UAAP: FEU’s change in mindset led to first win, says Denok Miranda

MANILA, Philippines — Far Eastern University coach Denok Miranda was relieved to see the Tamaraws learn from their heartbreaking losses as they finally entered the win column at the expense of defending champion Ateneo in the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament. Miranda earned his first UAAP win as a head coach after the Tamaraws staved off the Blue Eagles in overtime, 66-61, to end a four-game skid on Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena. “As an FEU alumnus, I don’t want us to lose just like that. The winning attitude of our team was lacking. I woke them up and told them that our mindset should be play to win,” said Miranda in Filipino. “In the past games, we had a hard time getting over the hump in a couple of possessions. I scolded them after the loss. Good thing, they responded.” After improving to 1-4, Miranda hopes his team also learned from their first win, where they squandered a 15-point lead in the fourth and needed L-Jay Gonzales’ late heroics to beat the Blue Eagles. “Hopefully, they are now awake for our succeeding games. I know that they can do it but we need to have the killer instinct in the endgame,” said Miranda. The former FEU star, who won three championships with the school as a player, reminded Gonzales and Royce Alforque that they play vital roles as point guards. “They are my extension inside the court. As I experienced before, coach Koy [Banal] allowed me to orchestrate the plays and make decisions. I always talk to L-Jay and we’re taking the process day by day for him to become a point guard like what I did before,” he said.