Perasol rues UP’s inability to close out games amid 0-3 start

UP head coach Boy Perasol. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Head coach Bo Perasol knows what exactly has gone wrong for University of the Philippines as it reeled to a 0-3 start.

It’s the Maroons’ inability to stay with it when the clock winds down to the crucial stages.

“Hindi yun yung pinakamaganda naming laro pero andun pa rin, nakakahabol kami, nakakatabla kami. But we can’t make stops when it mattered,” Perasol said Saturday after another close loss, this time to University of Santo Tomas, 83-77.

READ: UST bounces back, extends win streak over UP to 19

But Perasol said his team’s attitude remains positive despite the poor opening to the UAAP Season 79 men’as basketball tournament.

“Magandang attitude nandun na,” he said. “The attitude of the boys are really positive, we’re really trying really hard kaso kapos talaga.”

UP trailed UST 64-53 early in the fourth but mounted a comeback to tie it up at 68-68 before the Growling Tigers pushed back and went on an 11-3 run to put the beyond reach, 79-71, with a minute left.

READ: UAAP Season 79 Preview: Perasol leads more seasoned Maroons

Despite staying within striking distance, the Maroons never found the rhythm and eventually balked under the pressure of UST.

Perasol thinks one victory to end their winless streak could spark something within the Maroons.

“What’s important is we need to get over this, there’s going to be a time that we will be better, it’s just different because we’re undergoing it right now, we’re in the process of improving,” said Perasol.

“We still have 11 games, 11 chances of getting one win and probably ignite a momentum.”