La Salle win a tribute to its resiliency
No one really thought that La Salle would be able to climb back to the UAAP mountaintop when Season 88 of the men’s basketball tournament was in its early stages. With a 2-3 start and injuries and suspensions abound, only the Green Archers knew that they had it in them to fight through all the adversities.
“Actually, it’s the hardest, you know, to win,” coach Topex Robinson said after celebrations of an 80-72 Game 3 win partially died down on Wednesday night as the Archers capped a roller-coaster campaign by bringing the title back to Taft and taking a 2-1 lead over University of the Philippines in their trilogy of Finals matches.
The timely return of Mason Amos and Kean Baclaan from MCL injuries midway through the season boosted the Green Archers as the duo completed a balanced nucleus led by Mike Phillips and Jacob Cortez.
“I’m so happy for Mason. I’m so happy for Kean,” Robinson said of his transferees. “We really committed that we said to ourselves that in order for Mason and Kean to be helping us, we have to go all the way to the Finals (for them to return).”
With this championship, Robinson thus became just the third coach—after Derrick Pumaren (Seasons 52-53, 1989-90) and Franz Pumaren (Seasons 61-64, 1998-2001 and Season 70, 2007)—to win two or more titles for the Taft-based program.
Phillips closed out his UAAP career with a second title, winning Finals MVP after a 25-point, 18-rebound performance. And his journey carried a purpose more than winning championships.
“I just want to say, you know, this has just been an amazing five years. All glory goes to Jesus Christ,” he said. “And, I don’t want my name to be remembered at all. I just want to say, I’m just a vessel.”
