MANILA, Philippines - Enjoying their best season under his watch, University of Santo Tomas coach Bong dela Cruz refused to get carried away by the Tigers’ current standing in the UAAP Season 78 men’s basketball tourney.
The Tigers outclassed skidding defending champion National U Bulldogs last Saturday, 65-57, to vault back into the top in the company of Far Eastern with an impressive 8-1 card and move into the threshold of a Final Four berth.
UST and FEU stood three victories clear of third-running Ateneo and La Salle, which tote identical 5-4 cards.
“Matagal pa ang tournament (The season is far from over),” said Dela Cruz, the second-year mentor who has exceeded his Season 77 record of five wins with still five games left in their elims campaign this year.
“Basta itong team, itong family namin, every practice kailangang mag-improve, every game mag-improve – iyun ang target namin. (The primary goal of this team, family of ours is just to keep on improving every practice, every game). (We’re taking it) One game at a time,” said the former Adamson player.
The Tigers will seek to formalize their entry into the F4 against the Blue Eagles when the UAAP action resumes on Wednesday. Hostilities took a break yesterday due to super typhoon Lando with the affected twin-bill – University of the East versus University of the Philippines and Far Eastern versus La Salle – to be rescheduled likely to the end of the second round.
The Eagles primed themselves up for this showdown by nipping Adamson in a physical encounter, 87-72, also last Saturday.
“This game (against the Falcons) was very important as it would be a springboard to our next two games – first against UST on Wednesday and then against NU on Sunday,” AdMU skipper Kiefer Ravena, who turned in a near triple double 20 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists against AdU.
Ravena lost his cool in that match, pushing Adamson’s Joseph Nalos after the AdU guard brought his teammate Vince Tolentino down. Nalos was ejected while Ravena got an unsportsmanlike foul.
The AdMU ace said it was just a “teammate’s instinct” upon seeing his comrade down after a hard foul and he apologized to AdU coach Mike Fermin and assistant Vince Hizon moments later.
“It’s just an oncourt instinct. But also hindi rin niya siguro sinadya, he just broke his fall. Nakita niya siguro baka bumagsak siya nang masama; hindi rin natin masisi. It wasn’t really intentional, I guess, but it’s part of the game,” he said.