Coach Topex Robinson and the DLSU Green Archers were given an early wake-up call after their first defeat in UAAP Season 87 at the hands of the UE Red Warriors. But they're not pointing any fingers.
Despite suffering their first defeat in UAAP Season 87, defending champions DLSU Green Archers are not dwelling on their early stumble.
Head coach Topex Robinson remains optimistic that his team will bounce back swiftly, with their focus now shifting to their next challenge against the FEU Tamaraws.
“We learn from those experiences. It’s gonna make us better,” Robinson told reporters after DLSU’s loss to the UE Red Warriors.
“Blaming them is the worst thing that [we can do]. Blaming each other, blaming the players—that’s not our approach. Life goes on for us. We have to focus on FEU on Wednesday, so you cannot cry over spilled milk anymore. It’s done and over with,” he emphasized.
La Salle entered the game against UE undefeated, but the loss was a wake-up call for the defending champions.
The Red Warriors came out strong, outscoring the Green Archers 28-11 in the first quarter. DLSU closed the gap by halftime, trailing by just four points at 42-38.
But in the final moments of the fourth quarter, the Kevin Quiambao-led Green Archers had an opportunity to either win the game or send it into overtime as they narrowed the deficit to 71-73.
However, Quiambao missed his free throws, and Fil-Am guard John Abate secured the victory with his shots from the line.
[ALSO READ: ‘Like any other free throw’: UE’s John Abate gets real on clutch free throws vs DLSU in UAAP Season 87]
For Robinson, the defeat highlighted the importance of staying sharp and never underestimating opponents.
“Obviously, you don’t want to lose games, but you wanna learn from those, and that’s a wake-up call for everybody that at any given time, if you try to think that the other team will just roll down and die, that’s what’s gonna happen,” Robinson explained.
While the loss was a tough pill to swallow, Robinson made sure to credit UE for its strong performance.
“We don’t want to take away the credit to UE—they really played well. So, we move forward from this and try to really focus on FEU,” said Robinson.
[ALSO READ: By striking first and striking hard, UE gets upset of UAAP Season 87 so far]
With a short turnaround before their next game, the Green Archers are putting their full attention on bouncing back against a young FEU squad.
Robinson remains confident that his team will use this early-season setback as fuel to improve and stay competitive in their quest for back-to-back UAAP titles.