University of Santo Tomas star Nic Cabañero in UAAP Season 88. Photo from UAAP Media.MANILA — University of Santo Tomas is riding a four-game skid in UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball after a hot 5-1 start, and among the biggest factors in this are their free throw woes.
So far, the Growling Tigers have only made 58.6% — the worst among all teams — of their shots from the foul line (170-290 FTs), and this includes their 28-of-52 outing in their 88-89 loss to University of the Philippines on Wednesday.
READ: Alarcon takes over as UP outlasts UST for solo second
Nic Cabañero acknowledged how this has been detrimental as their woes keep on piling up, and the UST senior offered no excuses.
”We should do better than that,” said Cabañero, who had 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, and 3-of-6 from the 15-foot stripe.
From sitting in second spot at the end of Round 1, the Tigers are now in fifth place in the team standings. They share the Nos. 4-6 spots with Ateneo de Manila University (4th) and Adamson University (6th) as each school holds a 5-5 record.
But while Pido Jarencio’s wards is in hot water right now, Cabañero emphasized that they need to keep their heads up as the team’s character is tested.
“Kailangan pa namin tibayan yung loob namin, walang pressure dapat,” insisted Cabañero. “Dito mas makikita kung buo pa rin kami, kaya kahit anong mangyari, dapat walang iwanan.”
Still up for UST are bouts against Far Eastern University, University of the East, Ateneo de Manila University, and National University.
And for Cabañero, there is no other way for the España-based cagers to bounce back but to ace their last four assignments.
“All of us have struggles and failures, but it doesn't stop us,” he emphasized. “We should keep moving forward, we should never give up kahit anong mangyari.”
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