ST. Benilde hit an early roadblock in its NCAA Season 101 campaign after falling flat against San Beda, 96-85, in the men’s basketball tournament opener on Wednesday.
READ: San Beda sends statement by toppling fancied Benilde in opener
For coach Charles Tiu it was a nice little nudge, a good reminder for his squad that nothing’s ever gonna come easy in their bid of ending a 25-year title drought – preseason projections and predictions be damned.
“We looked lost on a lot of plays. There were times when we took possessions for granted, I don’t know if the guys felt we were good after beating San Beda in the preseason, but I kept reminding them that San Beda’s gonna be hungry,” he said.
“We need to do a better job. We need to execute. We didn’t play our A-game today and we fell flat and when you play good teams like that, you’ll get your butts kicked.”
Expectations are certainly high for the Blazers this season, as not only did they bring back their core led by reigning MVP Allen Liwag, they’ve also bolstered their roster with key transferees led by former Lyceum standout Shaun Umali, as well as ex-high school standouts in Raffy Celis and SJ Moore.
While Celis had a pretty solid game, all things considered, Umali struggled with foul trouble and played only six minutes, while Moore saw little action in his NCAA seniors debut.
“It’s really a challenge to find minutes for everybody, I’m not gonna lie,” Tiu admitted.
“I have guys who are top recruits, this and that. Our team from last year is pretty much intact. We only lost one and two, then you’re adding four, five guys. It's a challenge, but we have to figure it out.”
But Tiu isn’t worried at all, as he knows they’ll have plenty of time to figure things out as the season progresses.
As he put it, “Good thing is it’s only one game. I don’t mind losing. We lost to a good team. No reason to push the panic button just yet. Hopefully we can bounce back against EAC on Saturday.”
Missing Tony
One guy that Benilde could’ve certainly used in the game is two-way wing Tony Ynot who’s still on the mend with a recurring ankle injury that he’s been dealing with since last year.
The NCAA Mythical Team member posted averages of 10.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, all while being the Blazers’ best perimeter defender.
Tiu shared that he’s still unsure as to when Ynot will be back, but he’s hoping that the other guys will make the most out of the extended minutes they’ll be having with Ynot’s injury.
“He still has some ankle issues. Hoping he can come back over the next few games. You can tell that we badly needed him. I’m not sure if he’ll be back in a week or two, we’re taking it day-to-day,” he said.
“It’s up to him to tell us when he feels like he wants to play. I told him, ‘I won’t force you. Whenever you feel you’re ready, we’re gonna let you play.’ If not, we have enough guys to step up to fill the void while he’s not there,” he added. “Actually this is a big chance for other guys to prove themselves without him.”
Tiu believes they’re gonna be so much better when the PBA-bound guard returns to the floor, but until then he’s gonna have to rely on the other guys to fill the void that the Cebuano left.
“I think he’s our best guard, our best wing for sure. He’s a leader out there. He’s great for us on both ends of the floor. Great energy, great shooter. I’m hoping he can come back as soon as possible cause we’re a different team I guarantee you when he’s out there playing,” he said.
“By committee talaga, but obviously nobody really plays like Ynot. But the production I’m hoping they can contribute little by little.”
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