Before the start of the UAAP Season 85 Men’s Basketball Tournament, the De La Salle Green Archers were envisioned to be one of the main championship contenders.
One thing that a lot of people did not probably expect is that La Salle would end up with a 3-4 record at the end of the first round behind back-to-back losses to National University and Adamson University.
While there is still a lot to play for with the second round yet to commence, it is hard to argue against the fact that the Green Archers are currently failing to live up to expectations.
“Until we play the way we should play, until we start playing defense, and not try to outscore the other team, I think we will be struggling,” said La Salle coach Derrick Pumaren after his side’s 84-86 overtime loss to Adamson. “We gave up a lot of fastbreak points, we gave up a lot of second-chance points, we gotta do a better job defending.
“That’s what’s happening right now. We’re not playing defense at all.”
La Salle failed to make the Final Four in two out of the last five UAAP campaigns.
Perhaps the best inspiration for the current batch of Green Archers would be their predecessors in Season 76 who finished with a 3-4 record in the first round, only to sweep the second round and then win the championship that year.
For that to happen though, the Taft-based school must step up if they want to get their season back on track.
“Hopefully we will be ready by Wednesday. The game is 40 minutes. We cannot come out there and come out flat (like the) 12-0 run,” said the two-time PBA champion coach.
“The game still starts at the opening tip. We gotta play the game for 40 minutes and that’s what we gotta do on Wednesday when we come out here in the second round.”
There is no point in La Salle dwelling on past mistakes. With the margin between success and failure so thin, what’s important now is to show more urgency but also composure, especially in the endgame.
The Green Archers have shown how talented they are. It’s just making sure that they take care of business in the end.
“We just have to work our way up. We’re down there but it’s not the end of the season for us. But we need to make a move since the second round will be the last chance for us,” concluded Pumaren.
