Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Once again, coach Topex Robinson finds himself down 0-1 in a best-of-three championship series.
Zark’s Burger-Lyceum has its back against the wall anew after losing Game 1 to Che’Lu Bar and Grill-San Sebastian, 103-107 in the 2018 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup Finals.
But the youthful mentor isn’t ready to press the panic button just yet.
“I just told them to not hang their heads,” he said. “I remind them that when we lose, I’m gonna take responsibility. If we win, the praise is gonna be yours, so just enjoy the game.”
The Jawbreakers were in the thick of things for most of the game, before the Revellers’ veterans took charge in the endgame and squeezed out the tight four-point victory.
But rather than shrug off the defeat, Robinson tasked his wards to embrace the loss and focus on what they can improve ahead of Game 2.
“Losing gives you a lot of lessons as long as you know how to accept losing. I always tell them that we have to fall forward. You cannot fall back, just fall forward, keep on growing, keep on improving, and if were gonna lose another game or if were gonna win the Finals, life goes on for us,” he said.
Whatever happens, this group of Zark’s-Lyceum has already achieved a lot, being the lowest ranked team to reach this stage after ending the eliminations at sixth place.
Robinson knows Jawbreakers shouldn’t have been here in the first place so he told his wards to enjoy this moment as they continue their preparations for the upcoming collegiate season.
“It’s a bonus that were here in the Finals. It’s extra time for us to learn and grow. This loss will make us a better team. We could take any loss,” he said. “We’re here enjoying this opportunity, and we’re not gonna let one loss define our team. Its just life, I mean, we have to go through adversities together.”
It doesn’t mean, though, that Zark’s-Lyceum will just roll over and let Che’Lu-San Sebastian take the crown that easily.
“We will always play and we will always give our very best,” he said. “It’s about peace of mind knowing that you did your best. At the end of the day, as long as you know in your heart of hearts that you gave your best, I could sleep well tonight, and tomorrow’s a new day for me.”
With CJ Perez, Jaycee Marcelino, and Mike Nzeusseu leading the charge, the Jawbreakers are eyeing a big bounce back for Game 2, slated on Thursday at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.