UNIVERSITY of the Philippines coach Goldwin Monteverde shouldered the blame for a blown final possesion in the Fighting Maroons' 69-66 Game Two loss to Ateneo in the UAAP Season 84 men's basketball Finals on Wednesday.
Veteran guard Ricci Rivero took a lot of heat from fans for the final UP offensive in the final 17 seconds after he uncharacteristically held on to the ball too long with the Maroons needing to overcome a four-point deficit, 69-65.
[See Ateneo keeps four-peat bid alive]
Rivero dribbled the time away and didn't take an attempt until there was only two seconds left. He made one free throw and deliberately missed the second, but Dave Ildefonso secured the rebound to secure Ateneo's victory.
Monteverde said Rivero wasn't to blame for the misplay, saying it was the coaching staff which made the mistake of not reminding him about the game clock.
"I think mali namin yun sa aming coaches," he said. "We should have reminded him about that situation."
"Di naman kay Ricci yun but rather, I see it as a part na dapat sa amin nanggaling yung tungkol sa clock," the coach added of the gaffe that marred Rivero's 16-point, four-rebound, four-steal performance for the Maroons.
"We should have reminded him na yung oras, yung score."
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.
