BY John Miles Arcenal
APPARENTLY, Divine needed some sort of intercession to power through injury - and it came just in time for his breakout against Adamson.
Even before UAAP Season 88 tipped off, Ateneo foreign student-athlete Divine Adili was already dealing with a minor lower back injury.
And so, the Nigerian big just leaned on his faith to get him through the pain, and on his resilience to deliver the goods following two so-so showings to start the season.
“I’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time, and I wasn’t gonna let my injury stop me from fulfilling one of those dreams,” he said.
“I feel like in the Philippines, it’s everybody’s dream to play in the UAAP or NCAA, so I won’t let my injury stop me. I just keep praying to God to give me strength because it’s not really easy.”
That strength showed against the Soaring Falcons, as the 6-foot-10 center made his presence felt on both ends to finish with 16 points on efficient 7-of-10 shooting from the field to go with six rebounds.
“Like I said, it’s just staying confident and knowing what can I do and what my teammates can do and putting it all together. That’s just game,” he stressed.
READ: Ateneo runs away from Adamson in final frame to rise to 3-0
With the defense focused on the Blue Eagles' top guns Kymani Ladi and Jared Bahay, Adili seized the day to step up.
“We always have this mentality on our team - ‘next man up,'” he stated. “The defense was on Kymani and on the other guys, so I just told myself to play basketball. Just get my shots and help set screens, roll.”
Divine intercession
For the 20 year old, though, it wasn’t just about scoring, it was about playing his role and contributing however he can.
“I wasn’t thinking about the previous two games and all I care about is we win. If I can improve the game (by) rebounding, playing defense, and not scoring, I’m ok with that. As long as we win.”
All in all, Adili, who arrived in the country in late 2023, is embracing the challenge of adapting to Philippine basketball.
As he put it, “I know I still have a lot to learn, and I’m thankful for the kind of coaches I have. They’re always trusting my growth and the growth of the other guys as well.”
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