La Salle head coach Aldin Ayo. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
La Salle coach Aldin Ayo didn’t deny that his side is going to the UAAP Season 79 men’s basketball Finals extra motivated.
“They took something from us. I won’t forget November 5,” Ayo said. “It’s the kind of a loss that makes you ponder where you started, what lengths you went through before you got to this level, because those losses make you feel that you lost it all.”
The Green Archers suffered their lone defeat of the season at the hands of fierce rivals Blue Eagles, 83-71, that saw their 12-game winning streak snapped.
More importantly, it ended La Salle’s dreams of completing a perfect season with its aspirations of a season sweep going down the drain.
“Here in La Salle, the expectations are high. Although that’s just one loss, we felt we lost it all,” the first-year coach said.
That’s why Ayo is ecstatic to face Ateneo in the best-of-three championship series, aching to atone for the lone dent in what could have been a dream run.
“It’s just one loss, but we have a chance to redeem ourselves and it’s great that we’re facing Ateneo.”
La Salle didn’t waste any time preparing for the Finals, practicing at Smart Araneta Coliseum late Wednesday night after Ateneo dispatched defending champion Far Eastern University in Game 2 of their Final Four tiff.
“Even though it’s late, I wanted us to practice after the game. I didn’t want to waste a practice session that we didn’t know who our opponent is. We’re preparing for both of them, but now at least, we know who we’re facing and we’re focusing on Ateneo,” he said.
Learning from his team’s lackluster semifinals showing against Adamson, Ayo sees these sessions as a pivotal part in preparing his boys for the brightest spotlight in the Finals. And if their performance for the past week is any indication, the Green Archers are more than ready to roll.
“We’ve had great runs this past week. Physically, the boys are ready. They’re motivated because we’re facing Ateneo. But what matters here is our practice plans and game plans, and we’re positive that the boys can execute it. I’m very optimistic because I see it in their body language during the practice and they have surrendered to the system,” he said.
“Again, it’s very odd that it’s only happening at this stage, with us going for the championship, but for us, it’s better late than never.”
Facts also aren’t lost on Ayo, who gets a shot at history as he tries to win titles in the UAAP and the NCAA in back-to-back seasons.
“All I want is to win,” he said. “It will lie on both teams’ willingness to win. It will be a game of who wants it more.”