There were two important University of the Philippines games that seemed to have molded Gani Stevens into the beast he’s shaping up to be in UAAP Season 88.
Interestingly, it was those games against his former schools, University of Santo Tomas and University of the East, which allowed Stevens to show what he’s truly capable of. In the Fighting Maroons’ 69-66 win over Far Eastern University at Quadricentennial Pavilion on Sunday, Stevens revealed that his outing against the University of Santo Tomas and the University of the East allowed him to go on a different gear for UP.
‘In that game against UST, I felt embarrassed. I felt ashamed in front of my teammates and coaches, but I know how I should’ve played that game,’ Stevens said after lifting UP over Far Eastern University, 69-66, on Sunday in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.
‘I know what kind of player I am. I shouldn’t have performed like that.’ Stevens was referring to the Fighting Maroons’ season-opening beatdown at the hands of the Growling Tigers, where he went scoreless. Determined to redeem himself, Stevens vented his ire on the Red Warriors the following game.
‘It’s kind of ironic, but the game where I really turned the corner was against UE. We had a lot of energy in that game and from then on, I just tried to keep on building and improving,’ said the Filipino-American big man.
Against UE, Stevens recorded a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds in UP’s 92-75 rout.
The 6-foot-7 Stevens committed to UST back in April 2022 but bolted the Tigers and transferred to the Warriors just four months later. He played one season at UE before moving to UP in June 2023.