NU Bulldogs coach Jeff Napa during the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball game at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. –UAAP Photo
MANILA, Philippines — The National University Bulldogs didn’t care how bad their season was and chose to focus on finishing the remaining games of the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Tournament on a high note.
The mindset instilled by coach Jeff Napa worked wonders for the Bulldogs, who shocked the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons 67-47 on Sunday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
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“We’re in this situation and there’s nothing we can do. We’re undermanned, but we’re still competing. I told them, ‘Let’s finish this season strong. That’s the way it is for now. That’s our philosophy: If you do it right, the results will follow.” I’m not focused on getting to the Final Four. I just want them to finish the season on a good note,” Napa said.
Schedule: UAAP Season 87 Basketball
“I don’t want to put any more pressure on us to get to the Final Four. At least our shooters finally connected and executed our defensive game plan correctly.”
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Napa gave all of the credit for the win to the Bulldogs, but Pat Yu, who scored 12 of his game-high 17 points in the second half, deflected the credit to his coach.
Patrick Yu of the NU Bulldogs during the UAAP Seasonsn 87 men’s basketball game at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. –UAAP Photo
“Coaches said the players are the stars, and it’s really all down to the coaches. They worked hard and stayed up late to prepare us and boost morale to win.” said Yu, who made 5 of 7 from the 3-point line.
“Coach Jeff told us to just have fun and not worry about the pressure of making it to the Final Four. Even though I’ve been struggling all season, he still believed in me. I’m very grateful to him for that.”
Read: UAAP: NU halts slide, compounding Ateneo’s woes
Jake Figueroa, who had 11 points, six rebounds and four assists, said the week-long Halloween break helped the team rebuild and rediscover its path to winning, moving it to seventh place with three wins and eight losses. I believe. Final Four.
“We had a very tough week of preparation with the coach. Luckily we won, but even during practice we would get scolded by the coach if we made a small mistake.As veterans, our mindset is to approach the rookies well. , they responded to our requests,” Figueroa said.
With the possibility of a Final Four dwindling, Napa is urging Ward to stick to the same mindset of playing without pressure and finishing strong.
“Whatever the Lord has given us, we are already blessed. I will not use the loss of imports as an excuse. I have never used it as an excuse. That’s why , I’m still pushing them hard because I know what they’re capable of. We’ll keep fighting until this season is over,” the NU coach said.
NU will look to capitalize on a big win when they take on UST at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday.
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“UST is a very dangerous team. They are at the top. For us, we want to show people that despite what happened, we are still here and ready to fight. “I want to finish this season on a strong note,” he said.
