Despite loss, Madrid remains upbeat about Maroons
Not even his return to the sidelines could help University of the Philippines snap out of a long losing funk in the UAAP Season 76 men’s cage championships, but Rey Madrid believes the Fighting Maroons are bound to be winners again.
Less than a week since taking over the coaching post vacated by Ricky Dandan, the 48-year-old Madrid made his return to the league on Saturday following a 20-year hiatus but UP still suffered another beating, this time a 63-85 shellacking from La Salle.
Despite the loss, Madrid remained confident that he can eventually turn things around for the Diliman-based squad.
“I always wake up believing that I can win every game. That is my attitude and I want to impart that to them (UP players). If given a chance to win, they should really take it. I’m gonna drive them to be winners,” stated the former Fighting Maroon who played alongside pro league greats Benjie Paras and Ronnie Magsanoc on the UP team that won the 1986 men’s cage title.
Before suffering their ninth straight setback, the Fighting Maroons were competitive in the first half, even taking a 42-35 cushion at the break behind an impressive 47 percent shooting from the field led by guard Henry Asilum, who had already pumped in 13 points.
However, UP suffered another meltdown in the second half as La Salle repeatedly pounded the ball inside, utilizing the heft and height edges of its frontline–6-foot-3 Jason Perkins, 6-foot-6 Norbert Torres and 6-foot-7 Arnold Van Opstal–to the hilt.
Aside from the absence of injured center Chris Ball, foul woes on big men Raoul Soyud, Andrew Harris, Martin Pascual and Joseph Gallarza also doomed the Fighting Maroons’ chances, according to Madrid.
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“It was a good feeling that we did play a good first half. But we had a breakdown in the second half because we are grasping at straws especially with our big guys getting into foul trouble. In a way, we failed to control what they were trying to do to us,” he lamented.
Despite the loss, Madrid still saw some encouraging sign that may serve them well in good stead in future encounters, notably the 5-foot-8 sophomore Asilum who went on to finish with a team-high 18 points, including four treys, before suffering from cramps on his left leg in the fourth.
“He played one of his steadiest games. He was very comfortable and very steady but he played extended minutes. That’s why he had cramps,” said Madrid. “I couldn’t ask for more with the way they responded today. The score doesn’t reflect how much hard work they put in the court.”
Madrid, who tapped Poch Juinio and Ramil Cruz as assistants, has no plans to tinker much of the team’s system, noting “it’s just a matter of tweaking.”
Main gunner Joseph Marata, who had 11 points but shot 3-of-15 from the field, admitted they are still trying to grasp the “balanced system” put in place by Madrid, who has the distinction of being perhaps the only coach in UAAP history to coach a father-and-son tandem having coached Joseph's father Samuel from 1989 to 1991.
“Nag-a-adjust pa rin kami sa bagong sistema. But I think it’s getting better naman. Medyo struggle lang kasi hindi nagpo-flow ng maayos,” said the graduating wingman. “I think kaya naman ni coach Rey na tulungan kami para makuha ‘yung unang panalo.”
GAME IMAGES: DLSU vs. UP
