MANILA, Philippines – The first Battle of Katipunan for the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament between the UP Fighting Maroons and the Ateneo Blue Eagles served as the perfect opening for the new collegiate year on Saturday, September 7, at the Araneta Coliseum.
Although both teams were mismatched on paper, the lore between the two neighboring schools was plenty enough to generate the buzz an opening-day game demanded, and it showed as the players took the court five hours after an iconic opening ceremony featuring the timeless Eraserheads.
It became quickly apparent that there was no love lost between the UP community and the Fighting Maroons’ former top recruit Jared Bahay, who was loudly booed the moment he appeared at the Big Dome screens warming up for Ateneo, his alma mater since his high school days in Cebu.
UAAP | UPDATE:
— Rappler Sports (@RapplerSports) September 7, 2024
No love lost.
UP fans loudly boo former recruit and incoming rookie Jared Bahay as he was shown at the Araneta Coliseum screens.
Bahay returned to Ateneo for his collegiate career starting #UAAPSeason87 after a change of heart. pic.twitter.com/G4rZ0JMDVq
This clear display of disdain, definitely related to Bahay’s infamous de-commitment from UP to go back to Ateneo, did not sit well at all with veteran Maroons guard JD Cagulangan, who sounded off on his own team’s fans after a 77-61 blowout win.
“First of all, I feel bad for Jared because fans booed him when he appeared on the screen, and that’s a terrible start in the UAAP,” he said in Filipino. “I have nothing against Jared on where he wants to play. I want him to know UP has no problem with him. Wherever he wants to play, there’s no problem.”
“I’m happy that Jared was able to debut in the UAAP, and hopefully, the fans who booed him should stop what they’re doing because it really looks bad. His entry to the UAAP was bad. He got that treatment immediately.”
Bahay, however, was able to brush off the jeers as the highly physical game wore on, eventually finishing with an impressive 13-point, 5-rebound, and 4-assist line in just 20 minutes off the bench.
Although he declined to comment on the jeering he got from the community he briefly called home, Bahay was just relieved that he was able to perform at a much bigger stage than he was used to.
“I already expected that amount of people and that atmosphere,” he said in Filipino after a respectable performance in front of 12,932 fans in Araneta.
“I guess I just faced that challenge given to me to not think about my game, but rather just think about coach Tab’s (Baldwin) game plan. I expected what would happen, and I didn’t worry. I just focused on the game.” – Rappler.com
