Adamson coach Nash Racela during a game against UP in UAAP Season 87.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – Adamson coach Nash Racela believes reaching the Final Four is “still doable” for the struggling Falcons, who are currently in sixth place in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament.
“It’s still doable. “The beauty of this season is that despite the very unstable performances in the last four games, we are still in control of our chances,” Racela said after a 70-59 loss to the University of the Philippines at the Mall of Asia on Sunday Arena.
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“If they really want to progress, we have to start winning, and we have to start winning on Wednesday. It won’t be easy, but what’s important is that we do our part,” he added.
READ: UAAP: UP secures spot in Final Four, beats Adamson
Adamson suffered his fifth straight defeat, sharing a similar 3-7 record with Ateneo and Far Eastern University. However, the three teams are only a game and a half behind fourth-place University of Santo Tomas.
Racela remains positive about his team’s Final Four chances and urges the Falcons to work harder.
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“I have a lot of confidence in this team. I’m actually going to this game. I proclaimed a miracle Sunday, but it didn’t happen. We’re just doing our part and only good things can happen, but today we probably didn’t do enough. Maybe we just need to do a little more,” he said.
“I told them when (JD) Cagulangan hit the three-pointer, the game was very close and we are still ahead, they could always say I had my hand in front of him, but that’s not enough. We have to fight and that’s the little extra. These things are no longer us. It’s you (the players).”
For the second time this season, the Falcons pushed the Fighting Maroons to the limit but lost steam in the second half.
READ: UAAP: La Salle reaches Final Four first, beats Adamson
“It’s nice to be able to compete against UP and give ourselves a chance at the end, but we just have to do that little bit extra. That little extra makes all the difference, so I hope we do that. “That’s the difference between winning and losing,” Racela said.
“We talked about that after the game. You can tell me as a coach that we were close against UP and only lost a few points, but now it’s time for us to do a little more. It’s no longer enough to just hang around. That’s what we need, a little more, and that will make the difference.”
Things won’t get much easier for Adamson as it looks to end its lull against No. 3 University of the East on Wednesday at the same venue in Pasay City.
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