'It was a hard decision', said Tanquingcen after benching Caguioa

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel pulled off another trademark come-from-behind win over Rain or Shine Sunday night, but this time, Mark Caguioa watched his team do it from the bench.

After the game, coach Siot Tanquingcen explained his decision to take out the reigning Most Valuable Player in the crucial stretches of the fourth quarter, when the Gin Kings completed its comeback from a 17-point deficit.



“He was really not his usual self tonight,” said Tanquingcen. “Even yung mga free throws niya, nag-struggle siya. He’s a good free throw shooter, pero tonight, sumablay siya ng dalawang sunod.”

Tanquingcen added that it wasn’t an easy choice, especially with how Caguioa has carried the team over the past few games.




“It was a hard decision. In fact, we were debating on it with the coaching staff,” said Tanquingcen.

“Mahirap dahil siya yung tipo ng tao na gusto mong kasama mo sa giyera. But he was struggling. Yung ibang tira niya was even short and he was not in his usual element.”

Caguioa shots just 6-of-22 from the field and 4-of-9 from the foul line. Despite struggling with his touch, Caguioa still managed to score 18 points, the second-most for the team.
-Rey Joble, InterAKTV