University of Santo Tomas swingman Amiel Acido felt the Growling Tigers lacked composure and patience in their UAAP Season 89 opening loss to University of the Philippines on Sunday.
UST was in the thick of things and even led by nine in the third quarter before UP buckled down and pulled away in the final frame.
‘We had a lot of rushed plays and forced shots,’ Acido told the Inquirer in Filipino after the 92-85 setback.
‘They expected us to commit those and I guess we got frustrated. Of course, it was our first game, we all had high adrenaline. We should learn to control that. We have to be more composed and patient in the next games.’
The Tigers held a nine-point lead after a basket by Collins Akowe at the 6:42 mark of the third quarter, but they couldn’t maintain it after a string of possessions that either ended with a bad shot or a turnover.
Acido scored 18 points but shot just 4-of-12 from the field. Mark Llemit scored a game-high 19 points, while Collins Akowe posted 13 points and 18 rebounds for UST.
Acido is confident UST will only get better as the season progresses.
‘The important thing for us is to stick together in wins and losses,’ he said.
‘We have a strong bond here now, we lift each other up and help each other off the court. That is huge for us. Hopefully, we fix our mistakes in the next games and be more aggressive.’
After playing last year’s runner-up, UST takes on defending champion La Salle next on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena. The Green Archers opened their title defense with an 89-87 squeaker over the National University Bulldogs earlier.