Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
University of Santo Tomas coach Kungfu Reyes admitted he was ticked off with what he felt was a paltry showing by his veterans in the Tigresses’ straight sets loss to National University on Monday.
“Sabi ko nga, tulungan naman nila yung mga bata kasi yung mga beterano yung nagtatapon at yung mga bata ang umiiskor. Bilang nakakatanda, dapat makipagsabayan sila o aangatan pa yung laro ng bata,” Reyes said.
Without star scorers EJ Laure and Cherry Rondina, UST’s only bright spot came from guest player and high school standout Eya Laure, who had 15 points to lead the team.
Reyes knows that if he just had the duo, the Tigresses would have posed a better fight against the Lady Bulldogs.
“Mas magiging madali pag nandito yung dalawa,” he said, as both the elder Laure and Rondina were called up to be a part of the Foton Pilipinas team, which is currently training in Thailand to prepare for the Asian Women’s Club Championship.
But UST shouldn’t use that as an excuse, as Reyes made it clear that he’s hoping to see some of the remaining players step up.
“Dapat mas maging aggressive sila kasi kaya ng high school. Bakit sila hindi? Challenge dapat yun sa kanila,” he said. “Hindi natin ma-disclose kung sino, pero ganun lahat ang thinking at sa ensayo, nagsasabayan sila. Yung pagiging consistent lang as a player, as a teammate, kung ano ang kaya mong gawin.”
And they are given the perfect avenue to figure those things out, with this stint in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Collegiate Conference giving them a chance to show their wares as Reyes skims through his lineup and see who can make it to the UAAP roster.
Despite advancing to the quarterfinals, results have been scarce for the España crew.
“Yung consistency ng mga bata, wala pa. May isang action na nangyayari, sa susunod na galaw, doon sila naba-blangko. Yung experience, yun ang mage-gain nila dito,” he said.
Reyes, though, is keeping his optimism at a high as he hopes that this loss to the Lady Bulldogs, coupled with UST’s previous two losses, would serve as a reality check for his girls, especially the veterans.
“Kakayanin naman namin lumaro ng maayos eh. Ang downside, pag umaayaw na. Kaya naman kami nandito para ma-expose at makita namin kung sino ang lumalaban hanggang dulo, kung sino ang consistent, at kung sino ang umaayaw. Yung character na hinahanap namin na kung pwede ba sa team A o di talaga uubra,” he said.
“Naka-design para sa kanila yung liga kaya kailangang ipakita nila kung ano yung meron sila. I guess di pa nila nailalabas yun kasi hindi naman kami ganyan sa practice, hindi ganyan ang galawan namin at mas intense. Siguro magsa-suffer muna kami ng ilang talo bago matuto pero ang tanong is hanggang kailan? Yun ang hinahanap namin,” he added. “Hopefully, maging positive yung result ano man ang maging ranking namin dito. Basta’t matuto ang mga bata, yun ang importante sa amin.”