SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines – Somehow, the UAAP Season 82’s most improbable storyline still lives on.
For the fourth straight time, the NU Bulldogs squandered their shot for a breakthrough win as they recently absorbed a 79-80 loss against the loaded UP Fighting Maroons in the men’s basketball tournament.
In 4 games to start the season, the young Bulldogs already hold 3 one-point losses to their name and the other being an overtime meltdown against UST.
Dave Ildefonso, the league’s fifth-best scorer who saw a 25-point effort go to waste yet again, admitted that the repeated heartbreaks are obviously not doing him any favors.
“Siguro pag tuluy-tuloy, namamanhid na,” he said after the game. “Heartbreaking pa rin [pero] positive pa rin ang aura namin sa locker room at alam namin talaga na lumalaban kami at yung kaya naming gawin.”
(When it goes on and on, it’s just numbing. It’s still heartbreaking but we still have a positive aura in the locker room. We know that we’re really fighting and we know what we can do.)
Even UP star Kobe Paras and head coach Bo Perasol took the time to console the Bulldogs and chief tactician Jamike Jarin as their unfortunate streak lived on for another day.
Despite this, the team is defiant in thinking that they deserve their opponents’ best efforts every time.
“Sabi nga ni coach Jamike, di nila pwede sabihin na kami ang swerte,” Ildefonso continued. “Sasabihin nila na sila ang swerte kasi we performed all games pero may lapses pa rin, may mistakes. Short lang sa huli.”
(As coach Jamike said, they can’t say that we are the lucky ones. They should say that they’re the lucky ones because we performed in all games but we just fell short in the end.)
However, as determined as the Bulldogs are, they will now face the ultimate test up next in the form of two-time defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles on Sunday, September 22, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
Like everyone else, Ildefonso is fully aware of how formidable his former school is. However, he also said that their belief should not waver now in these tough times.
“Siguro kailangan talaga ng perfect game from start to finish. Yung lapses super minimal na lang and we have to believe na mananalo kami. Di ko naman sinasabi na di kami naniniwala na mananalo kami, pero di na namin iisipin yung a loss is an option. Yung sense of urgency dapat lagi sa amin.”
(Maybe we really must have a perfect game from start to finish. We just have super minimal lapses and we have to believe we can win. I’m not saying that we’re not believing in our ability to win, but we can’t think that a loss is an option. We must maintain a sense of urgency.) – Rappler.com
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