BY John Miles Arcenal
IN a defensive showdown between two of the league’s toughest squads, National U leaned on its grit, composure, and unsung heroes to outlast Adamson for a hard-fought 56-54 win.
READ: NU goes on furious fightback past Adamson to get back on track
For Bulldogs head coach Jeff Napa, the victory was a testament to his players’ heart and commitment - qualities that go beyond Xs and Os.
“Number one yung heart. Tsaka yung desire talaga,” the fiery mentor said post-game.
“So key two things na hindi ko na maituturo yun. Yung mga players na yun, yung talagang commitment nila for each other.”
The blue-and-gold capitalized on its bread and butter during the crucial stretch of the fourth quarter, as it unleashed a 15-2 run that swung momentum to their favor for good.
Napa revealed that during that pivotal moment, he chose not to overcomplicate things, instead allowing his players to regroup and regain their rhythm.
“Stay calm down, just regroup. Yun lang yung sinabi ko sa kanila,” he recalled.
“Hindi na nga ako nagsalita sa kanila eh kasi nakita ko na yung effort and pagod nila, so hinayaan ko muna sila maka-recover para at least, makita ko na nakakapag-isip sila nang tama,” he added.
Bulldogs super glue
That trust paid off with Jake Figueroa’s heroics, who scored the last six points for NU, and the steady presence of his “glue guys,” Gelo Santiago and Paul Francisco.
“Hindi lang naman sila yung talagang malaki yung impact, everybody has a role and contribution talaga sa team,” Napa said.
“Pero si Gelo and Paul, especially Gelo right now, alam niya yung role niya, talagang mas nag-settle down siya. Alam niya kung anong kailangan niya, alam niya sa sarili niya kung ano yung value niya sa team,” the mentor said, as his versatile wing provided key defensive stops down the stretch.
The Bulldogs’ resilience also stemmed from the lessons learned in their previous loss against the University of the Philippines - a loss that the tactician openly took accountability for.
The defeat, Napa said, became a turning point for their belief in themselves.
“We need to start to compose and we need to shift focus right away,” he shared.
“Hindi pwede yung makipag-dwell sa mga arguments or whatsoever. So yung binago namin noong nag-usap-usap kami.”
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