But the scene inside the UST locker room after that shock 72-73 loss to the Ateneo Eagles in the opener of the best-of-three playoff for this year’s UAAP crown last Sunday was the complete opposite of what most, if not all people, would expect.
"I was expecting a gloomy locker room, instead I saw smiles on their faces, they’re still in high spirits," said UST team manager Clarence Aytona. " I was really surprised with the players’ attitude."
But whether that positive outlook in the face of a crushing defeat could be translated into a victory will be known tomorrow when the Tigers try to foil the Eagles’ sweep bid and send the series into a winner-take-all affair.
The gritty UST quintet is no stranger to facing a twice-to-beat opponent.
"We’ve been in this kind of situation before, we know we’re capable of defying odds," said UST coach Pido Jarencio, who has made a contender out of a team that didn’t do well the past seasons.
Not once did the Tigers survive a test of character.
From occupying the cellar after a woeful 2-5 (win-loss) start, the Tigers clawed their way back by winning four of their last five elimination round games to clinch their first Final Four berth since 2002, including an 88-80 overtime victory over the Eagles.
The Tigers then trampled the UE Warriors in the semis, winning twice to earn the right to face the fancied Eagles for the coveted crown in the collegiate league.
And the Tigers almost snatched Game One of the title series if not for their last-second defensive lapse that enabled the Eagles to steal the match through that classic Macky Escalona-Doug Kramer combination for the buzzer-beating, game clincher.
"We had our chance to win that game but things like that happen, I know because I experienced them when I was a player," said Jarencio, a former pro and a Tiger.