It was a moment that could have rewritten the ending.
Down two with six seconds to go and the UAAP Season 88 19U title on the line, NU-Nazareth School’s Shaun Lucido drove to the basket for a chance to salvage the deciding game with a basket and send it into overtime.
As he attacks Yosef Raneses, instinct was simply kicking in for Moussa Diakite on the other end of the floor to clean up after his teammate.
READ: FEU-D completes dramatic comeback over NUNS to win UAAP 19U title
The driving Lucido, NUNS' best player all night long, sucked in the attention of the FEU-Diliman's defenders in the paint and left plenty of space for Diakite to do what he does best:
Get rebounds, convert second chance points.
Except in this particular moment, the basket went in. And in some cruel twist of fate, Diakite's long arms - the entire length his 6'10 lanky frame can muster -- had just touched the rim, denying Lucido of what would've been a three-point play, and a chance to win it all in regulation.
No basket. Offensive interference.
Good intentions, just a really bad break for a team that's endured plenty of heartbreaks over the past few seasons.
“I need to help my teammates because FEU is not putting anyone on the rebound,” Diakite told the SPIN.ph after their 106-102 loss to the Baby Tamaraws on Monday.
“The referee said it’s a foul [violation]. Coach Kevin [De Castro] said, ‘Don’t complain, it’s okay. Let’s play, let’s continue.’"
They did get a chance to win the game as Lucido calmly sank the ensuing free throws to send the game into overtime. What hurts more for Diakite is not getting the job done.
The Bullpups went scoreless in the first four minutes of extension with Diakite missing four crucial free throws in that stretch.
"We had a second chance, but we lost, and it’s okay,” he continued.
“Sorry for everyone who was watching today. Sorry for everybody. I need to prepare for next season."
It was a tough pill to swallow for the 16-year-old Malian who entered the season with high hopes of completing a double gold after winning the 16U championship this season.
“This is my first UAAP, and I wanted to win two championships this year,” the 19U Rookie of the Year awardee said.
“But we lost in Game 1 and Game 3. I really wanted to win it this year, but it’s okay. I will come back prepared for next season.”
And preparing for next season means working on that aformentioned free throw woes - especially as he's expected to be a fixture in the line with his ability to grab rebounds and wreak havoc in the paint.
In that four-point loss against FEU in Game 3, he was only 3-of-12 from the free throw line. He vows to work on that aspect of his game.
“My defense and offense are not the problem. Free throw - I have a little problem there. I need to prepare my free throw for next season,” Diakite said as he finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks, two steals and two assists in the game.
Motivated by the trust given to him, Diakite recalled the message from his coaching staff that fueled his mindset throughout the campaign.
“Coach Kevin said to me, ‘Moussa, please be ready for this season because there are two seasons. NU goes to the finals,’” he recounted.
“I said, ‘Coach, it’s not a problem. I will play 200 percent because I need to win this season.’”
That goal ultimately fell short.
But if anything, the experience - and the heartbreak - may just shape Diakite into a more dangerous force when he returns.
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