MAPUA has won five games in a row but assistant coach Ed Cordero admitted it is frustrating that the Cardinals are still outside looking in for a playoff spot.
“We had a slow start. That’s the problem,” said Cordero. “The games that we lost where like three points on the average. That’s very frustrating.”
“Had we won that, then probably it’s a different story,” he added.
The Cardinals try to close in on the leaders when they face Arellano on Friday in the NCAA Season 91 men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.
Mapua, which scored a huge 82-77 win over league-leading Letran on Tuesday, is running fifth, behind University of Perpetual Help (9-4) for the fourth and last spot in the Final Four.
Arellano is in solo third place with a 10-4 win-loss card.
Gametime is at 2 p.m.
“It’s still in our hands,” Cordero said, referring to the Cardinals’ semifinal chances. “We can still be up there. We don’t have to pray for this to happen. Right now, everything is still in our hands.”
“We have to work hard and play as a team. I think with that in mind, we can be a threat,” said Cordero, who will again call the shots as head coach Atoy Co serves the second of his two-game suspension.
[See Mapua coach Atoy Co suspended two games by NCAA]
Letran (11-3) tries to get back on track when the Knights face the Jose Rizal University heavy Bombers at 4 p.m.
The Heavy Bombers need to come up with wins as they are still in sixth place with an 8-6 card.
Perpetual Help tries to tighten its grip on a top four spot as the Altas face the College of Saint Benilde Blazers (3-11) in the 12 p.m. game.
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