Losing their second to the last game this season, University of the East Red Warriors’ Alvin Pasaol and coach Derrick Pumaren are hell-bent on not letting the 0-13 UST Growling Tigers score their first win at their expense next week.
“Siyempre di kami papayag na sa amin sila makakakuha ng isang panalo. Siyempre lalaban kami kasi last game namin, kailangan din namin manalo para nasa winning note kami,” UE star Pasaol shared as he looked forward to the team’s final assignment this UAAP Season 80.
The Red Warriors were officially booted out of Final Four contention on Sunday as they bowed to the FEU Tamaraws, 70-86. But despite this, they are still determined to close out their year with a bang.
In the cellar-dwellers’ first meeting last October 7, UE came out as the victors, 96-91, and it wants nothing but to replicate the result next Sunday.
“We’re staying positive. We’re still looking at the last game, we’re still going to prepare. It doesn’t mean na we’re out, di na kami mag-peprepare. We’re still going to play hard and we’re still going for the win,” Pumaren expressed.
Ever since picking up their first win against the Growling Tigers in the end of the first round, the Red Warriors started racking up victories in the second round, gaining confidence and seemingly looked like a force to be reckoned with, the highlight of which being Pasaol’s 49-point outburst in UE’s loss to La Salle.
Eventually, the Red Warriors gained two more wins against the NU Bulldogs and the UP Fighting Maroons, equalling their win total from last year at 3-10.
Down to its final game and a chance to up their record from last year’s standings, UE is motivated to take the game in the battle of also-rans as it looks to end its campaign on a winning note.
“Mas kailangan namin manalo. Mas deserving kami manalo, I think,” Pasaol said.
