Columbian head coach Johnedel Cardel was not as downcast as one would expect after suffering a heartbreaking loss to NorthPort, Wednesday evening.
“Breaks of the game. Ganun talaga e. Kung natawag, natawag na.
“Siguro kung nandun kami sa part na kami yun, siguro suwerte rin kami,” said Cardel moments after their 108-110 defeat.
The Dyip lost due to a goaltending violation called on Lester Prosper with 2.8 ticks left to play after replays showed that his hand touched the rim while he tried to block Robert Bolick’s lay-up.
PBA rules say that a player will be called for goaltending once he touches the rim while the ball has a chance to go in.
Still, the second-year Columbian mentor expressed how proud he is for the fight his wards put up despite being depleted. They do not have Reden Celda, JP Calvo, and Jackson Corpuz due to injuries.
The Dyip had already gone down by five with 2:12 left to play, but Rashawn McCarthy and rookie CJ Perez teamed up afterward to tie the game at 108-all with 8.1 seconds remaining.
Columbian still had a chance to send the game into overtime but Eric Camson’s mid-range jumper missed at the buzzer.
“Tinry namin manalo, sayang.
“Pero proud naman ako sa players ko, kahit kulang kami — wala si Celda, wala si Calvo, wala si Jack — lumaban pa rin naman kami, muntik pa kaming manalo,” he said.
Columbian has fallen to 2-7 after the loss, making their playoff chances slimmer. But Cardel and the Dyip are still looking to win their next two games to finish the conference strong.
“Hopefully yung huling dalawang laro namin, ganun pa rin gagawin namin. Kailangan namin manalo to give condidence sa mga bata, sa mga players.”
