UP coach Perasol hard-pressed to nail first win

MANILA, Philippines – For UP coach Bo Perasol, it's not like the Maroons have lost the "Fight" in them.

 

It's not like they are ill-equipped. It's not like his wards aren't putting in the effort. It's not like they don't have the killer instinct.

 

But each hump they're trying to overcome gradually appears extra bigger as they proceed – especially whenever they're coming off a loss.

 

"The most difficult part in losing is when you're trying really hard," Perasol said after bowing to UST last Saturday in the 79th UAAP men’s basketball tournament. 

 

"Parang lagi mong iniisip two more stops, two more rebounds, one less turnover, two more free throws," he added.

 

"It's not as if the guys are not trying," Perasol said. The former Ateneo de Manila University coach believes they're nearing the light at the end of the tunnel. And he thinks that one break would make all the difference for the Maroons. 

 

That one window would let them prove they're true to their moniker.

 

"We need to get something to ignite our momentum," he said. "We all understand basketball. 

 

UP, which has ticked off three teams in their first-round assignments, remains winless. 

 

"Kinukulang lang talaga kami. Very limited 'yung pinanggagalingan ng offense namin, at the same time we don’t have a dominant big man as of now," he shared. "But were trying."

 

"We need to get over [losing] because we still have 11 games – 11 chances of getting one win and probably ignite a momentum. Baka lang one of those games, meron kaming matalo na team," said Perasol.

 

Perasol, who is handling the Maroons for the first time, also believes that they're due for a big one.

 

"There’s going to be a time that we will be better. It’s just different because were undergoing (the process of improving) right now,” he said.

 

UP takes on fellow winless University of the East in the first UAAP tussle this Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.