UP extinguished the hottest team in the UAAP.
La Salle Green Archers coach Topex Robinson refused to give excuses in the aftermath of the team's 97-67 loss to the UP Fighting Maroons in the UAAP Season 86 finals opener on Wednesday.
Robinson said the Fighting Maroons simply reminded everyone why they are atop the league.
“Obviously, UP just showed us why they're the number one team in the UAAP right now. At this point, we really can't look for other excuses but to bounce back come Sunday,” he said after the most lopsided finals match in 25 years.
Mike Phillips, who paced the Green Archers with 19 points and nine rebounds, echoed his mentor’s sentiment.
“We gotta give credit to UP. They played a great game. They wanted it more than us,” he said.
UP did exactly what it set out to do and put the cuffs on the Green Archers, whose average league-leading output was over 80 points per game before the Final Four.
But the Green Archers do not have the energy and time to sulk after this sorry loss witnessed by over 17,000 fans clad in maroon and green at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Phillips, who made a futile effort early in the fourth period to turn things around for the Green Archers, said they must regroup and hope this could spark them to do better.
“Kailangan namin manatili ‘yung mindset kasi we can’t let this break us. Tulad ng sinabi ko nung isang araw about the streak namin, it started from a loss. So, we’re gonna try to do the same thing as much as we can,” he said.
Game 2 is set on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
(MDB)