Adamson coach Nash Racela.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Adamson coach Nash Racela believes his team remains up to the challenge after Jerom Lastimosa was ruled out for the rest of the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament due to a complete ACL tear in his left knee.
“We’ve been in that situation the whole year, actually. That’s why medyo up and down. Puro hanap, kaliwa, hanap sa kanan but I’m sure our players are up to the challenge naman especially now. Lagi kong sinasabi you don’t really have a choice,” said Racela.
“But alam mo yung Jerom Lastimosa, mahirap punuan. It will be a collective thing for the team So, from player number one to player number 15, it’s really all the contributions that they could give, positive contributions.”
The Falcons missed Lastimosa in the whole first round due to a partial tear before he returned on Wednesday where he aggravated his injury in the third quarter of their 77-51 blowout loss to University of the Philippines.
Adamson guard Jerom Lastimosa.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Racela was pleased with the fight of the Falcons as they are currently in fifth place with a 4-5 record, just a game behind fourth placer Ateneo Blue Eagles (4-4 as of posting time.)
“Of course, happy because we’ve been competing and it’s because of the players. It’s a struggle but as long as there’s a window, there’s hope when you look at the standings. I just want them, especially the players, to look at the big picture and look at the positive side of things,” said Racela. “I always remind them, we’re still alive and it’s really up to them how will they respond.”
Racela will focus on working on the team’s consistency and developing grit as they will have a week before facing University of Santo Tomas (1-8) on November 4 at Mall of Asia Arena.
“The break will be really welcome for us, not just us but I guess the whole UAAP because players are tired. You know, we play twice a week and you see a lot of players get a lot of injured. I don’t think it’s just an accident,” Racela said. “So this will be a good break for not just us but for the whole UAAP.”
Lastimosa decided to undergo surgery after the season, wanting to stay with his teammates until their final game.