The College of Saint Benilde Blazers are on the wrong end of the school’s history books, having lost their first 12 games – 14 games carrying over from last season – the school’s worst start in the NCAA.
Already with a thin roster compared to that of their opponents, the Blazers’ campaign was further hampered by an injury to foreign student-athlete Clement Leutcheu, while stretch forward and senior Fons Saavedra asked for time off to take care of his ill mother. The young team has absorbed heavy losses as a result, losing by a league-high margin 15 points per game.
Thursday afternoon was perhaps the last straw. After keeping close with the heavily-favored Perpetual Altas, Saint Benilde simply shut down in the final frame, as the Altas made a huge rally that turned a once-tied game late in the second frame to a 31 point lead, midway through the final frame.
“Nung second half, nung lumamang ng malaki, that’s when we started to be sluggish. We became conten[t] with our perimeter shots,” head coach Gabby Velasco lamented. “Naghigpit rin yung depensa nila but there’s no reason na mag-relax kami at mag-give up kami defensively kaya lumaki nang lumaki ang lamang.”
At the pace that the team is going, the probability of having a winless season – the first time in the Grand Old League – is slowly turning into a possibility, as the season reaches its end. Velasco is in a tough position right now, as he tries to balance out the emotions and repercussions of a streak like this brings.
“Of course, you cannot disregard the feelings or the morale of the team especially now na sobra sobra na talo ng team,” he told Tiebreaker Times.
“It’s happening eh. We cannot just sit down and cry in one corner. We have to do something and find a way here.”
As he and his team continue to look for answers for this predicament they are in, the mentor is hoping that his players will not cave in and give up because it is not the La Sallian way.
“Ang importante dito is the spirit is there, the Animo is there.
“Nandoon yung willingness and hope na magbabago. Whatever it is, whether we go to the next round or play for the future team, the bottom line is yung effort namin and we learn something from these losses,” he closed.
With six games remaining in their schedule, the whole Benildean community is hoping that this Blazer squad won’t go down without a fight.
