MANILA, Philippines – Following their first loss of UAAP Season 86 at the hands of the defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles, the UP Fighting Maroons are charging it to experience.
Team captain CJ Cansino said that the team "waited for other teams to punch first" before punching back.
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And it is a lesson they learned the hard way.
"For me, that is what we have been lacking the past few games. We are waiting for the punch before punching back. We did not get the win now [as a result]," Cansino told reporters in Filipino after their 99-89 loss against the Blue Eagles Sunday.
"Hopefully, we learn from this."
Cansino led UP with 22 points.
He scored key baskets to help the Fighting Maroons bring the game to overtime.
"I am sad, because we did not get the win. We did not learn from our past games because we were winning," he said.
"Hopefully, this loss, we will learn from this so we can be better for the second round."
UP will go into the second round of the UAAP Season 86 on top of the competition with a 6-1 record.
Last season's runners-up are tied with NU.