There will be no time to sulk for the DLSU Green Archers as the UAAP Men’s Basketball Finals heads to another pivotal Game 3.
De La Salle University will have no time to dwell on their heartbreaking Game 2 loss in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Finals.
The Archers on Sunday fell in a 63-66 thriller to the UP Fighting Maroons, who broke their Game 2 curse to force a winner-takes-all clash set this Wednesday, December 16, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
“First, again, give credit to what UP did. They’re champions for a reason and they really took us out of our rhythm,” DLSU head coach Topex Robinson said.
“But, I mean, there’s a reason this is the finals; the championship will not be given to you, so you have to earn it. And I guess they were the more aggressive team today. Obviously they didn’t want to end it, but we’re just gonna look at what we could do better come Game 3.”
Although Gerry Abadiano took over late on Sunday for State U, the Archers still had a chance to complete their title sweep. With DLSU down 63-65 in the last 44 seconds of regulation, Vhoris Marasigan was afforded a decent look at a title-clinching triple after catching an emergency pass from star guard Jacob Cortez.
Marasigan’s shot, however, rimmed out at the last second, allowing State U to force the do-or-die Game 3. Still, Robinson refused to point any fingers, stressing the immense trust he has placed in his players.
“Well, we have rule number one and that’s use your best judgment. We’re always going to stick to what we agreed upon as mature individuals here. I mean that shot could have brought the house down,” Robinson reflected.
“As long as those shots are the shots that Vhoris was practicing, we’re going to be okay with that. And you know? We always say that players win games for us and they will also lose games for us, and that’s not going to change. Even if this is Game 2 of the finals, we’re going to make mistakes, and the experience of UP showed up earlier.”
If there is any silver lining, Robinson said, it is that DLSU’s own title bid remains alive, with their Game 1 win giving them a safety net in the best-of-three series.
“We cannot complain, you know? Given this opportunity. We have to remember, we have a young team,” Robinson said. “We might have had those veterans, but we’re still young as far as being in the finals is concerned and it’s something to look forward to.”
“It’s something that every athlete or every young coach always dreams of, going into a Game 3 and just making sure that we’re going to learn a lot from it. Whatever happens, we’re just going to give our best and really, really, really enjoy that Game 3; it’s going to be something that we have to get excited about.”
Images by Kieran Punay/KLIQ Inc.