‘Parang sinipa kami’: Loss to UST a wake up call as NU looks to bounce back vs UP | ABS-CBN

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‘Parang sinipa kami’: Loss to UST a wake up call as NU looks to bounce back vs UP

‘Parang sinipa kami’: Loss to UST a wake up call as NU looks to bounce back vs UP

Karl Cedrick Basco,

ABS-CBN News

 | 

Updated Mar 07, 2023 06:24 PM PHT

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Photo from UAAP Media Bureau
Photo from UAAP Media Bureau

MANILA – “Parang sinipa na kami.”

This was how reigning MVP Bella Belen described their loss to the UST Golden Tigresses in the UAAP Season 85 – their first defeat since 2020.

Belen and the rest of the defending champions saw their 20-game winning run ending on Saturday after the Tigresses prevailed over them via a five-set thriller at the Mall of Asia Arena.

And the Lady Bulldogs are offering no excuses in their shocking loss, instead giving credit to UST for a well-deserved win.

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“Maganda naman yung game and nag-prepare ang UST and 'yung hunger, sabi ni coach 'yung hunger nila noong fifth set, makikita po talaga na mas gusto nila manalo kumpara sa amin,” Belen said after the match.

The loss also came just after they were pushed to a decider by the Adamson Lady Falcons – their first five-set game since Season 84. In that game, the Lady Bulldogs managed to secure the win in the end.

But the same result did not happen against the Tigresses who rallied from 2-5 down in Set 5 to a 10-6 overturn in their matchup.

“It's a wake up call sa amin. Hindi po wake up. Kasi yung Adamson, parang kinalabit na kami. Pero ngayon, parang sinipa na kami. Kumbaga para magising na kami, hindi porket na-sweep namin last season ay magiging madali sa amin ngayon,” Belen continued.

The NU squad is now back to the drawing board with the hopes of regaining the lethal form that propelled them to a 16-0 title run last season.

Belen knows they have to work double-time in training and that they can never be complacent this season, as the competition got a lot stiffer than last year.

“So dapat, dapat mag-prepare kami ng mas maayos...sa training nga, balik kami. Kasi yung training namin before at sa ngayon, feeling ko magkaiba eh. So. yun nga, itong pagkatalo namin, wake up call sa amin. Hindi kami dapat makampante dahil sa nangyari sa amin last season and macha-challenge kami this season,” she added.

If there’s positive takeaway they can get from the defeat, it's that the Lady Bulldogs will have a fresh restart when they face the UP Fighting Maroons on Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

This time, NU will not enter the court with the pressure to continue a winning streak unlike in their previous outings.

“Nag-usap kami kanina sa locker room and nabanggit nga siguro after a loss, ma-lessen ang pressure na unbeaten kami for year 2022 siguro? And so, ano sa amin, bagong challenge sa amin ang season na to,” head coach Karl Dimaculangan said.

Dimaculangan, however, tempered expectations that his team will possibly vent their ire on the Fighting Maroons in their next assignment.

He instead said that they will just focus on improving the team and prepare the squad the best they could before letting them face other opponents.

UAAP Season 85 is streaming on iWantTFC every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, available for Premium users outside the Philippines.

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