The UE Red Warriors lost for a fourth time in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, falling to the UST Growling Tigers, 98‑87. While it was another defeat, the Red Warriors can take solace in the fight they showed in the second half, led by the valiant efforts of Tope Lagat, Cole Cruz‑Dumont, and Mo Tañedo.
Even with the loss, interim head coach Paolo Hubalde seemingly thinks it might be a matter of time before UE breaks its 24‑game losing streak, which dates back to Season 87.
UE Must Compete Until the End
According to Hubalde, who replaced Chris Gavina as UE’s head coach, the Red Warriors were starting to believe they could compete against UST by the time the fourth quarter rolled along.
“’Yung mga players natin, they’re now starting to believe. Sinabi ko sa kanila now, at least for now in this game na‑maximize nila ‘yung full potential nila,” said Hubalde.
Despite falling behind by as much as 19 in the first half, UE showed marked improvement after halftime, winning both the third and fourth quarters, 28‑23 and 26‑23, respectively, and ultimately ending the game down by just 11 points.
“’Yun lang naman hinihingi ko sa mga bata, [ang] maniwala sila na kaya nilang mag‑compete. Nakita naman natin lumaban naman sila. Although UST is a powerhouse, sabi ko kahit na malakas ‘yan ang importante lumalaban tayo,” he added.
The Red Warriors certainly competed against UST, even cutting the lead to just six. But Mark Llemit and Amiel Acido took control of the Tigers’ offense down the stretch and prevented an upset.
Lagat, Tañedo, and Cruz‑Dumont to Lead UE
Hubalde also noted that his young players—Lagat, Tañedo, and Cruz‑Dumont, in particular—must believe that the team is now theirs to lead for the foreseeable future.
“Sabi ko naman sa kanila, wala na, ito na ‘yun, kayo na ‘yan. Kumbaga you have to believe lang na you’re the main guys here,” he said.
Against UST, Lagat once again led the team in scoring with 22 points. Tañedo finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Cruz‑Dumont, after being held scoreless in the first half, ended with 12 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal.
“Kumbaga you have to believe lang na you’re the main guys here. You guys are going to play in the next three to five years, so it’s your team now. ‘Yun ‘yung sinasabi ko sa kanila,” Hubalde stressed.
Hubalde will look to lean on his main guys again when UE faces the La Salle Green Archers on Saturday, October 3, at 3:00 p.m. at the PhilSports Arena.
