For the first time in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament, De La Salle University has suffered back-to-back defeats, a setback with major implications for its quest to secure a spot in this year’s Final Four.
Losses to National University on November 2 and Far Eastern University this past Sunday have dropped La Salle to fourth place in the standings with a 6-5 record.
While a playoff incentive in the semifinals may have been the initial goal, the Green Archers are now focusing on locking in at least a third or fourth-place finish.
Times may be tough for La Salle coach Topex Robinson, but he is refusing to hit the panic button, insisting there is still much for his team to fight for.
“Breaks of the game,” said the Season 86 champion mentor after La Salle’s 84-83 loss to the Tamaraws. “We made some bad decisions down the line that cost us the game. We also have to give credit to FEU for the way they really battled.
“They’re always gonna surprise a lot of teams and it happens to us. We need to move forward because we have three games to play. Things are still within our control, so that’s what we’re gonna focus on.”
Robinson and his coaching staff also had to contend with five key players missing against FEU.
Mason Amos and Kean Baclaan remained sidelined with knee injuries, while Vhoris Marasigan was suspended for a transgression against NU’s Omar John. Gian Gomez and Lebron Jhames Daep were under the weather.
Ever the optimist, Robinson focused on how he and his team could get past this rough patch rather than dwell on the setbacks.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Obviously, we’re depleted right now,” he said. “We’re still gonna look at how we’re gonna battle our way through without Mason and Kean. Gian and LeBron Jhames are both sick right now, kaya naubos kami. Wala pa si Vhoris. But again, those things are opportunities for others as well. We’re just gonna look at the positives.
“Games like these have really been challenging for us, but again we cannot offer any excuses right now. We still have a grip on our fate and our future, so we’re gonna stick to the positives.”
With matchups against Adamson University, University of the Philippines, and Ateneo de Manila University looming in the coming week, the onus is on La Salle to regroup quickly to prevent its campaign from slipping further.
For that to happen, Robinson emphasized the importance of learning from mistakes immediately.
Crunch time is approaching for the Green Archers, and their leader wants to ensure everyone is aligned.
“As soon as we were complete (after the game), we said our prayers and I just told them that we’ll see each other tomorrow. At this point, we cannot be negative about those things because you have to support your players,” he said.
“We’re depleted, so I cannot afford to lose the players just because of a bad game. Nobody wants to lose that game, so we’re gonna move forward. The thing we’re gonna do right now is look for things that we did wrong, and then moving forward, how we’re gonna grow.”
