The Perpetual ALTAs needed to absorb two heartbreaking losses but finally got their act together as they barged into the win column of the NCAA Season 99 on Tuesday.
The Las Piñas crew opened its campaign with a 75-67 defeat at the hands of Emilio Aguinaldo College before running out of steam against the unblemished Lyceum of the Philippines University last Saturday, 76-73, to go 0-2.
Over the past two days, though, the ALTAs regrouped and worked on their game ahead of their clash against Arellano University.
And head coach Myk Saguiguit was glad to see his players respond to his call.
"Buhay pala kami kasi observing the two straight losses, medyo masakit eh (It seems like we're alive. Observing the two straight losses, it really hurt)," Saguiguit said.
"I told them before going into this game, we need to break the ice so we can get back on track in the NCAA. And they responded," the coach added in a mix of English and Filipino.
Against the Generals, Perpetual shot just 24-of-83 from the field for 28.9-percent with Carlo Ferreras and Cyrus Nitura the only players to reaching double-digit scoring. That number further decreased against the Pirates as Perpetual managed to go just 21-of-83 from the field en route to another loss.
But the ALTAs finally woke up against the struggling Chiefs, particularly their outside shooting.
They knocked down 10 triples against Arellano, compared to none against EAC and just four against Lyceum, on the way to a statement 85-66 breakthrough victory.
Nitura knocked down three three-pointers while Christian Pagaran, Jun Roque, and even big man Mark Omega all made two apiece from beyond the arc en route to the win.
"In this game, I saw that maybe we actually do know how to play basketball because in our first two games, we couldn't make even our layups," Saguiguit added.
"So I said, let’s play harder."
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
