Beyond the stat sheet, Dela Cruz a game-changer for Aces

For a 36-year-old, Tony dela Cruz sure is joining those players who are turning back the clock.

Though his efforts might not have been reflected on the stat sheet of Alaska’s 89-75 conquest against Meralco, his presence has definitely been felt by those who saw him take the court.

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“I thought Tony dominated the game defensively. There were things that we charted and looked at and he just did everything right,” said coach Alex Compton. “They don’t see all those things that Tony did, but he was a huge part of the win. He’s changing the game for us. He’s awesome.”

For dela Cruz, it was more about doing the intangibles and helping his squad get the win.

“Obviously, I wanted to shoot the ball better. But I just want to go to the game and try to get extra possessions and help our team win. I just want to win,” he said.

A part of the crew which had to defend high-scoring import Andre Emmett in the game, dela Cruz admitted the tough task the Aces had to deal with. But true to Alaska’s team concept, they did it with flare.

“Basketball is a team sport. Andre Emmett is a great talent and he’s always going to score. You can’t just have one guy guarding him and you always want someone to help defending him,” he said.

And dela Cruz is already happy with these accomplishments, more for him who is possibly facing the twilight of his career.

“It feels good for this team because Alaska’s culture is to celebrate everybody. We just don’t look at one guy, but we focus on the guys that does things that don’t show in the stat sheet,” said dela Cruz. “It’s exciting and hopefully, we continue to win.” CFC