BY going deep into the PBA Governors' Cup playoffs, Justin Arana felt the Converge FiberXers learned a lot as a team which it hopes to carry on for the rest of the season.
The 6-foot-7 Arana stressed by pushing the San Miguel Beermen to the limit, the FiberXers proved they can compete with the league's top contenders, a mindset that has been instilled with them now.
Of course, San Miguel's poise and experience bailed the team out of trouble and clich?d the remaining semifinals berth, 109-105, in their sudden-death game against Converge at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
"Yung mindset namin is to prove them wrong. Siyempre wala namang nage-expect sa amin dito, walang nage-expect na aabot kami dito," said Arana as he pondered on the best playoffs performance so far by the FiberXers in their young franchise history.
'Kahit na talo kami this conference, this series, may mga positive pa ring nangyari sa amin and sobrang dami namin natutunan dito."
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This marked the best showing so far of the Converge franchise in four trips to the playoffs so far as they came close to making the semis for the first time ever.
The FiberXers led 99-91 with seven minutes to play, but crumbled in the endgame behind a searing Beermen comeback.
Arana, 25, played in foul trouble trying to slow down fellow big man June Mar Fajardo in their one-on-one duel. He finished with eight points and six rebounds.
The former Arellano star lamented being in foul trouble in the most important game in Converge franchise history.
"May mga lapses kami especially sa akin kasi foul trouble ako nung first half. And yun, isa yun sa kakulangan ko," admitted Arana.
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Despite falling short, he sees a bright future for the team.
"Yung mga players, lahat naman kami siyempre nanghihinayang kasi we're almost there na. Kumbaga nag-collapse kami," said Arana.
"Pero sobrang proud ako sa team na kahit short kami sa quarterfinals, at least umabot kami dito, at nabigyan pa rin namin ang fans ng magandang laro."
Well said young, big man. Well said.
