CHICAGO - Snapped at six.
That's what happened to the streak of consecutive UAAP men's basketball Finals appearances that coach Tab Baldwin had presided over since inheriting the reins at Ateneo.
Crushed by the weight of unmet expectations, and hurting badly for his players, the school community and the fans, coach Tab found an unusual place to shelter his grief.
READ Difficult Ateneo season a 'bridge to new era of success,' says Tab
"After hearing mass, my coaches and I went to Kenny Rogers (Roasters) to assess our season and do some armchair analysis. It was difficult but cathartic," he told me in a telephone interview.
I didn't ask what Tab and his staff indulged in at the post-game dinner, but appetite probably wasn't on the menu.
Once he got home, Tab couldn't sleep. "It was the adrenaline, I guess," he surmised.
As if he didn't have lingering sorrows to bear, he punished himself some more by watching game film of his team's demise against UP. He finally got tired at 5 a.m. and surrendered to the pillows.
THERE IS D IN U.P.
"Their defense was off the charts. They caused us so many broken plays and took away our post action for the most part. We rattled them but they rattled us, too, and they kept hammering down," Baldwin explained.
A post-mortem of the Blue Eagles' downfall also revealed blunt force trauma in the rebounding department. Led by reigning MVP Malick Diouf's 16, the Fighting Maroons outrebounded Ateneo, 60-43.
With their pestering defense coming at waves and constantly attacking, UP limited Ateneo to a mere seven assists and held the Blue Eagles to just 3-of-20 from 3.
What now?
"I'm going on a holiday break," he said. After a quick recharging of batteries he will then embark on a recruiting trip to the United States with team manager Epok Quimpo.
Genius never sleeps and the work never stops.
A mere hours after UP ruthlessly ripped Ateneo's annual reservation to the championship round, Baldwin was already plotting for Season 87.
STAYING OR LEAVING?
"You have no idea how many people asked me after the game if I was leaving Ateneo," he offered.
Here's the answer. He isn't quite ready to book a one-way trip out of Manila.
"I've been approached by overseas interests but I didn't entertain any mid-season move. The focus was solely on Ateneo," he said to clear the air.
"I have one more year left, I think, in my contract and I will honor that. I'm happy here in Ateneo. This was not the outcome we wanted but I am proud of the effort my players showed and grateful for the support the team was fortunate to have."
With the hope that the scars of battle will help his young players grow, Baldwin, a four-time UAAP champ, is enthused by the promise tomorrow brings.
Now that the most colorful, sometimes polarizing, figure in program history has chosen not to abdicate the throne, Blue Eagles Nation can rest easy.
But not for long.
One year isn't much. And time flies when you're having fun.
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