TAB Baldwin was noticeably missing from the sidelines as Ateneo went toe-to-toe but just fell short in the end to the second-seed National University side.
Calling the shots for the Blue Eagles in Baldwin's absence was his longtime deputy coach Sandy Arespacochaga, who explained why he had to take over in their first game after the All Saints' Day break.
READ: NU completes rare eliminations sweep over Ateneo to move closer to semis
“Coach Tab (Baldwin) has been sick for the past week. He tried earlier but he really couldn’t. Hopefully, we’ll get him back in time for practice or for the next game," said Arespacochaga.
What Baldwin ultimately missed seeing live was Ateneo's first three-game elimination round losing streak since 2013 and NU's first season sweep over the Katipunan side since 2015.
Bulldogs made it 'Reinhard'
Despite missing out on a close contest against the Bulldogs, Arespacochaga gave credit to a tenacious NU side led by reigning UAAP juniors MVP Reinhard Jumamoy's explosive performance.
"This was a tough game for us. NU is a very tough team and we stood toe-to-toe against them. I think Reinhard Jumamoy really stepped up for NU and really played a terrific game. He shot the lights out and showed the UAAP who he is," said Arespacochaga.
The Blue Eagles' deputy coach also underscored key aspects in which the game was ultimately won for NU and lost for Ateneo.
"Down the stretch, couple of plays of us that we could’ve done better and executed better. But defensively, especially in the fourth (quarter), we were happy with the way we defended.
"Credit to NU’s defense which made things tough for us to execute, so that’s what we’ll be looking at — our execution for the next game," Arespacochaga explained.
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