Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Mapua coach Atoy Co admitted that with the drastic changes in his roster for NCAA Season 93, he has every reason to have meager expectations for the year.
That’s why even he was surprised with the fight the Cardinals put up in their season opener against Arellano on Saturday.
“Overall, I wasn’t expecting that kind of game, that we’re leading and trading leads. But more or less, I’m already happy with how we played and I’m satisfied with our opener,” Co said on the heels of Mapua’s 91-82 defeat to the Chiefs.
Despite the loss of their key guys, there’s still a silver lining for the Cardinals with Laurenz Victoria and Andoy Estrella emerging as solid offensive options after the first game.
But their showing was negated after committing 13 of the team’s 25 turnovers for the game.
“Today, we had lapses, committed errors, and played selfishly in the end game. That’s exactly what we’re trying to avoid. I think we can do better the next game,” he said.
Co also continued to remind his wards that pulling off a victory for the Cardinals this season would only be possible if everyone chips in.
“Until now, I’m trying to make them believe that if we play in a system and we play with hardwork, we’ll have a fighting chance,” he said. “There are games that you lose but you’re still happy. At least today, I’m ok because we fought until the last three minutes, and that’s when we lost the game.”
Mapua will next face Letran on Tuesday.