TRYING to bounce back from a loss is something National University has not done in nine years, but it will be the immediate goal that the Lady Bulldogs will address over the next few days following the shock defeat against La Salle on Wednesday.
No active player, or even head coach Aris Dimaunahan, was around when NU last lost a UAAP game, coincidentally also at the hands of the Lady Archers in Game Three of the Season 76 basketball finals in Oct. 2013.
"[The next] 24 hours will be dealt by ... sabi nga, iiyak nyo 'yan. If kailangan nyo iiyak 'yan, do it," Dimaunahan told his players after their streak-busting 61-57 overtime defeat at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
"But the challenge really is after the 24 hours, what do you do? Bounce back and again, the goal of this team is not get the streak. The goal of this team is to win the championship," he added.
The first-year coach insisted keeping the win streak going was not the primary goal, echoing a point Dimaunahan first said after NU won its 100th consecutive game last October.
He also congratulated his La Salle counterpart for formulating the perfect game plan against them, which he said coincided with a subpar performance by the Lady Bulldogs.
"I have high respect for coach Cholo Villanueva. He's been coaching his teams very well," said Dimaunahan. "Give credit to them for coming in well-prepared and beating us. We'll surely find a way to bounce back."
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