UST’s Boy Sablan makes his head-coaching debut in the UAAP on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, against Ateneo in the UAAP Season 79 men’s basketball tournament. The Growling Tigers lost, 73-69, to the Blue Eagles. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
It was a three-minute stretch coach Boy Sablan would rather forget.
With his UST team fighting tooth-and-nail for the first three quarters against Ateneo in his UAAP head coaching debut on Sunday, the Growling Tigers found themselves on the defensive, staring at a 59-51 lead as the Blue Eagles hit their mark to start the payoff period.
“Para kaming namatanda,” he said. “Nagkataon lang na sa start ng fourth, medyo tinamad ng konti at tumama ang three-points nila kaya nagkaroon ng spurt ang Ateneo. Pagbalik sa amin, lousy naman yung defense na ginawa ng mga bata. Hindi maganda yung three minutes na yun.”
The Blue Eagles, then, went on a 14-2 tear as UST lost its season opener, 73-69.
As painful as the defeat was, the first-year head coach noted some positives he saw from his Growling Tigers crew.
“Nakita naman na bumalik from 14 points, medyo naibaba pero kinulang lang,” he said. “Lumaban naman, pero tiwala ako na marami pa maipapakita yung mga bata.”
Finally giving the players the break they were aching for years, Sablan noted that it’s up to the Growling Tigers to step up to the plate and deliver this season.
“Kailangan dito ma-motivate sila at magkaroon sila ng kumpyansa dahil lahat naman sila, binibigyan ko ng playing time. Mga dating bench players ito, kaya siguro naninibago pa sila sa playing time,” he said. “As much as possible, gusto ko nga lahat makalaro eh kaso di naman pupwede. Gusto ko bigyan ng chance habang maaari para mabigyan ng kumpyansa yung iba.”
“Tiwala naman ako na as the season goes, makakapag-improve pa ang mga yan.”
UST returns to action on Saturday against UE.