CHICAGO - In the UAAP men's basketball tournament, a losing coach is given time before facing the media in the post-game press conference.
Clearly, the cooling off period wasn't enough to ice steaming Adamson coach Nash Racela.
After last night's 62-58 loss to Ateneo, Racela went on a props-aided rant about the officiating and suggested that the UAAP "probably wants them (Ateneo) in" the Final Four.
READ: Racela laments uphill fight as 'UAAP probably wants Ateneo in (Final Four)'
"This is something that surprised me. When we were up six points at the end of the third we got into penalty right away with seven-and-a-half minutes left when we were up six. So the story of the fourth quarter is 11-2 fouls. Ateneo got 15 free throws, we got nothing."
Well, Racela forgot to mention that Ateneo also went into penalty early in the second quarter. Mysteriously, the Falcons did not pounce.
In contrast, when Adamson got into penalty with still seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Blue Eagles strategically took advantage by switching their offense from set plays to attack mode.
COMPROMISED AND VULNERABLE.
Ateneo took 15 free throws in the fourth period because Adamson couldn't guard a coffee table in the paint and kept fouling.
Ateneo only had 2 fouls in the final frame because the Falcons, instead of storming the rim, kept jacking long-range shots like it was happy hour. at the bar.
To borrow the words of SPIN.ph reader Lora Baje, "Go back to the film. The answers are there."
So, yeah, the refs didn't kill the Falcons, It was a self-inflicted crash landing.
"They collapsed in the crucial seconds," said another SPIN.ph reader, Dr.Paul Ryan Badiola, citing two missed shots for the lead in the final 46.1 ticks. .
Racela's diatribe was disappointing coming from a high-character guy who is adored by his players and respected by his peers.
Sadly, this isn't the first time..
WOE IS ME.
Back in September 2014, when the team he was then coaching, the FEU Tamaraws, lost a Final Four game to La Salle, coach Nash also turned defeat into a crusade.
"When you play a team like La Salle or any stronger team, the only way you can beat them is by playing good defense. But now, if they (game officials) don't allow you to play defense, mahihirapan talaga," Racela said while also wailing at the fouls differential against FEU.
READ: Nash rues refs prevented Tamaraws from playing good defense vs La Salle
Playing the victim card repeatedly is tiresome, annoying.
At what point does Racela stop blaming the officials for his losses and begin to look in the mirror?
Despite his successes, coach Tab Baldwin hasn't been doing a great job lately. Ateneo has an inherent weakness of playing poorly in the third quarter, which means he is being ineffective in those halftime adjustments.
The Blue Eagles had a three-game skid this season and went down to 4-6 in the standings. Not once did Tab cry about the officiating.
This is what separates him, a four-time UAAP champion, from the rest of the field.
Accountability.
Postscript. I sent a text message to coach Racela seeking his comment on this issue. There was no response as of posting time.
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.
