Sablan downplays UST’s potential 0-14 campaign, says others had winless seasons before

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

University of Santo Tomas has one more game left in its schedule in the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball tournament, and yet, head coach Boy Sablan already looked resigned after his team suffered another defeat.

“I wasn’t the first coach to have zero wins in the UAAP, other teams also had that record,” said Sablan in Filipino Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

UST’s latest loss came against league-leader Ateneo, 102-83, in a game where the Growling Tigers showed a semblance of fight but only to write the same ending and falter.

READ: Ateneo nears sweep, sends UST to 13th straight loss

The Growling Tigers stared at a 15-point deficit in the third, 72-57, but managed to claw back, 75-70, by the end of the period.

The Blue Eagles (12-0), however, answered back in the fourth and mounted a 17-7 run with Thirdy Ravena capping it off with a vicious tomahawk with 2:22 left for a 92-77 lead.

Sablan was right. He won’t be the first head coach to possibly end a season with zero wins after Luigi Trillo and Rey Madrid had 0-14 seasons with Adamson University and University of the Philippines, respectively

“Look at the history of the league, I’m not the first coach who’ll end a year with zero wins,” said Sablan. “There are of course who didn’t win, not just me.”

Sablan’s only hope of redemption, if it can be considered as such, is the Tigers’ last game against University of the East where UST can at least save face after a disastrous season. 

“Of course we want to win that final game, we will prepare for it,” said Sablan. “We’ll do what needs to be done.”