Shaina Nitura gets her much-needed support in the form of senior hitter Mayang Nuique as the Adamson Lady Falcons snapped their losing skid to open round 2 of UAAP Season 87.
Count on Mayang Nuique to pull out all the stops in her senior year for the Adamson Lady Falcons, making sure to step up in the second round when they faced the UE Lady Warriors at the Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday.
Heading into the break on a four-game losing skid, Nuique was determined to carry her own weight as one of the veteran hitters of the team.
Despite ace rookie Shaina Nitura still coming out with a game-high 18 points, Nuique provided quality minutes with 11 markers as the Lady Falcons completed a season sweep over the Lady Warriors. Proving pivotal to translate
Nitura’s performances to wins, Nuique was happy to play her part.
[RELATED: ‘My goal was to win’: Shaina Nitura shrugs off scoring record as Adamson breaks losing skid]
“As a senior po, talagang last chance na po namin. Kami ni Jen Villegas. Na ibigay pa yung best namin and, kinausap din naman po kami ni coach [JP] Yude na itong pagkakataon na ito, wag na po namin sayangin. Ibigay na namin lahat,” Nuique said after the game.
“Hopefully ngayong game, mag-start na yung ibibigay pa po namin yung best namin,” she added.
Among the leaders of her team, Nuique also played a part in rallying the Lady Falcons during the tough stretch of the season.
With the help of her coaches, Nuique is pushing her teammates to the right direction — especially when it comes to their mental toughness. Aware that they already have the physical tools, she hopes they finally get to figure out how to keep their mentality in check.
“Individually kasi nandun na yung skills namin. Sinabi rin po ng mga coaches namin. Ang kulang lang po talaga samin is yung kung paano namin i-handle yung emotions namin. Since magkakaiba rin kami ng pag-handle ng emotions and yung mindset din namin,” said Nuique.
“Pero nung after nung first round, nagusap-usap kami. Nagusap kami ng mga coaches and then kami ding players ni-remind namin na dapat may isa kaming goal, which is to win every point, every set, every game,” she added.
Now that they have momentum, Nuique and the Lady Falcons will vie for their first win streak of the year when they face the Ateneo Blue Eagles at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, March 29.
The Lady Falcons currently tout a 3-5 record.