UST Growling Tigers’ Nic Cabañero during a UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball game. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Nic Cabañero is taking University of Santo Tomas’ first loss as a wake-up call in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.
After an impressive 2-0 start, the new-look UST was sent crashing back to earth by Adamson, which pulled off a decisive 69-56 win last Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Cabañero admitted shots weren’t falling for the Growling Tigers, who struggled with a 19-of-57 shooting, and couldn’t stop the Falcons’ third-quarter surge led by Monty Montibon and Royce Mantua that snapped their two-game winning streak.
SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 87 basketball
“The game really went in Adamson’s favor. No matter what shots we took, even the close ones, it just seemed like they weren’t going in. Credit to them,” said Cabañero. “We’re just going to work hard and focus on practice. We need to stay in form and defend well. Adamson is a good team.”
The fourth-year forward, who was the lone bright spot for UST with 16 points and eight rebounds, is taking their loss in stride to play better in their next matches.
“The coaches told us that we need to respect every team in the UAAP. This is a wake-up call for us to improve where we need to and address any gaps in our team,” said Cabañero.
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The UST go-to scorer shot 3-of-5 from the three-point line in the last game, proving that he’s scratching the surface of his potential in taking long-range shots.
“I’ve been working on that. I need to add being a spot-up shooter to my arsenal. I’m just playing my game,” Cabañero said. “I was able to do it because of the trust from my teammates and coaches. Unfortunately, we didn’t win.”
Seeking to regain their winning ways, Cabañero will once again lead UST against the National University, which absorbed its second loss in three games after getting dominated by UP last Wednesday. The two squads battle for a bounce-back win on Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We need to absorb this [loss] and learn from it… We will [continue to] dedicate [this season] to our families and the UST community,” he said.