UE coach upbeat despite end of sizzling Red Warriors run

MANILA, Philippines — University of the East Red Warriors head coach Jack Santiago urged the team to keep their heads up despite a 77-68 loss against the La Salle Green Archers last Saturday, October 12, which snapped their hot winning streak in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.

The Red Warriors have been the hottest team in the first round, winning five straight games, including a stunner against La Salle, after losing their first two matchups. 

They catapulted to the third spot, until the Green Archers got back at them gave them a dose of reality. 

Santiago, after the game, still lauded his players for not giving up on the top team, as such winning streak is not easy to preserve.

”Honestly, the boys played very well, it is a matter of down the stretch we committed lapses like defense last seconds, we have defensive lapses. Maybe now, I will say off kami sa three points, Wello [Lingolingo] is 0 out of 6, and it is all wide-open shots,” Santiago told Philstar.com.

Lingolingo was the hero of their last game, hitting a last-gasp buzzer-beater against the Adamson Soaring Falcons. 

“So you know, winning five straight games dadating talaga yung off night, but I am so happy with boys, even though we’re playing the number one team talagang we fought hard until the last minute.”  

He also emphasized the close score gap all along quarters, but the struggle for the UE came up in the last minute with crucial turnovers that favored the Green Archers.

“It is a matter of breaks of the game, we didn't maximize a couple of ball possessions, we missed wide-open shots, missed layups, we look forward to the next game,” he said

“Dadating talaga yung punto na they will commit errors, at the end of the day this is our team, those kids are my players, so we prepare for the next game,” Santiago added.

The Red Warriors will aim to rebuild momentum when they face the Far Eastern University Tamaraws at 4 p.m. Saturday, October 20, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. — Brent Sagre, intern