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G-I coach thrilled with 2006 result
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Posted on Apr 25 2006
It didn’t take long after the Garapan Rollers I won their second title in three years for coach Jose Tumaquip to explain his positive feelings.
Tumaquip, who with G-Rollers founder Joe Diaz shaped the team and guided the players to another impressive season, said the coaching staff had confidence on the team from the start of the season and were looking forward to another appearance in the championship game, which was held on last Friday and concluded on Saturday.
Facing pennant champion San Antonio Sixers I, which defeated G-I in the regular season, the Garapan-based squad kicked their play to another level and escaped with a 42-40 victory for the crown.
“In the regular season [against Sixers I], I didn’t start my starting five because I was teaching them a lesson,” Tumaquip said. “I wanted them to understand the importance of coming to practice and working hard…you cannot just come to the game without practice. It’s not fair and so I benched them.”
Despite the regular season loss—the team’s only one of the season—Tumaquip said he had a strong feeling the team would go all the way.
“Of course I was confident they can do this,” he said.
Even when struggling at the start of the first quarter of the title game, Tumaquip said he didn’t feel too worried.
“We always start slow, but as the game goes along, we always pick it up and pick up the tempo in the second and third quarters,” he said.
The G-Rollers built a comfortable lead heading into the second half, only to see the Sixers fight back and tie the game at 40-40 with time running down in the fourth quarter.
“I told the guys ‘relax, you guys have been practicing hard so there’s no way you’re going to lose the game.’”
With all the intense training, Tumaquip said he was confident his players were conditioned enough to play pressure defense in the final minutes.
“I knew they were capable to doing it, so we went on full-court press and forced two turnovers,” he said. “We pulled together and…I’m just so proud of these guys. They are physically fit to play, and I was just confident for them to pull off the pressure defense that late in the game.”
