Now on wrong end of Final 4 bonus, UST still eager to write same story vs. La Salle

After they faltered against De La Salle University during their Season 87 Playoff for No.2 on Wednesday, Golden Tigresses head coach Kungfu Reyes and company will need to defy the ends to make a return trip to the championship stage.

But despite the crucial loss that could have a major effect on their title chase, Reyes is keeping his head high and is opting to look on the positives from their four-set loss to the Lady Spikers.

“Technically, Best-of-3 ‘to, so may another chance kami,” the veteran mentor said before exiting the Mall of Asia Arena. “Ang dami naming opportunity, lahat ng nangyari kay La Salle, dapat sa amin yun eh pero sa kanila napunta.”

“We were up by five, by four, kaya lang, yung unforced errors namin, tapos nabo-block kami. So ang kailangan namin, balikan kung ano yung pwede naming i-counter,” he added.

The Lady Spikers actually committed 14 more errors than the Golden Tigresses, 38-24. However, UST was not able to deal with La Salle’s 20-8 advantage in the blocking department.

“Umaatake kami pero nabo-block,” acknowledged Reyes. “So ang problema namin, yung coverage namin. This time, babalikan namin yan.”

Last year, the Tigresses reached the Season 86 Finals by taking advantage of their twice-to-beat bonus, ousting La Salle immediately in the first game of their Final 4 pairing.

And for Reyes, while they would need two wins to replicate this, what they must do is just focus on how to counter the Lady Archers’ charge.

“Nasa kamay namin lahat ng adjustment at lahat ng possible corrections na pwede namin bitbitin,” he pointed out. “The game itself, it’s still everybody’s game. Hindi pangit yung nilaro namin, talagang may kulang lang.

“Hindi lang tumapat samin this time, pero yung mga kulang na yun yun ang tatrabahuhin namin.”

“Kailangan maging steady yung pasa namin para, at least, magkaroon kami ng combination, ng decoy, at ma-dismantle yung block ng kabila. Yun yung chance namin na ma-penetrate yung depensa nila, or yung second chance point na tinatawag,” he detailed.

Asked how they will be approaching the must-win game, Reyes said: "Kailangan composed, may kasamang gigil, at dapat ‘di pa nags-start, alam na nilang mananalo kami."

“Kumbaga, dapat talunin namin sa mindset pa lang. Those things, bitbit na yun kasama ng hard work at sacrifices, para sa Thomasian community. Ilalaban namin ang UST hanggang sa dulo. Sabi nga: ‘Pipiliin lagi,’” he stressed.