Things are not going Ateneo de Manila University’s way as University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 86 men’s basketball tournament approaches the crucial stretch of the race to the Final Four.
The defending champions Blue Eagles have yet to notch a win three games into the second round.
Sporting a 4-6 win-loss record perched outside of the Top 4, Ateneo already has its back against the wall and could be looking at a desperate run to avoid missing the semis for the first time in 10 years.
The Loyola-based squad absorbed its third straight defeat after bowing to National University, 61-65, in a match that could’ve gone its way if not for some costly errors in the closing stretch last Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
However, the defiant Blue Eagles are not going to press the panic button any time soon — at least not yet with still four games left in the elimination round.
“I think the mindset is not also dwelling on the negatives or the outside noise or thinking about ‘Oh no we’re in a situation where we’ve lost a lot of games.’ It has to come from each one of us, coaching staff, the leaders of the team, and the players,” Ateneo assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga said as he stood in for ailing mentor Tab Baldwin.
“Season is not yet over, that’s what we’ve been saying. We’re gonna prepare hard, watch (the) tape. We got a job to do.”
This is the first time that the Blue Eagles recorded six losses since finishing with a 7-7 record in Season 76 back in 2013 when the squad last missed a semis stint.
It was also a decade ago when Ateneo last went down with three defeats in a row — a 0-3 start that the then Kiefer Ravena-led Blue Eagles found hard to recover from.
The Blue Eagles know that everyone will be talking about their present situation but they try to block all the outside noises and just concentrate on the tough task at hand.
“People will be talking but we cannot lose sight of our goal and objectives. That’s why we have to be more laser-focused on our concentration and mindset,” Arespacochaga said.
“That’s why it has to be a collective team thinking that we cannot be distracted or even bothered by those thoughts because certainly that won’t help us. It’s there of course but we’re focused on our team.”
The road gets bumpier for the Blue Eagles from here on.
Ateneo will take on a struggling but upset-minded University of Santo Tomas on Wednesday.
Then comes a crucial showdown with current fourth placed team Adamson University next Sunday, a clash with University of the East on 15 November before closing the elims against De La Salle University on 18 November.
Arespacochaga, however, has faith in his wards’ determination to rise from adversities and take on the challenge head on.
“Our position right now is under a lot of pressure too. We have to embrace the pressure and not back away from it,” he said.
“Now, moving forward, there will be a lot of pressure on us. How we approach this is very important.”
