Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Immaturity got the better of San Sebastian in its 76-67 opening day defeat to San Beda in the NCAA Season 93 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday.
The Golden Stags came out too eager to win and that worked against them as players opted to go their own ways, which the championship-tested Red Lions took advantage of.
“It became our disadvantage because they wanted to win but that was only in their minds. They’re not doing what they did in the third quarter and our defense went absent, the teamwork was gone in the fourth quarter. They wanted individually to take responsibility for us to win and that led to our downfall,” he said.
READ: San Beda clips San Sebastian in NCAA season-opener
Despite giving the Red Lions all they could hande, San Sebastian shot itself on the foot by getting sorely outrebounded, 52-39.
“How can we win if that will happen?,” said. “We believe that whoever we face, we have a chance, but we have to overcome that disadvantage.”
But soft-spoken mentor believes that nerves were partly at fault for season-opening defeat and his Stags will be able to settle down in their next game.
“There are a lot of players who were off for us. They didn’t step up and got too excited to win,” he said.
“The character of the players are already there. We just have to take care of how we play in the endgame. With energy and effort, we know we can go far.”
San Sebastian will next face Arellano in the Legarda campus on Thursday.