WHEN the final buzzer sounded and the scoreboard froze for the last time in National U's campaign in UAAP Season 88, Steve Nash Enriquez bowed his head and let it all out.
His eight-year story in blue-and-gold was over. And it didn't end with the championship he had long been hard at work for.
When La Salle pulled off a 78-73 stunner against the top-seeded Bulldogs, the Cebuano guard could barely move - not from exhaustion, but because of a broken heart.
READ: NU day comes, NU day goes in UAAP Season 88
“Sakit, sobra. 'Di ko ma-imagine talaga, sobrang sakit pa rin. Wala na kasing next year para bumawi,” Enriquez told SPIN.ph.
For most players, five seasons in the UAAP is a lifetime. For Enriquez, it was much more. He wasn’t just a Bulldog, he was raised a Bulldog.
Three years in high school, five years in college - a total of eight seasons wearing the same colors.
“Ito yung nakasanayan mo na eight to nine years na dito ka sa campus na ‘to. Na gigising ka, punta ka sa training. Ito na yung nakasanayan mo,” he said.
NU wasn’t just a school. It was home.
The last Bullpup standing
NU-Nazareth School’s golden age produced stars. Many of them moved on, mostly to Diliman together with former mentor Goldwin Monteverde.
But Enriquez didn't budge. He was here to stay.
Among his batchmates such as Carl Tamayo, Harold Alarcon, and Gerry Abadiano, he was the one who didn't leave. He was the one who held the line.
“From high school hanggang college, ako na lang din natira sa batch ko… Kahit saan ako, proud ako na galing akong NU. Proud ako na Nationalian ako,” the playmaker uttered.
“Forever 'kong may NU sa puso ko. 'Di ako nagdalawang-isip na hindi iwan itong school na ‘to. Sobrang sakit lang kasi wala na next year.”
He wasn’t the most hyped. He wasn’t the most talented. But he was the most loyal.
He was a back-to-back champion in high school. He had no titles to celebrate in college. He has no regrets.
“'Di ako nag-champion sa UAAP (seniors), pero nag-back-to-back champion ako sa high school. Sayang lang kasi ibang-iba yung college, eh," he added. "Pero proud pa rin ako.”
Waking up from a nightmare last year, the Bulldogs entered Season 88 looking for redemption. No one was necessarily expecting a parade or bonfire in Jhocson, but they made sure to perform to the best of their abilities.
That led to National U claiming the top seed and finally securing a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four - for the first time under head coach Jeff Napa.
It was the same spot the Bulldogs were in back in 2013 when Ray Parks was still showing the way.
Same story. Same ending.
“'Di ko inakala, na-twice-beaten kami. Props to them, deserve nila. Sayang lang. Pero for sure, no regrets,” he said, referring to their constant tormentors in the Green Archers.
He wasn’t pointing fingers. He wasn’t blaming anyone. He just wished the basketball gods had given them one more break.
A winner in life
But he believed something else was written for him and his teammates.
As he put it, “Siguro, God prepared us for a better future lang. I trust His will. Hindi talaga will ni Lord na bigay sa amin ngayon. Pero sana manalo kami sa totoong buhay.”
The words sounded simple, but there was weight behind them.
There will be no next season, no more ‘Steve Nash’ in Sampaloc, and no more morning walks from dorm to court.
But there will be life.
“Promise ko na ipapanalo ko sa totoong buhay. Kasi nabigo ako dito, eh. Pero ipapanalo ko para sa family ko, sa mga tao na nag-need sa’kin,” he said.
And in the end, his words had conviction alongside gratitude.
“Thankful ako kay Lord for everything. Ginawa pa rin niya akong instrumento na makatulong sa ibang tao at maka-inspire ng kabataan,” he added.
The future remains to be seen, but his faith is clear.
“'Di ko pa alam. Pero palagi kong pine-pray sa Panginoon kung saan man niya ako dalhin.
Basta nakakabuti sa’kin, dun ako,” he said.
He’s not rushing. For now, he will rest.
And maybe, one day soon, he will rise again wearing a different jersey, carrying the same lessons he learned through heartbreak.
“'Pag nabigo ka, next play pa lagi. You’re saved by His grace,” he said.
Eight seasons is a long time.
Long enough to win. Long enough to lose. Long enough to love something that hurts when it ends.
Although Steve Nash Enriquez didn’t get a championship in college, he gave NU something rarer - loyalty, leadership, and love that never wavered.
“Proud ako na kung saan ako pumunta, galing ako sa NU. Sobrang sarap na ma-represent yung NU. And sana yung next generation maranasan nila,“ he said.
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