MANILA, Philippines – The University of the Philippines coaches view Henry Galinato’s critical turnover in the closing moments of Game 2 of the Fighting Maroons’ defeat in the UAAP Season 85 Men’s Basketball Finals as routine play.
In the middle of the fourth quarter, the Fighting Maroons were trailing by 15 points. Carl Tamayo then started a run that Terrence Fortea finished with a three-pointer to reduce the margin to nine points, 63 to 54, with 4:46 remaining.
Galinato missed a clear-cut dunk opportunity when he was discovered open beneath, which would have cut the margin to seven points. The pivotal missed shot appeared to have stopped UP’s momentum because they were able to score just one point the rest of the way, giving Ateneo the victory and allowing them to continue.
Galinato’s miss wasn’t the reason for the Blue Eagles’ 65 to 55 loss, according to UP assistant coach Christian Luanzon.
“I don’t believe that. Even if it had happened on the final shot, you know, there are so many factors in a basketball game that contribute to the outcome, and I believe it would be unjust to any player to single out just one instance in a game, said Luanzon. Naturally, we conclude that his success would have been significant had he been so. It would have, in my opinion, reduced the deficit to seven, giving us gradually more momentum.”
According to Luanzon, the Blue Eagles’ second straight championship celebration was ruined by their slow start in the first half and terrible shooting (21-of-66 from the field).
Naturally, we played on the other end in Game 1. Ateneo was making up time. Although coaches frequently claim that no one wins in the first half of a game, the first half almost always determines the outcome of the game and how the second half will play out. The series has only been the first half thus far. This is crucial for both sides, he said.
Galinato, who played 10 minutes and recorded two points and three rebounds, was displeased as he left the Big Dome.
Galinato missed a clear-cut dunk opportunity when he was discovered open beneath, which would have cut the margin to seven points. The pivotal missed shot appeared to have stopped UP’s momentum because they were able to score just one point the rest of the way, giving Ateneo the victory and allowing them to continue.
Galinato’s miss wasn’t the reason for the Blue Eagles’ 65 to 55 loss, according to UP assistant coach Christian Luanzon.
“I don’t believe that. Even if it had occurred on the final shot, you know, there are so many factors that contribute to the outcome of a basketball game that I believe it would be unfair to single out any one player, said Luanzon. “It goes without saying that if he had succeeded, it would have been significant. It would have, in my opinion, reduced the deficit to seven and started to shift the momentum in our favor.
The Blue Eagles spoiled their second consecutive title party, according to Luanzon, and one of the main reasons was their sluggish first-half performance. They also shot poorly, making only 21 of 66 shots overall.
Naturally, we played on the other end in Game 1. In the midst of Ateneo’s catch-up. The first half always has a significant impact on the game’s outcome and how the second half will play out, despite what coaches like to claim about how no one wins in the first half. The series has only been the first half thus far. This is crucial for both sides, he said.
Galinato left the Big Dome feeling dissatisfied after contributing two points and three rebounds in 10 minutes of action.