He was not the first coach to deliver a championship for his alma mater on his rookie year, but Aldin Ayo will stand out as the virtual unknown who pulled off the rare championship double as player and mentor of the newly crowned NCAA cage champion Letran.
The 38-year-old Ayo, a Bicolano from Sorsogon, and his never-say-die Knights became the toast of collegiate basketball by defying all odds to dethrone the highly favored San Beda Red Lions after a thrilling overtime 85-82 decision in the winner-take-all Game 3 of their series for the Season 91 cage championship at the jam-packed Mall of Asia Arena last week.
If dethroning the Lions, who were gunning for a record sixth straight crown in their 10th straight trip to the finals, was a brilliant achievement, it was even more mind-boggling that Ayo and his underrated crew, who didn’t even reach the Final Four last season, proved unstoppable despite a short, unheralded all-Filipino lineup.
Also proving crucial in the campaign that eventually rewarded the Knights a first title since 2005 and their 17th overall in the lead was the support of former eight-time world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao who volunteered to serve as their team manager early in the season.
Pacquiao not only provided inspiration and motivation for the Knights. More importantly, he gave the Knights the mentor who would turn to be a golden find. Ayo, a member of Letran’s champion team in 1998 and, was one of the assistant coaches of KIA Motors where Pacquiao was the playing coach in its initial PBA stint last year before he was tapped to take over from Caloy Garcia. The move turned out to be a master stroke.
Transformed into a run-and-gun squad backed by a swarming, hustling defense, the Knights easily made it to the Final Four this time then carried the momentum in the opener of the best-of-five title series by nipping the Lions, 94-90, to even up their season record in head-to-head matches at 2-all.
The Knights rode the sizzling shooting of their Big 3 combination of Kevin Racal (28 points), Rey Nambatac (17) and 5-foot-6 spitfire Mark Cruz (17). But the Lions countered with their own Triple A squad of 6-foot-8 Nigerian center (Ola) Adeogun, and the pro-bound Art (de la Cruz) and Amer (Baser) even as Letran’s firepower sputtered in Game 2. The biggest disappointment turned out to be Nambatac, who went scoreless, missing six field goals and the same number of free throws down the stretch of San Beda’s 68-61 win.
Game 3 seemed destined for Letran. Racal was back to his old sniping ways, Nambatac was on target again and the Knights, except for a brief moment early in the game, set the pace throughout the first half. It was touch and go in the third period before the Knights slowly pulled away and opened what looked like a solid 75-67 lead with barely two minutes left.
But the Lions roared back into contention behind Baser, who sent the game into extra time by completing a steal for 75-all with 13 seconds.
It looked like the Knights were on the verge of cracking up under the pressure of blowing what appeared a won game in regulation. But Ayo managed to keep Letran’s competitive fire burning by confidently telling the Knights, particularly his ace guard Cruz, during the break before the extension that they had the game won.
Cruz, who was later named Most Valuable Player of the Finals, not only held the Knights together in the extra period. He also issued the pass that center Jomari Sollano, who outshone Adeogun, turned into a jumper that gave Letran the lead for good at 83-82 with 32.6 seconds left.
Addressing the Letran faithful after the 85-82 win, Ayo said it was time to forget the pain of losing championships.
“Tayo naman (It’s now our time),” he said.