Last week was one of the toughest stretches of the National University Bulldogs this season as they faced defending UAAP champions FEU Tamaraws twice in a span of five days. However, both games ended with losses sending the cagers from Jhocson Street down back down to .500.
Both of those games were close, falling by an average margin of just 2.0 points. The Bulldogs though struggled to execute in both games, committing a combined 37 turnovers during those two games.
“It was another heart-breaker for us,” Bulldogs head coach Eric Almirano said last Sunday. “We weren’t able to get it done again in closing the game out.”
The momentum of the game could have swayed in their favor in the last two minutes of the game but the young Bulldogs missed four crucial free throws – a sign of a young team.
Rookie Joshua Sinclair missed two free throws that could have given NU enough cushion in the end game
“We missed our free throws, we turned the ball over, those were the breaks of the game. I hope sana in the coming games, di na kami umabot sa ganoong situation.
“We could have done something more to give us cushion going to the crucial parts of the fourth quarter,” the champion mentor stressed.
The 50 year old mentor believes that these close losses is part of the growing pains the team has to go through to reach the next level.
“It’s a process eh. Siguro growing pains sa team na ito. Looking at it at a brighter side, we need these games to develop our character,” he shared.
“I hope moving forward, yung mga ganitong klaseng games, although it’s painful, will help us be mature and be able to handle those type of situations.”
And with it, he is hoping that a leader emerges that will take the helm former Bulldogs like Gelo Alolino and Troy Rosario left.
