IT was twice a case of almost but not quite for Terrafirma.

For the second straight time, the Dyip failed to close out a game and lost another PBA Governors’ Cup heartbreaker, this time coming in the form of a 100-99 setback at the hands of the Converge FiberXers on Saturday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Import Scotty Hopson, hobbling all game long with a hip injury, struck the dagger right into the hearts of the hard-luck Dyip when he knocked down the game-winning four-point shot with 2.5 seconds left in a game Terrafirma controlled the entire second half.

READ: Hopson to the rescue once more as Converge escapes Terrafirma

The Dyip still had one more shot of reversing the tide, but Antonio Hester’s point-blank range just hit the front-end of the rim at the buzzer, dealing the team its eighth straight loss in the season-opening conference.

Coach Johnedel Cardel said the team was obviously frustrated, but could do nothing but to move forward.

“Sayang nasa amin na, lamang na kami,” said the Dyip mentor. “Hindi pa rin bumagsak. Talagang ganun siguro.”

But making this loss even more heartrending was it came just two days after going through the same experience in a 99-98 loss to the Magnolia Hotshots.

READ: Magnolia averts disaster as it denies upset conscious Terrafirma

“Last game sa amin na rin yun. Pero may mga mistakes din naman. And this time ganun pa rin,” said Cardel. “Yan ang reality ng basketball, we lost, but we accept it.’

The Terrafirma coach stressed there was an instruction for the players to make a foul and let Converge decide its fate from the free throw line instead of beating them with a game-winner from the 27-foot arc.

“Sana free throws na lang. Hindi na maka-four point play,” said the former PBA player turned coach.

But he also understood the rest of the Dyip, who played undermanned the entire game.

“Siyempre pagod na sila,” said Cardel. “Give credit to the players. Kahit siyam or sampung players lang, we still showed puwede kaming manalo.”

Terrafirma has two games left remaining in the group stage and it’s not going to be easy ones as it will take on Group A leaders TNT and Meralco.

And Cardel said there’s no quit for the Dyip until they finally get that elusive win.

“We’ll try again. We’ll see. Hindi kami titigil hangga’t may laro pa. Try pa rin namin manalo,” he said. “Ayaw namin mag-end ng walang panalo this conference.”

Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.