FAITH can move mountains and on Thursday, it led to a win for Far Eastern University as it gutted out a 66-65 escape from Adamson.
RJ Abarrientos benefited from that trust as he came through for the Tamaraws with his game-winning three-pointer with 8.9 seconds left to complete his team's come-from-behind triumph after battling back from eight points down, 62-54, with 3:41 remaining.
RJ Abarrientos on game-winner
"Nagpapasalamat ako kay Lord dahil binigyan niya ako ng magandang kamay nung time na yun," the rookie said, with his winner providing the exclamation point to his stellar statline of 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Divine intervention or not, Abarrientos was already really riding high from the confidence boost he got from his coaches and teammates who had no doubt that he can make that bucket when it mattered the most.
"Special thanks sa coaches na kinrokis nila sa akin na play and sa tiwala na binigay nila sa akin. Di ko rin magagawa yun kung di dahil sa teammates ko. Sila ang nag-setup ng good screen and yung pasa ni L-Jay [Gonzales] nung last crucial. Si Emman [Ojuola] din, hinahanap talaga ako sa screen kaya nakuha ko yung space na kailangan ko para maipanalo yung game," he said.
True to form, Abarrientos did deliver.
It's a gutsy effort that FEU had been looking for all-game long, but that really shouldn't come as a surprise with the Gilas Pilipinas gunner already proving himself to be always ready to seize the moment.
And this game was no different as he already primed himself on how the game would play out even before the play materialized.
"Before pa, sinabi na sa akin ng mga coaches yung pwedeng mangyari, kung maka-shoot man or makastop. So nung naka-shoot si Jerom [Lastimosa], ang mentality namin is hindi kami pwedeng mawala agad kasi may oras pa. May chance pa kaming manalo so di kami mag-give up para sa team," he said.
That only brings a smile to the face of coach Olsen Racela who is slowly seeing the fearless character he is demanding from his young Tamaraws this UAAP Season 84.
"I just want to commend the players for not giving up," he said. "We could've given up easily. Madali na mag-give up eh, but they showed us the spirit na hinahanap namin sa FEU players kaya nakalusot kami."
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