BY John Miles Arcenal
EVEN before the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament started, there were questions on how Ateneo’s one-and-done trio of Kymani Ladi, Dom Escobar, and Jaden Lazo would adjust to the grind of Philippine collegiate basketball.
One game in, they’re already providing answers.
In their UAAP debut, the trio didn’t just blend in - they shone - powering Ateneo to a thrilling 86-83 win over FEU.
READ: Ladi makes quite the first impression in Ateneo OT win over FEU
The versatile Ladi set the tone as the Blue Eagles’ anchor, finishing with 26 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.
“I was just telling myself that it will be okay. You gotta play for your team, for your teammates, and get this win. It’s very important to set the tone,” said the 6-foot-8 forward.
Escobar, despite enduring a minor back injury before the game, became Ateneo’s spark in the first half. He tallied 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals before sitting out the latter stretch of the fourth quarter due to cramps.
“It’s honestly been rough for me. I wanted to play, but it’s a matter of sacrifice. I’m still happy we won,” Escobar shared.
“Thank God, fortunately I was making my shots and everything was going right,” he added.
Meanwhile, Lazo wasted no time making his mark. The steady guard drilled three triples for nine points and added two rebounds and two steals.
“I can’t lie, there were a little bit of first-game jitters. But after the first quarter, I was good,” Lazo admitted.
The trio acknowledged that there were adjustments, particularly to the pace and the big-game atmosphere, but based on how they played in their debut it looks like they’ve adjusted pretty well.
“When tip-off goes, you get a little bit of jitters, but as a player you have to adjust, and that’s what I did,” Ladi stressed.
One thing they can all agree on, playing here is special.
“It’s amazing, I love it. The hoops here, the environment - everything about it is special,” Lazo said.
Escobar echoed that sentiment.
“It’s something I’ve never seen before. Just the energy of the crowd, the atmosphere is crazy and very energizing, very live, and honestly a fun environment to play in.”
Still, they know that this is just the beginning and they have to play consistently if they want to push Ateneo back to the playoffs after a forgettable Season 87.
“We just gotta go game by game. Once we do that, we’ll be a great team,” Ladi said.
“I’m just looking forward to the next game. We’re taking it game by game and focusing on the next practice in preparation,” Lazo said in agreement.
“Just from talks, we’re kind of like the dark horse. But going forward, we just have to keep playing hard and keep our preparation up,” Escobar added.
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.
