By MARK REY MONTENO
It happened last year, so La Salle coach Topex Robinson is not bothered and is still looking confident he can flip the script – once again.
The Archers also dropped the opening game of their best-of-three title series before regrouping and winning the next two games to win the UAAP crown last year before of sea of ‘Greenies’.
And that’s exactly the reason why Robinson does not want his players to look back at the past and think about it, instead, what he wants is for them to focus on what’s in the present.
Robinson is cool despite the team’s absorbing a 73-65 defeat before an expected huge Sunday crowd.
“We don’t look back at the past, that’s done it over with, we just want to make it sure if we thought of that, of course UP has thought of that as well that they lost, won game 1,” said Robinson.
“We just need to let things go and focus on what we have, the players are different because we have a younger team now,” he added. “The team that played last season is gone and have moved forward, so sa amin we just have to slug it out, yun lang naman masasabi namin.”
The 49-year-old tactician also commended his squad’s mentality of not pointing hands at anyone, noting they continued to play their system and there’s nothing that can’t distract them in their bid to win another title.
“The good thing about the team in the dugout, was nobody was blaming nobody. We’ve gone this far because of how we really became a united front and we will not let any negativity get in our way,” Robinson continued.
“We will play this championship the way we should play, as a big family, di naman palagi flowers and rainbows and makikita mo eh you got to go through those rough patches,” he added.
La Salle took control of the match early through the hot hands of reigning MVP Kevin Quimbao who had already put up 18 points and 9 boards.
But Quimbao’s hands suddenly went cold in at the start of the second half, allowing the Maroons to explode and dictate the tempo.
“Again they played well, we gave them 17, 19 points. It is what it is. We just have to learn and watch the game. I don’t wanna say anything because I haven’t seen the game,” said Robinson.
“There’s a lot of plays that I have to watch first and work as a team to figure it out. Sabi ko nga they came in prepared QMB was spectacular earlier that’s why he was there, they got him there because of that,” he added.
“Sabi ko nga as bad as it was, we gave ourselves a chance to win, and that’s what’s important.”
La Salle tries to get back and level the series when it clashes anew UP in Game Two this Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Mall of Asia Arena.
