Alcoseba says players became too complacent after 2-0 lead

Painful as it may be, Southwestern University (SWU) head coach and Provincial Board member, Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba believes that his defeated Cobras needed to learn from their monumental collapse in this season’s Cesafi championship series.

The ousted champions continue to pick up the pieces in the wake of their stunning meltdown, which saw them lose a 0-2 series lead before finally crumbling in the deciding Game Five, 62-64, to the inspired University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers Thursday night at the Cebu Coliseum.

“It’s a lesson that we have to learn,” Alcoseba said. “The players became complacent starting in Game Three and that gave UV the confidence they needed to overcome us.”

For a while, it seemed as if the Cobras would just steamroll their way to the title after winning 14 straight games, including the first two games of the best-of-five series. However, the tides started shifting in Game Three when the Lancers overcame a 10-point deficit late in the fourth period before eventually prevailing in double overtime, 89-82.

According to Alcoseba, that thrilling win for UV became the turning point of their war of attrition against the Lancers. “After that win, you can really see it in the eyes of the UV players. They became more confident. In Game Five, they clearly were the hungrier team. UV really deserved the championship this season,” said Alcoseba.

None possessed more desire and will than UV stalwarts John Abad and Wowie Escosio with the former pumping in 18 points, most of which came in a third period surge that put the Lancers in front by as many as 11, 49-38.

Escosio, the oft-maligned power forward who won the league’s Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player trophies last year, also gained vindication as he scored the Lancers’ last 11 points to finish with 16, including the game-winning putback with 0.7 seconds left in the game.

PBA great Jojo Lastimosa, who helped in training the Cobras in this finals series, believes that this loss will ultimately help them if they so choose to do something about it.

“I believe the new guys will have to learn how to fail first before they can win. It would be too easy for them to win right away without having to experience the pain when you lose. This will only make them better if they decide to do something about it,” Lastimosa said in a text message to SWU assistant coach Rocky Alcoseba.

UV head coach Felix Belano, meanwhile, said the title win was “one of the best victories of my career.” “The gameplan was to really limit SWU’s guards especially (Monbert) Arong and (Mark Jayven) Tallo and I’m thankful to my players that they were able to execute that,” Belano added.