For Gavina, previous losses boosted Mahindra's character leading to first win

By Ivan Saldajeno

BOCAUE--When Blackwater opened a 15-point lead against Mahindra with less than eight minutes left in regulation of their Christmas clash at the Philippine Arena, some Mahindra fans may have already conceded.

But for Interim Coach Chris Gavina, he saw it as yet another test of character for his Floodbusters.

And his players proved they have already their lesson from their previous defeats by completing a comeback and holding off the Elite in overtime.


"Our previous struggles solidified our character. Before, we would just fold. Being down 15 in previous game, our heads would go down," he said during the post-game press conference.

All it took was what he told his players during a timeout.

"I just told them, 'Keep believing.' They just kept believing, and we were able to get that right combination," Gavina bared.

One thing he lauded, although it was not that obvious stats-wise, was Mahindra's cohesion.

"Today, there's a lot of 'we-ball'. We were able to make those plays to get back in the game," Gavina continued.

Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno