One possession at a time mindset keys NU's dominance in UAAP women's hoops
MANILA, Philippines — The NU Lady Bulldogs are the epitome of absolute dominance in the UAAP women's basketball tournament, with an immaculate 5-0 record for the season, and winning 101 straight contests overall.
Even as the roster changes throughout the years, NU continued to lead the top of the pack — never dropping a game as they won six UAAP championships in a row.
One might wonder what has been the secret to staying ahead of the competition year after year, and a late timeout called by NU head coach Aris Dimaunahan in a 100-66 victory over the Adamson Lady Falcons embodied the exact mindset that has led them to so much success.
With less than two minutes left in the contest, Dimaunahan reprimanded his players for a careless turnover in the previous possession during the timeout.
When asked about his decision to continue to be stern, Dimaunahan said that it was simply making sure that his players never forget to play the game each possession.
"I was just reminding them that it doesn't matter if we're leading by that much or if the game is tied or if we're falling behind. You have to play this game the right way from the start up to the finish line." said Dimaunahan after the game on Saturday.
"Hindi kami pwedeng magkaroon ng mentality na, 'Lamang naman kami ng 30, I could turn the ball over, I could take a bad shot, or we'll veer away from our schemes.' Hindi pwede. Hindi pwede sa team namin na magkaroon ng mga ganoong scenario." he added.
Dimaunahan, who is in his first year of being head coach of the mighty Lady Bulldogs, said that despite the circumstance of the game against Adamson, he cannot let any errors go past him — as he warns these may come back to bite them in the future.
"'Pag pinalagpas ko 'yun, baka maging habitual eh. Sisingilin kami noon sa dulo ng tournament 'pagka pinabayan ko 'yun." said Dimaunahan.
"That was the main purpose of that timeout, to remind them still to play the game the right way in the last two and a half minutes."
Dimaunahan also revealed a strategy of the Lady Bulldogs, where they only let themselves enjoy a particular win for a day before going back to the drawing board.
"We have this thing of having 24 hours. Whatever it is, if it's a good thing or a bad thing, after 24 hours, we leave it. We leave it there and we move forward." the tactician said.
"So 'yun ang mentality ng team namin. Whatever it is, 24 hours, move on to the next and focus on the next. 'Yun ang one of our traits."
With the way that the Lady Bulldogs think, even with their daunting 101-game win streak, they continue to be the formula for success in UAAP women's hoops.
Up next for NU are the DLSU Lady Archers who are 4-1 for the season on Wednesday, October 19, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
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