Mark (right) and Pipo (center) during one of our weekly small group meetings at Dunkin Donut's Espana.
I got two tickets from Pipo Noundou, Far Eastern University’s rookie forward so I was able to watch, along with KC Fitero, the UAAP sudden death match between the FEU Tamaraws and the UE Red Warriors this afernoon at the Araneta Coliseum.
I wasn’t surprised by the energy displayed by both teams at the start of the match, considering that this afternoon’s game determines the Finals opponent of reigning UAAP champion Ateneo.
I wasn’t surprised as well by the strong start of the Tamaraws, erecting leads of 10 or is it 12 points (?) behind the aggressive offense of JR Cawaling in the first two periods.
Everyone in the FEU bench was on a high for the first three periods, but noticeably, the Red Warriors kept their composure.
And instead of FEU pouncing on some UE miscues, it was the Tamaraws’ turn to fumble, particularly in the final five minutes of the game.
Rookie point guard RR Garcia, who took over the playmaking chores from estranged playmaker Mark Barroca, couldn’t even fill the shoes left by the latter.
He turned the ball over in the final three minutes of the match as UE wrested the lead for good, 70-68 on an undergoal stab by Pari Llagas.
Then, Paul Lee, the man responsible for UE’s resurgence in the playoffs, connected on some crucial free throws in the endgame, resulting in a come-from-behind 78-72 victory and a chance to end their 23-year UAAP title drought.
If you ask me, Barroca’s presence, experience and composure could have prevented any monumental collapse by the Tamaraws.
In fact, I personally believe if FEU didn’t even entertain any thought of Barroca’s alleged involvement in any game fixing, the Tamaraws could have been playing in the UAAP finals already.
I called up Barroca just several minutes after FEU’s painful loss and putting to waste its twice-to-beat advantage. And his voice was cracking while he wept after watching helplessly on his television monitor.
He said he badly wanted to help the team win a championship this year, because he honestly felt 2009 was the year of the Tamaraws.
He could have been right. But the game fixing controversy that dragged Barroca‘s name eventually, disrupted whatever kind of momentum the Tams had going into the Playoffs after finishing the two-round elims with a 11-3 win-loss record.
If you’ll ask me, I don’t believe Mark would allow some gamblers to ruin his college basketball career as well as his name by a single five-digit payoff.
God is in the process of changing Barroca’s life, having been part of our small group at FEU for the past two years. It isn’t easy to battle the lure of fame, money and women, but having known Mark Barroca since his days in Team B, I’m convinced he’s clean.
Anyway, Mark is now concentrating on playing for the Smart-Gilas RP developmental team, where he is under contract till 2011.
On the other hand, , FEU’s coaching staff led by Glenn Capacio, along with the entire Tams players, will have to do some serious soul-searching and learn the hard lesson of trust, teamwork and family atmosphere.
As KC and I walked out slowly from the Big Dome, two words came to my mind—poetic justice.
Could it be that FEU’s loss was poetic justice for Barroca?
If you’re a UAAP follower, what’s your thought?