a 24-point meltdown to Far Eastern University in Season 78 in 2015.

“It’s a very disappointing loss, a loss that you gotta put behind you and move forward but to have a bad game is not as dire of a circumstance as some people would like to make out to be. We are a team that can react to a very bad game, but that’s the challenge.”

Still, the Blue Eagles have a chance to avoid falling on the wrong side of history.

They still have a chance to salvage victories against Far Eastern University on 9 November and University of the East on 13 November before facing Adamson University in a match that was originally set on 23 October but got called off due to ugly weather.

A win or two could boost their chances of sneaking into the Final Four and avoid walking back into yet another dark moment in their basketball history.

Baldwin said their fate is on the Blue Eagles’ hands.

“They have a choice now. They can work their tails off to finish the season on a very positive note, or they can tuck their tails and be defeated. That’s not in our nature, so hopefully, we have the character to step up to adversity and toughness,” he said, stressing the need to work harder and be more assertive.

“We haven’t been the assertive team. Couple of games in the second round, we’ve been assertive, so we need to get back on that mentality of believing in ourselves and playing more assertive basketball.”