Tallo (CDN File Photo)
With Game 1 of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) men’s basketball tournament finals just around the bend, Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras point guard Mark Jayven Tallo is looking to avoid the mistakes that led to their epic collapse in last year’s championship series against the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers.
In that series, SWU appeared to be on the cusp of greatness, riding the crest of a 14-game winning streak that gave them a commanding 2-0 lead against the Lancers. But as fate would have it, there would be no championship celebration for SWU as UV found its groove and stormed back, eventually winning the deciding Game 5, 63-62.
Tallo had a front-row seat to that debacle as it was his wayward three-point shot that gave possession back to the Lancers and paved the way for then-UV forward Wowie Escosio’s title-clinching tip-in with less than a second remaining. The reigning league MVP also missed the potential game-winning triple as time expired.
The former Ateneo and La Salle guard looked back on the experience and vowed to show fans and detractors alike that he has indeed grown from that heartbreaking loss.
“I learned that we should play as a team,” Tallo said. “My experience last year is all I can use. Last year’s experience shouldn’t happen again.”
With the Cobras set to face off against a new challenger, the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, Tallo said this year’s team is a different one, a better one, a squad that emphasizes on sharing the basketball on offense and communicating more on the defensive end of the floor.
“We were more individualistic and not very disciplined last year. We don’t play that way anymore,” said the 6-foot-1 guard.
It also helps to have a few additional weapons in the arsenal in the face of rookie standout guards Jasper Parker, Anton Pardo and Jovanie Luz.
And the Cobras will need contributions from the rest of the roster against a determined USC squad that has already beaten them once this season.
Game 1 of the best-of-five championship series will start on Monday.