INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines—Two weeks into the job as San Sebastian College coach, Ato Agustin heard one of his players whining because of the extra work they were putting in at a time when other teams were already taking it easy.

“We were practicing like the season was starting the following week,” Agustin quoted the player as saying.

The Stags were then fresh from missing out on the Final Four for the third straight year. And Agustin, still feeling his way around in his first major coaching stint, was bent on whipping the Stags into fighting shape immediately.

Last Saturday, the Stags reaped the fruits of their hard work by punctuating a phenomenal season with a sweet sweep of San Beda College that ended the Lions’ three-year reign in the NCAA basketball tournament.

“It wasn’t an easy road at all,” said reserve forward Jonathan Semira. “We did almost everything to win the championship.”

Spared of the full weight of expectations, the Stags, who were ranked third by pundits before the season, flourished.

“I think we played without a lot of pressure throughout the season,” said Agustin, who was convinced by Stags chief supporter and Lubao, Pampanga, Mayor Dennis Pineda to take over the coaching chores despite his limited experience.

“Reaching the Final Four was already an achievement. Winning the title is definitely a bonus.”

The Stags zoomed to a record 15 straight victories, before getting stopped in their tracks by Letran College.

Back-to-back defeats to San Beda relegated them to the No. 2 seed in the Final Four. Another loss to Jose Rizal University at the start of the semifinals pushed them to the brink of elimination.

Through it all, Agustin never lost faith in his team.

“I prepared them for the challenge,” said Agustin, who missed the suspended Gilbert Bulawan in the first of the two losses to San Beda and skipper Jimbo Aquino in the loss to JRU.

The Stags dominated the Bombers in the knockout match for the second championship berth.

The Finals, initially tipped as another crowning event for San Beda, turned out to be the Stags’ party.

Hardly looking like greenhorns in the finals, the Stags, behind Aquino and rookie Calvin Abueva, willed their way to a pulsating 72-68 double overtime victory in Game 1.

With Aquino making his presence felt anew with 10 fourth-quarter points, the Stags capped a sweep with a come-from-behind 75-61 triumph in Game 2.

Aquino, the Finals MVP, will be the only major graduation casualty as the Stags gun for back-to-back titles next year.

But trust Agustin to have a game plan ready.

“I’m developing players to take over Jimbo’s role. We will be back in training next week.”