Ayo confident Letran can shrug off shooting woes to win NCAA title

Mark Cruz. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Letran may have lost the battle, but not the war.

Coach Aldin Ayo said the Knights remain positive they can still snare the title even though the series went to a deciding Game 3 set on Thursday.

“It’s still our game,” he said minutes after the Knights fell to San Beda, 66-61 on Game 2. “Have you seen the stats? 29-percent field goal. Yung tinira namin 83 (attempts), yung sa kanila 40-plus, yun ang storya dun. We lost, but were very optimistic come Game 3 kasi nandun yung effort eh.
Thirty-two turnovers sila, 11 lang kami. Bottomline, ang basketball, kung sino mas maraming puntos sya ang mananalo eh. Hindi sa amin yun kasi di kami naka-shoot. It’s as simple as that.”

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Ayo downplayed the defeat as a matter of a bad shooting day for the Knights.

“Good looks eh. Kay Mark, Rey, K-Racs, especially Jong. Eh hindi talaga pumapasok eh,” he said, as Letran shot 29-percent from the field on a 24-of-83 field goal shooting.

Letran also had an iffy time from the charity stripe, going 8-for-16, including a 4-of-10 shooting in the payoff period.

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“Same as that, sa free throws. Once you miss the free throw, focus eh. Kahit sino nga, kahit masama ang form mo, kahit di player na regular, basta naka-focus ka, mashu-shoot mo yan eh. It’s mental,” said Ayo.

But not one to dwell on his mistakes, the rookie coach kept his Knights motivated and ready for the championship-clincher on Thursday.

“Sabi ko sa kanila, kahit ako disappointed ako. Kung kami nga nakakaramdam, lalo na supporters namin. Tingnan nyo yung crowd natin, yung mga mukha ng frustration. Yun lang ang pinaghuhugutan natin eh. Sa amin, ito ginagawa namin for Letran and for the whole community,” he said

“Magpapakamatay itong mga to. Iba yung nasa mata ng (mga players).”

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