Coach Topex Robinson Photo by Tristan Rafael Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
“Nakakahiya kayo! (You’re an embarrassment!),” shouted coach Topex Robinson as Lyceum entered the dugout at the halftime break.
Something had to give, and after the Pirates had a pitiful first half performance against Mapua on Friday, falling behind by as much as 43 and by 40, 68-28, at the half, the usually soft-spoken Robinson seemingly lost his cool.
“It was a wakeup call for the boys,” said assistant coach Jeff Perlas, explaining Robinson’s outburst. “We set our game plan, practiced for four days, then during the first half, it was not met.”
Fortunately for the Pirates, the team which entered the dugout was different from the one which got out in the second half, as Lyceum shook off its slugs and unleashed a valiant fightback against the Cardinals.
Taking a page out of the Alaska Aces’ playbook, the PBA team Robinson is a deputy of, the Pirates dug itself out of the grave and got itself back to as close as six points, 101-95.
However, there wasn’t enough gas left in Lyceum’s tank as it fell 109-95 to Mapua.
Though defeated, it is a character-building victory for the Pirates, showing they have what it takes to compete despite falling behind big.
“Good for us, they responded. When you’re down like that, it’s not about the X and O’s anymore, it’s about the heart,” said Perlas, who spoke to the media in lieu of Robinson. “Coach has full of wisdom. He has a long threshold of patience for our guys. Maybe it just so happened that the guys needed to respond and we saw their maturity there, fighting back rather than folding.”
In a text message to INQUIRER.net, Robinson beamed with pride with the way his boys played in the second half.
“They gave me a reason to get out of the dugout with my head up,” he said.