GRIND till you die.
That's the mantra now for Mapua as it finds itself stuck in the play-in of the NCAA Season 102 seniors basketball tournament.
Coach Chito Victolero accepted the cards dealt to his Cardinals following their 71-58 defeat to Jose Rizal U on Tuesday, saying: "It is what it is but we're still positive and we're still very confident also that we'll go deep into the playoffs."
READ: JRU books quarterfinals seat as it sends Mapua to NCAA play-in
At 6-6, Mapua is stuck at no. 4 in this loaded Group A with one last elimination match against Lyceum of the Philippines U set on Monday.
From there, the Cardinals and the Pirates will meet anew in the play-in for the right to face Group B top seed Letran in the quarterfinals.
It's a clear pathway for Victolero and co., one that he understands won't be easy but he's hopeful that his players rise to the challenge.
"Never give up hanggang may chance. And let's see kung yung preparation namin mentally maging maayos kasi we just need to move forward right now and prepare for the battle," said the veteran mentor after this third straight loss.
But more than the losing skid, Victolero's utmost concern surrounds the health of his players as they deal with injuries late in the eliminations.
Cy Cuenco was the latest addition to the injury bay after suffering a sprained ankle in this loss to the Heavy Bombers, joining fellow wounded Cardinals like Andrei Igliane, Ivan Lazarte, and Marcus and Lance Nitura.
"Mga main players pa namin ang injured," he sighed.
It's the utmost priority now for Victolero and the Cardinals to recover as they approach this six-day break before closing the second round.
"Alam namin ang mga pagkukulang namin but we want to go to battle with healthy players sana," he said. "It's not an excuse but we just want to focus on our health."
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