From almost missing out on the Final Four to being one defensive stop away from making the Finals.
That’s the path Far Eastern U took the past couple of weeks, which was enough for rookie coach Olsen Racela to get excited heading to next season.
Ron Dennison, Jojo Trinidad and Prince Orizu won’t be around by then as they are set to graduate by the end of the school year, but Racela feels his team has grown so rapidly the past two games that they’ll still contend next year.
“We were one stop away from making it to the Finals but the loss doesn’t define us,” said Racela after the Tamaraws dropped an 84-88 overtime decision to the Ateneo Blue Eagles in their do-or-die clash on Wednesday.
“I’m just proud the way we grew this season and I am really looking forward next year,” added Racela, who replaced younger brother, Nash, at the helm late last year.
The Tamaraws, who forged a rubber match with an 80-67 win on Sunday, looked poised to pull off a stunning upset when Jasper Parker gave FEU a 75-72 lead late in regulation, before Isaac Go’s triple sent the game to overtime and Matt Nieto helped get the job done for the Eagles.
“I have to give credit to FEU,” said Go. “It was a 7-7 team but played better than its record.”
“What we really wanted them to do in the last three games was to know how it is to play possession by possession,” said Racela. “That’s how you win games.”