After suffering three straight losses, Clint Escamis and Mapua University finally rediscovered their winning ways in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 101 men’s basketball tournament.

Escamis, the reigning Most Valuable Player, said they have to hold their heads high and stay focused on winning if they want to make it all the way to the Final Four and gain a solid chance of defending their title.

“It was about team effort, defense, and not pointing fingers towards each other,” said Escamis, who posted 20 points, four rebounds, and four assists in the Cardinals’ 85-78 victory over Emilio Aguinaldo College that put them back on winning track in Group A of the preliminaries with a 4-4 mark.

Escamis’ performance against the Generals was a breath of fresh air as he was coming off losses against San Beda University, 70-79, and Jose Rizal University, 63-66, wherein he churned out a total of four points.

Although he registered 14 points against Letran College, Escamis missed crucial shots in the final stretch, sending Mapua to a heartbreaking 82-85 loss in overtime.

Still, the senior playmaker revealed that other than winning, his top priority is to set a good example to his teammates.

“I did not think of myself. It was still about leading by example. I still went to our practices the earliest to set the tone right there,” he said.

Escamis added that they are anticipating tougher challenges as they enter the homestretch of the preliminaries. With that, their mentality should now also shift to higher gears and play like real champions.

“Hopefully, we can keep our focus on the progress and not the results so we can move forward with a clean slate,” said Escamis, whose squad will enter the final five games of the season.