Bo Perasol rues UP’s failure to get stops in pivotal loss to UST

Head coach Bo Perasol returns for UP after a two-game suspension. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Head coach Bo Perasol had a rude welcome in his first game back for University of the Philippines in UAAP Season 82 men’s basketball tournament Wednesday.

The Fighting Maroons suffered a disappointing 84-78 loss to University of Santo Tomas that also put their overall record in jeopardy as they are now just half a game ahead of the Growling Tigers. UP dropped to 6-4 at second place as the Tigers improved to 6-5.

Perasol said his team failed to come up with stops when it needed it the most, allowing UST to drill two huge three-pointers in the final minute, first from Brent Paraiso and the second being Renzo Subido’s dagger with 26.7 seconds left for the Tigers’ 82-78 lead.

“The unfortunate thing there for us is that we were not able to get stops when it mattered,” said Perasol Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena. “Although we were trying to stop their three-point shooting, they were able to take the three again and we were not able to score also.”

“There’s really no sense of really pounding it hard to our team right now because I really think it could’ve gone either way.”

Perasol was initially handed a three-game suspension after his outburst during UP’s 89-63 loss to defending champion Ateneo at the end of the first round but that sanction was cut to two matches after an appeal.

The return, though, didn’t end up to Perasol’s expectations after UST went 16-of-42 from three-point distance.

Although UP managed to hold the Growling Tigers to just one three-pointer in the third quarter, Paraiso and Subido found their stroke in the final minute.

Kobe Paras hit his own three-pointer to give UP a two-possession lead, 78-74, with 1:40 left but that was the Fighting Maroons’ last hoorah after UST closed the game out on a 10-0 run.

“We all know what UST can do as far as the outside shooting is concerned, the pace is concerned,” said Perasol. “We were able to keep pace with that and also we were able to get into our own pace.”