National University veteran Paul Francisco was quick to point out the Bulldogs’ biggest flaw in their loss to Ateneo in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament.
Following NU’s 87-76 loss to the Blue Eagles, Francisco admitted that the Bulldogs became complacent after their red-hot start.
‘We never underestimate our opponents. What killed us was us being too relaxed with our first quarter lead,’ Francisco told the Inquirer at Philsports Arena on Saturday.
‘We became too relaxed and complacent with how we started. We have to finish the job better.’
NU began the game with a 9-0 run that eventually translated to a 24-15 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The Bulldogs then led by as much as 17 points, 36-19, before Ateneo’s second-half comeback.
Francisco, who finished with 14 points, three rebounds and two steals, said the Bulldogs will put a premium on fixing the problem.
‘One of our assistant coaches said we can’t get too high or too low. We were pretty high up after the UP win but this loss for us is like bringing us back down to earth,’ said the two-way guard. ‘We have to learn from this loss.’
Francisco and the Bulldogs hope to show their improvements on Wednesday when they take on Adamson at Mall of Asia Arena.