CJ Isit comes through for Mapua in his return from injury. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Mapua guard CJ Isit returned on Tuesday despite still being bothered by a right elbow injury that sidelined him for four games.
And his return couldn’t have come at a better time with Isit making a difference for the Cardinals in a thrilling 68-67 win over the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers.
READ: Mapua gets back at JRU, foils Teodoro’s heroics
“It feels great to be back on the court. I couldn’t have missed it any more than I have the past month,” Isit said.
“It’s not exactly 100 percent but I felt that I could contribute more than do damage today so I decided to play.”
Isit only scored six points in 17 minutes off the bench but his presence was felt on the other end of the floor where he took on the challenge of stopping JRU’s main gunner Tey Teodoro down the stretch.
Teodoro had led JRU to a stunning comeback win over Mapua when the two teams met for the first time in the opening round last month where he scored 18 of his career-high 32 points in the fourth quarter.
And Teodoro was at it again — obliterating the Cardinals with 16 points in the first six minutes and 22 seconds of the final frame.
He made three triples during that span with his third 3-pointer putting JRU ahead, 62-57, with 3:38 remaining.
It was an encore of sorts but only this time, Mapua found an answer in Isit, who hounded Teodoro and kept him from receiving the ball at the most crucial times.
“That’s one of the reasons why I opted to play because I feel that could contribute defensively just put in the effort and I’m thankful that I got the chance,” said Isit, who said that the adrenaline kept him going as he felt some stiffness on his elbow.
“I mean, it’s a pretty big challenge because he can make shots. He’s proven that time and time again so I just did my best to deny him the ball and I think I did a pretty good job.”
The win put Mapua in solo fifth place with a 7-5 record.
“It’s definitely big for us. It’s a must-win for us and it puts us one step closer to making the Final Four.”