Ex-Blue Eagles fire up current squad

MANILA, Philippines -- A surprise visit from former Ateneo Blue Eagles motivated the current squad to finally break through with a win in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.

Ateneo snapped a three-game losing streak after holding on against the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 60-51, on Saturday evening.

It was a hard-fought win that finally came after a decade-worst start.

A few days back, former members of the Blue Eagles, including BJ Andrade, Tyler Tio, Matt Nieto, Jacob Lao and Ange Kouame, visited the training of Ateneo, which gave the Katipunan-based squad a much-needed boost against the gritty Soaring Falcons. 

After the game, head coach Tab Baldwin said that the visit was “emotional.”

“To see guys that I’ve been through so much with, you know I love them. They’re very very special people, very special players. But I think the important thing was that they didn’t feel like the culture that we had worked so hard to establish in the [Season] 79 up to 84 era, they didn’t feel like that culture was alive,” the coach told reporters after the game.

“They wanted the current team to understand a bit more about it from their perspective,” he added.

The Katipunan-based squad started hot, going up by double digits in the first quarter, which they never squandered.

Adamson cut the lead to a single possession, 51-54, with about a minute to go before timely shots and free throws by the Blue Eagles kept the Falcons at bay.

Shawn Tuano was the lone Ateneo player in double digits with 11 points. Rookie Kristian Porter added eight markers and 10 boards.

For his part, Porter said that it was great to be visited by former members of the Blue Eagle Band of Brothers (BEBOB).

“It’s a different era when previous BEBOB members come back and show their love. I experienced that first-hand as a rookie. I felt the BEBOB culture and I felt that they had my back and our backs,” he said.

“After that, I had eyes forward, knowing that no matter what happens, they’d be there for me…It’s their support that really helped me pull through,” he added.

Captain Chris Koon, who returned from injury, stressed that the visit gave them boosts on the emotional and mental standpoints.

“It was tough for us because we didn’t really feel like anybody believed in us except ourselves so it was great to have past players that still put that trust in us, still put that belief in us, but also gave us that challenge to exceed and live up to the standards of the BEBOB culture.”

Baldwin stressed that for him, there was “absolutely pressure put on them by the former players.”

“There were some very strong statements about how a Blue Eagle conducts himself on the court, on the bench, in front of the camera. I was really proud watching these young men stand up for something that is special,” Baldwin said.

“I think that fighting spirit you say today in the fourth quarter when things weren’t going well, these guys were still fighting their hearts out. So, it’s a great edification of that visit and how we play the game from an emotional standpoint,” he added.

“We obviously have to play better from a talent and tactics standpoint, but from an emotional standpoint, it was a tough win and I’m really proud of these former players that came and I’m very proud of this team today.”

Ateneo will be facing the still-winless Far Eastern University Tamaraws next.