It was a tale of two halves during De La Salle University’s matchup against the University of the East on Saturday.
The first half for the Green Archers was disastrous, as they trailed 37-48 at the break, with Red Warrior Noy Remogat already notching a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists.
However, La Salle bounced back strongly in the second half. JC Macalalag doubled his efforts against Remogat, while the big men crew of Jonnel Policarpio, Kevin Quiambao, and Raven Cortez stepped up offensively to turn the game around and secure an 83-75 victory.
One might think that there were significant halftime adjustments made by head coach Topex Robinson and the Green Archers. However, Robinson said otherwise: “Nothing really. We didn’t make any adjustments.
“It’s just a matter of challenging these guys to compete at the highest level, always emphasizing the importance of every opportunity in this game of basketball,” said the first-year La Salle tactician.
“We didn’t pull any magic tricks going into the third quarter; we simply wanted it more than UE. We were just rewarded with this victory.”
Robinson, the coach, turned into Robinson, the motivator at the half, and then he emerged from the locker room as Robinson, the spectator. He allowed his players to win the game for their university, while his assistant coaches Caloy Garcia, Mon Jose, and Gian Nazario took over during timeouts.
“Credit goes to the coaching staff. I wasn’t really coaching in the second half anymore because sometimes you have to put these guys in the situation where they lead the team,” said Robinson.
“Coach Caloy Garcia, Coach Mon Jose, and Coach Gian Nazario did an excellent job. I was just a spectator during the second half.”
With La Salle able to recover after devastating close defeats to National University and the University of the Philippines, Robinson shared that this is what happens when they believe in each other and the system.
Cortez had his breakout game after receiving two DNPs in their past two games, scoring 18 points, grabbing five rebounds, and blocking three shots in just 13 minutes and 19 seconds.
“The character that we’re trying to build on this team is that everybody matters. He just showed that he is a part of this team and is willing to contribute in his own way,” said Robinson regarding the 6-foot-8 Cortez.
