Energy bank on ‘next man up’ credo in absence of top scorer Garcia
Willie Wilson. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Willy Wilson admitted that Barako Bull has been sorely missing of RR Garcia.
Averaging 17.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, Garcia absence due to shoulder injury has left a big hole in Barako Bull’s ragtag crew, which has found a way to surprise teams under the guidance of coach Koy Banal.
“RR’s absence is big. He was our leading scorer when he went out,” he said after the Energy’s 108-100 defeat to Alaska on Saturday.
Wilson emerged as the leader of the pack, netting double-doubles this conference with averages of 17.2 points and 11.8 rebounds to keep the Energy afloat.
Though the Energy could use a guy like Garcia especially in the playoffs, Wilson admitted that what makes this crew good is its defiance to wilt under pressure.
“We have a next man up mentality. We just try to control what we can control, and focus on who we have on our team and work with it,” he said.
The defeat may have placed Barako Bull at a disadvantage in the quarterfinals, but Wilson said that the team has the resiliency and capability of fighting back from huge deficits.
“It’s a positive sign knowing that we never give up and no matter how big the other team’s lead is, we keep in playing and keep on fighting,” he said, looking back at how the Energy came back from a 16-point deficit and closed the gap to two before Alaska pulled away late. “That’s the type of team that we are, we play until the final whistle blows. We play every game as hard as we can and play for each other.”
Though facing a arduous road to the next round, Wilson is still optimistic that just like what the team has done conference long, Barako Bull can muster enough strength to upset fancied teams in the playoffs.
“We’re looking forward on who our next opponent is and try to take care of what we have control over,” he said.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
