Back to the drawing board again for Forthsky Padrigao and the UST Growling Tigers as they were sent reeling to their third straight defeat in round 2 of UAAP Season 87.
UST point guard Forthsky Padrigao and the rest of the Growling Tigers are left scrambling to find their groove after suffering a particularly stinging defeat at the hands of the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Saturday, October 19.
Apart from extending their losing skid to three, Saturday’s loss was even more frustrating as it happened on their home court, with the game happening at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in front of a largely pro UST crowd.
[RELATED: UAAP: Ateneo staves off UST at Growling Tigers’ den for back-to-back wins]
Still unable to get a win in the second round after finishing the first half of the season at 4-3, Padrigao is scratching his head on what the team has done wrong.
“You know, we really needed this win, this game but then hindi namin nakuha, trinabaho din naman ng teammates ko kanina, lahat naman kami nagambag ambag. I think our efforts weren’t enough,” said a solemn Padrigao after the game.
“We’ll check yung stats and yung film pa para alam namin kung saan kami mas magi-improve pa coming next game. Yun nga Ateneo played well, too. Gotta credit them by how they played,” he added.
But Padrigao isn’t one to let his emotions get the better of him as a revamped UST squad continues to look for answers with head coach Pido Jarencio. With the loss already behind them, the former UAAP champion is eager to look at the learnings instead of the stinging defeat.
“For us, wala[ng frustration]. Sa amin, yung mga ganitong experience ngayon talagang learning pa rin talaga. I mean, kailan ba kami naka-experience ng ganito mga sitwasyon La Salle, etong Ateneo. Nakikita ko naman yung team namin na talagang nage-effort and tinitignan nila kung ano yung pwedeng matutunan each game,” Padrigao said.
“Nagu-usap usap kami. Talo na kami, next play na kami lagi.”
Padrigao is particularly feeling the sting of the loss as some unfortunate miscues of his had cost them two games in a row.
In their overtime loss against La Salle, Padrigao missed a free throw that would’ve put the Growling Tigers ahead late in regulation. Meanwhile against Ateneo, he committed a crucial turnover that gave the Blue Eagles a basket with 11.7 seconds remaining in the game clock.
But more than brooding in his own mistakes, Padrigao was more concerned of working to be better and hopefully repaying the support of UST’s staunch supporters — whom they saw show up at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Though they weren’t able to eke out the win, Padrigao took comfort in the way that their fans have been supporting them through an up-and-down campaign in Season 87.
“Grabe wala akong masabi sa UST crowd, grabe ramdam na ramdam namin yung effort nila sa pagc-cheer talagang naririnig namin sila, ramdam namin sila. Yun lang hindi namin nasuklian ng panalo yung suporta nila sa amin,” he remarked.
“Hopefully yung mga upcoming games namin masuklian namin yung effort na binibigay nila sa amin,” Forthsky added.
Padrigao and the rest of the Growling Tigers will attempt to regain their bearings when they face the FEU Tamaraws in their next game on Sunday, October 27, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.