Win or die trying
La Salle hasn’t come close to winning a championship for quite some time now.
All that changed on Saturday, in what could be a turning point in the Green Archers’ campaign.
La Salle is in the Finals of the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament after eliminating National University (NU), 97-73, in their Final Four showdown, giving the Archers an opportunity they are not about to take for granted.
“When I took the job, I told them: ‘It’s either you win a championship or die trying,’” La Salle coach Topex Robinson said after the win at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“If you’re representing a program that’s rich with tradition, you’re put in a position to honor the team and players that came before you,” he added. “I am just so grateful for the opportunity to represent DLSU (De La Salle University). The championships that [the school has] won, I just told [the players] that we’re not a part of it. [But] we could etch our own names in that rich tradition and we have the opportunity now.”
La Salle leaned on Mark Nonoy’s streaky shooting in the middle quarters to pull away and forge the first La Salle-University of the Philippines title duel in UAAP history.
Nonoy finished with 20 points for La Salle and will play in his second UAAP championship after starring in the University of Santo Tomas’ run to the 2019 Finals.
“It feels good to return to the Finals. We’re grateful to our supporters. We’re hoping for them to continue supporting us, the whole La Salle community,” Nonoy said. “We will do our best for our school and we will prepare well for the Finals.”
UP, meanwhile, defeated Ateneo, 57-46, in the other Final Four pairing to book a third straight Finals appearance.
UP’s recent run of success is the reason why Robinson is keeping his team’s optimism guarded despite riding into the best-of-three series on a nine-game winning streak.
“That nine games is already done and over with. It brought us to the finals but it’s not gonna define this championship. We know UP, they’ve been here for the longest time, they have a great team and we just wanna keep on competing against the best. Whatever happens, we’re going to come here as somebody from the outside,” the La Salle coach said.
ResilienceThe Archers didn’t ease off the gas pedal even after pulling away in a way they hadn’t predicted.
“We came into this game knowing that NU will throw everything at us,” Robinson said after leading La Salle back to the Finals in just his first year as head coach.
And the resilience the Archers showed is something he wants the team to keep brandishing in the Finals.
“We Just try to remind everybody that we are gonna go to the Finals [but] we are gonna [have to] get [the title]. [It won’t] be given to us,” he said.
While everyone has pegged La Salle as the underdog in the series, Robinson said he wants his team to think differently.
“La Salle is not an underdog. Maybe [the Green Archers] had challenges in the past but they’re winners. They know how to win,” Robinson said. “It’s just a matter of giving them that freedom to really flourish to be at their natural best.”
FlourishingAnd the Archers want to continue flourishing.
“We’re happy but we’re not contented. Got a great challenge up ahead in UP,” guard Evan Nelle said after scoring 15 points and eight assists. “[We got to] stay grounded and prepare for Wednesday (Game 1).”
Nelle has been a part of the Green Archers since Season 84 after transferring from another school, thus experiencing the tough stretch with La Salle. And he now has a chance to end his collegiate career on a high note.
“It’s [b]itter sweet (reaching Finals for the first time), I guess. Just focusing on the now, not thinking about the past few seasons. I am staying in the moment,” Nelle said. “I am actually excited but as we all said we have to control our emotions with the Finals.”
“So many things can still happen so we have to prepare,” Nelle added. INQ
