CEU Scorpions ‘overachieved’ despite loss to Cignal in finals

JK Casiño. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

For Centro Escolar University coach Yong Garcia, there’s no shame in losing to Cignal HD in the 2017 PBA D-League Foundation Cup Finals.

After all, even he did not expect his side to make it this far in his first conference at the helm.

“I think we overachieved,” he said, after the Hawkeyes dealt the Scorpions a 79-69 Game 2 defeat.

“I’m so proud of my players because they always gave their best and that’s the reason why we made it in this stage.”

With the decks stacked against them, CEU shocked top-seed Flying V in the semifinals to arrange the date against Cignal behind the heroics of Rod Ebondo and the troika of guards in JK Casiño, Aaron Jeruta, and Orlan Wamar.

Unfortunately, that dream run didn’t get a happy ending as the Hawkeyes swept CEU in the best-of-three championship series, 2-0.

Though Garcia rued the missed chance, the youthful mentor shared that he’s hopeful that the Scorpions picked up valuable lessons through the course of the campaign.

“I just told them that every time we’re given these kinds of opportunities, we have to grab it. We can’t be content and we have to continue giving our best to make it to the next level,” he said.

Garcia will now prepare CEU for its title retention bid in the UCBL.