SLOWLY but surely, Mapua is starting to regain its old championship form.
It may have taken a while, but recent examples like their statement win over Perpetual last Friday shows that the Cardinals are chipping away at their flaws and learning from their lapses.
The same sentiments were echoed by head coach Randy Alcantara, who has long been rallying the team to make opponents learn to respect them once more.
READ: Mapua plays best game yet in vengeful win over Perpetual Help
“Kalaban natin hindi na tayo nirerespeto. Kailangan pakita niyo rin na kaya niyong makipagsabayan. Sa mga players, kung gusto natin magkipag-compete, pakita natin na kaya natin tumalo nung taas,” Alcantara said after their 77-61 victory.
While the game featured two impressive offensive outbursts from the Cardinals, one where they went on a 16-0 run between the second and third quarter and the backbreaking 13-1 run in the fourth quarter with a minute and 34 seconds left, their hard work on the other end was the bigger feat for the defense-oriented shotcaller.
According to Alcantara, offense was never the problem for this iteration of the title-defending Cardinals, but getting the guys to buy into their defense was what limited their game throughout the season.
“Sabi ko nga, kaya na itong grupo na umiskor, pero yung mag-sacrifice siya para doon sa defensa at from rebound at bumox out. Kahit yung rookies namin, kayang shumoot ‘yun. Pero, syempre, ang pinaka ano dito, kung sino yung willing i-sacrifice yung offense nila to their defense.
Luckily for Alcantara, their abundance of veterans led by example.
Of course, there’s Clint Escamis stepping up to guard the top scorers of the opposing squads, and the other guys also stepped in, like Yam Concepcion testing his mettle against Patrick Sleat and JC Recto holding John Abis to an abysmal one-for-seven, only allowing two points.
READ: Clint Escamis proud to show defensive prowess in bounce back game
“Kung anuman nang pwede namin ibigay na ma-contribute sa team, Ito na yun. Yung defense, yung box out, at yung rebounding namin. So, napakita naman ng lahat ng grupo na ito,” he said.
Nowhere to go but up for Cardinals
The veterans have been doing wonders for the team during Mapua’s tough stretch, which reached an all-time low when they gave up a 0-18 run to open its game against Benilde, one the Cardinals lost once more.
Alcantara and his deputies went hard at work, tweaking the defense to ensure they don’t find themselves on the wrong end of a run as extensive as that.
“Talagang binusisi namin at pinakita sa kanila, tiniyaga ng mga coaches na ito yung mga itsura namin pag ganito lang kami, pumasok sa court at hindi ready,” he said.
“Talagang sana matuto kami doon yung 18-0 start ng Benilde. So yun ang pinaka-bala namin at doon kami muhugot na hindi pwedeng ganito.”
But aside from the coaches, the veterans lso did their share of leading by example, and using the championship pedigree to guide the rest of the squad.
“Yung core last year, nandiyan na yan. Yung mga beterano na yan, experienced sa championship. Nakita naman nila sa umpisa na nahawa na rin siguro sila, pero sabi ko nga hindi yan pwede puro salita at ngayon napatunayan naman natin. Kayo na rin siguro humusga kung ano yung pinakita ng of the bench players.”
With Mapua having two games left to refine itself before the group stage comes to a close, Alcantara is once again banking on their defense to be their x-factor that could keep them in contention all the way back to their title defense.
So that if they do return to the big stage, they can return to being the hunters.
“Siyempre, may maganda rin preparation ng mga kalaban. Kaya sabi ko, yung depensa, yung willingness, yung big heart, hindi makukuha nila. Hindi maiiscout yan. Kaya kung ganun papakita ulit nila, mas mapapatunayan na mas magandang execution at yung teamwork.”
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