Jared Bahay and Kristian Porter of Ateneo Blue Eagles during a UAAP Season 87 men's basketball game. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.internet
MANILA, Philippines – Despite going through the labor pains of leading the rebuilding Ateneo in the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball tournament, rookies Kris Porter and Jared Bahay accept the pressure that comes with the tremendous responsibility.
Porter helped lead to Ateneo's second win of the season, hitting the crucial baskets to escape tough National University, 70-68, on Sunday at Good Araneta Coliseum.
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“The pressure is never going to go away, especially being a rookie, playing a lot of minutes, but I don't really let it go to my head. especially trainer Tab [Baldwin]”All the coaches and teammates trusted me,” said Porter, who had 14 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
“I don't really feel the pressure because I know they're behind me, they've got my back every game, the Ateneo community, so the way I handled that pressure was I looked at it to push me beyond my limits.”
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“I can't let them down, so wherever they need me, whatever they need me to do, I will produce it, I will provide it and I will do it no matter what,” he added.
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Kris Porter leads the Ateneo Blue Eagles past the NU Bulldogs in the second round of the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball tournament. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.internet
Bahay, who had 12 points, six rebounds and five assists, said “pressure is a privilege.”
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“I will accept the pressure even if we are rookies because we have duties on our team,” said Bahay, who was 3-for-14 in shooting. “And we'll take this into our next games and take it game by game. Well, I'm really grateful to be in this position.”
READ: UAAP: Kristian Porter propels Ateneo past NU in close victory
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Porter, a product of Ateneo High School, said they also learned from their mistakes after losing six of their seven games in the first round, the school's worst start to the Last 4 period.
“We learned from our past mistakes. We are going to learn from the mistakes and the pressure and we will be a completely different team. And that completely different team is the team we are now, but we won't stop where we are. “We are going to continue to improve every day in practice, on and off the court, and we will continue to win every day,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bahay, a product of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, looks to capitalize on his familiarity with his former teammate Porter to bring momentum to Ateneo.
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“We know each other well and I know how he moves. He knows how I move and that relationship really helped us in this game and in the upcoming games,” Bahay said. “We have great chemistry and then we'll show our teammates how great he is and hopefully they'll accept it. “