THE condition for Arellano was simple but unforgiving: win by at least four or let the twice-to-beat advantage in the NCAA Season 101 slip away.
For a team that finished seventh last season, the Chiefs' climb back into relevance had been nothing short of hopeful —but ironically untested under lights this bright.
On Friday afternoon at the Playtime Filoil Center, that test finally arrived. Mapua, the defending champion, played like a team used to moments like this.
READ: Arellano claims playoff incentive with thrilling win over Mapua
Arellano, fresher to this high-pressure air, had to grow up in real time. And somewhere near the edge of the baseline, PBA forward Justin Arana watched quietly returning to the home he never really left.
As the game unfolded, each possession felt heavier than the last, and with 1:28 left, the Cardinals still held a one-point lead.
The Chiefs were right where they needed to be, but still a few breaths short of the finish.
Then the moment cracked open.
Renzo Abiera rose, released, and hit a three that felt like a long exhale.
Seconds later, T-Mc Ongotan drew a foul, stretching the lead to the precious four-point cushion Arellano had chased all afternoon.
The margin they needed. The margin they earned.
The final buzzer released the building, screams from students, coaches, staff turned disbelief turning into celebration.
And amid the chaos, Arana clapped softly from the stands, as if trying not to take away anything from the boys who fought the fight.
But they knew.
“Ganado kami manalo kasi nanonood siya,” Ongotan told SPIN.ph.
For the Chiefs, Arana isn’t just an alumnus. He’s a presence, a steady, familiar, the ‘kuya’ who shows up at practice, trains with them, eats with them, laughs with them.
“Masarap sa pakiramdam na may kuya,” he said. “Minsan bigla na lang may kukurot o kikiliti sakin, siya pala.”
His career has taken him to the pros, but his roots anchor him back to Arellano whenever time allows. And if it helps, it's in support of Manabat, who is also Converge's assistant coach.
He shrugs off the idea of being a lucky charm in today’s victory.
“Hindi ako lucky charm. Tinrabaho nila yan," he said.
He saw the effort, the heart, the stubborn belief under pressure.
“Twice-to-beat? Malaki ‘yan. Testing to sa tiwala nila sa sistema, at nakita ko ‘yun. Proud ako sa kanila ngayon at sa kung ano pang pwede nilang gawin sa future,”
Arana says he can see himself calling the shots someday, maybe coaching, maybe leading from the sideline again.
But not now. At least, not yet.
For now, he’s content in the bleachers, a big brother in the corner, still serving the school three years after he outgrew the jersey.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
