Jarencio to miss Game 3, lauds UST’s maturity, desire

Pido Jarencio maps out a play during one of his huddles back when he was still the head coach of the UST Growling Tigers. Ruth Navarra-Mayo/INQUIRER

When Pido Jarencio left University of Santo Tomas two seasons ago to take a head coaching job in the PBA, the last coach to bring a UAAP title to UST knew the Growling Tigers are primed for another championship run.

“Even last year, this team is really strong,” Jarencio said in Filipino.

Jarencio, who steered UST to a crown in 2006 and a couple of finals appearances in 2012 and 2013, was in attendance and even gave a 15-minute pep talk inside his former team’s dugout at halftime in Game 2 of the championship.

The Tigers were down nine to the Far Eastern University Tamaraws at that point and whatever spell Jarencio casted had an immediate effect on Kevin Ferrer and the rest.

By the time the third quarter ended, UST had pulled ahead thanks to Ferrer, who delivered one of the greatest shooting performances the UAAP had seen in recent memory, en route to a thrilling 62-56 victory.

“These players are really ripe if you look at the way they play, their maturity and the desire,” he said.

Jarencio won’t be at Mall of Asia Arena for the deciding Game 3 with GlobalPort playing on the same day at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

But the charismatic coach said he will still be with UST in spirit.

“My full support and prayers are with UST. I hope we win,” he said.

Jarencio couldn’t guarantee a victory and instead, said Game 3 will boil down to which team wants it more and which will get a stroke of luck.

“It’s 50-50, anybody’s ballgame. I can’t say which team will win because both are preparing really hard. For me, it will be the breaks of the game and at the same time, the desire to become the champion.”