AFTER almost half a decade of losing, De La Salle finally chalked up a win against archrival Ateneo.
La Salle coach Derick Pumaren used their seven-game skid that dated back to Game 3 of the UAAP Season 80 Finals on Dec. 3, 2017, as motivation to his players before their Sunday matinee.
[READ: La Salle deals rival Ateneo first loss of season]
"The other day in practice, I showed them the number 2017, and seven, that was the last time that La Salle won. I think it was Game 2 in that finals in 2017," Pumaren said after the Green Archers' 83-78 win.
"We've lost to Ateneo seven straight times. It was an added motivation for the guys," he added.
The veteran tactician pointed out that the team was able to outhustle their opponents despite a huge disparity in rebounds, 63-41.
Meanwhile, Schonny Winston, who starred for La Salle, shared that the team had encircled the matchup for a long time.
"It was definitely a game we had on our schedule for a long time. I was just trying to do everything we could to win," recalled the graduating guard.
"I got more rebounds and they were a bigger team and like crash the boards. We just all wanted to win really badly in this game."
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