First-year Emilio Aguinaldo College head coach Jerson Cabiltes is looking forward to ending the team’s losing streak against San Beda University in the upcoming NCAA Season 99.
Hopes were high for the Generals when they faced the Red Lions in the 2023 Filoil Ecooil Preseason Cup on Thursday, as they had just defeated the same school in the 2023 Pinoyliga Collegiate Cup last May 16 with an 85-84 win.
However, just like in the NCAA, it was the same old story as the Red Lions defeated the Generals, 84-78.
The multiple-time MPBL champion coach simply stated that they will definitely end their drought against the Red Lions in the upcoming season 99.
“Yeah, we’re hoping to end it in the NCAA coming September; we’re hoping to end the drought na di pa kami nanalo,” he said.
EAC has never won a match against San Beda in the Preseason Cup, and they have lost 25 times against the same team in the NCAA, as the Generals only joined the Grand Old League in 2009.
To secure a win against San Beda, Cabiltes and the Generals will prepare and work on the areas they need to improve when facing the main lineup of the Red Lions.
“Actually, di naman din yan ‘yung maglalaro sa kanila eh. It’s gonna be their Team A who’s playing sa D-League that’s going to play in the NCAA,” said Cabiltes.
“So we’re just going to prepare for that one.”
In the game against the Red Lions, the Generals were already leading by 10 points in the first half, 41-31. Unfortunately, they became complacent in the second half as San Beda turned things around. The Mendiola-based school even had its biggest lead of 12 points, 73-61.
Cabiltes mentioned that the Generals failed to execute their defense properly against San Beda and that the team needed to learn how to maintain the lead during crucial moments.
But he will move on from the loss, as Cabiltes stated that the team’s missing piece is the mentality to win whenever they play.
“We’re still lacking the killer mentality, we’re up 10, and then we suddenly gave up the lead, we have given them easy baskets, so ‘yun lang eh kailangan ‘yung mentality namin na pag lamang kami,” Cabiltes shared.
“We should learn [to take care of the lead] or di kami puwede magpabaya, we should still play hard, the defensive effort, ‘yung offense moving the ball. Ang naging problema namin is ‘yung nalamangan kami medyo nag rattle ‘yung team, so ‘yun lang siguro i-instill ko rin sa kanila,” he continued.
“They were not able to play good defense. ‘Yung [San Beda] their making their three points shots, we gave them confidence that’s why they’re making those shots, so we need to improve defensively.”
