Mason Amos shrugs off Ateneo jeers, focuses to help La Salle bounce back

Metro Manila, Philippines - Ateneo fans made sure Mason Amos heard the boos that echoed inside the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City during their rivalry match against La Salle in UAAP Season 88 men's basketball on Sunday, Oct. 5.

The blue-and-white crowd continuously jeered the 6-foot-7 forward, who swapped his Blue Eagles jersey for a Green Archers uniform last year.

It was Amos' first game against his former alma mater since his controversial transfer, and he knew exactly what he was getting into.

"There's really nothing to comment about it. That's how they feel and that's gonna be how they feel for the rest of the season, and I'm just gonna keep moving forward," he told the media after the match.

The Green Archers struggled to keep up with the Blue Eagles as Ateneo led by as high as 33 points then maintained a safe distance as La Salle tried to make a furious fourth quarter comeback.

With the 81-74 victory, the Blue Eagles are the only unbeaten squad in the tournament.

"We played really bad. Time was not on our side even though we made a big run. We can't keep on relying on that stuff to happen. We take full responsibility for this, not the coaches. We didn't play how we usually play. There's no excuses for this game," Amos said.

Amos only scored six points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field with two rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes of action.

"I had a bad game, but we all have bad games and I'm just gonna keep moving forward. I mean, just trying to be mentally tough, you know, just being there for my teammates because my team needs me also," he said.

La Salle will try to get its groove back and aim for its third win against National University on Oct. 12 at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.

"I had a bad game, but we all have bad games and I'm just gonna keep moving forward. I mean, just trying to be mentally tough, you know, just being there for my teammates because my team needs me also," he said.