A 10-point lead with around 3 minutes left, it appeared certain that the Green Archers would run away with the win. But alas, the Red Lions went on a 13-0 blitz to close out the game.
Looking at the statsheet, the numbers were pretty decent. For the most part of the match, the team played well. We saw them slowly climbed back from a double digit deficit in the early part of the first half and eventually took control.
It was the 4th period that did the team in. They had 4 crucial turnovers down the stretch which resulted to 5 points by San Beda. The Green Archers were also unable to control the boards despite the opposition’s center already in foul trouble. The Red Lions had 4 second chance points, the Archers had none.
It’s all about closing games and having that killer’s instinct. Sadly, the team in recent years has not exhibited this mentality of continuiously pounding it on the opponent even with a huge lead. We saw these instances many times, up by a comfortable margin only to see it disappear instantly.
This kind of setback has got to be the most painful, when you thought your team would win then just like that, they lose instead.
Based on their preseason performance, the jury is still out on the team’s ability to make a serious bid for the UAAP championship. It appears that there are a lot of aspects in their game that need to be straightened out particularly chemistry, making in-game adjustments and having that confidence to finish strong.
We still firmly believe that the Green Archers have the deepest and talented lineup in the UAAP. The potential is there. If they get their act together, we don’t see any reason why they can’t win it all this season.
The dryrun is over, the real battle starts on June 29.