IN a finals stage where every possession matters, Letran head coach Allen Ricardo opened Game 1 with a move that immediately raised eyebrows.
Instead of fielding his usual starters, Ricardo sent out a surprise first five composed of Luiz Tapenio, Elijah Yusi, Lexi Gazzingan, Aaron Buensalida, and Peter Rosilio.
Of the four, it was only Buensalida who's an active part of Ricardo's rotation, with the other four part of Letran's third-string guys.
It was a bold tactic and a gamble in a high-stakes game against San Beda and Ricardo owned up to the gamble.
“Why gamble? Again, it’s all about the trust. Trust, trust, trust. So, tiwala naman ako sa kanila,” Ricardo said.
Barely seven minutes in, at the 6:53 mark of the first quarter, the group was subbed out with Letran already trailing, 12-5.
By then, San Beda had settled, the Knights struggled to catch up, and the game began tilting.
READ: San Beda on the cusp of another NCAA title after smashing Letran
The Intramuros squad clawed back and trimmed the gap to 46-43 by halftime, but the game slipped away after a disastrous third quarter where they were outscored 22-5.
That stretch became the turning point, and the Red Lions never looked back, cruising to an 89-70 win in Game 1 of the NCAA Season 101 Finals.
The mentor emphasized that the decision came from belief in his roster, not from recklessness.
“Ganun lang yung tiwala ko talaga sa mga bata. And alam naman nila yun," he said.
Still, trust alone wasn’t enough
The tactician admitted there was a sense of regret that the strategy didn’t work, but he didn’t regret taking the shot in trying to do something new for Letran.
“Minsan may mga decision tayo sa buhay na after bad things na nangyari, dapat pala ganito, dapat pala ganyan. Pero ganoon naman talaga sa buhay, di ba? Minsan, you have to risk,” he stressed.
BUT WHAT IF IT WORKED?
Ricardo has heard all the talks and pushed back gently on criticisms
“Nagkakaroon tayo ng mga comments because of the loss. Pero, what if we won the game? Di ba?” he stated.
That hypothetical question hung in the air, a reminder that bold tactics will only look good when they succeed.
He made no excuses.
“I take it as a man. This game, akin yun.”
Despite the loss, Ricardo emphasized that the mutual trust with his players remains intact.
“Alam nung mga players natin na nandun yung tiwala ko sa kanila. Ganun din yung tiwala nila sa akin,” he said.
He repeated that their journey wasn’t expected to reach this far anyway especially from 0-3 at the start, to making the finals.
“Wala naman nag-expect na makakapunta pa kami dito sa championship despite starting 0-3," he continued.
For him, this wasn’t just about losing a game. It was about building something with his group.
“Ang importante naman talaga kami, mga bata, kaming coaches. Kami nagsimula nito.”
The focus immediately shifts to Game 2 and Ricardo knows the room for error is tiny. But he’s confident in their grit.
That gamble might have backfired in Game 1, but Ricardo isn't about to lose sleep over it. He owned it, he trusted his boys, and he doubled down on accountability.
Now, he looks forward.
“Let’s just move forward. There’s life after this.”
"Babalik at babalik yan. Kailangan lang namin pag-aralan mabuti. Ano yung magiging game plan namin going to Saturday’s game.”
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