Not even flu-like symptoms could stop Kevin Ferrer in unleashing a career game. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
No one could stop Kevin Ferrer on Saturday. Not one from Ateneo. Not even himself.
The University of Santo Tomas forward played with flu-like symptoms and if it wasn’t for his head coach Bong dela Cruz, who revealed that his sickness, nobody would know.
Ferrer set a career-high with 27 points that went with nine rebounds in close to 36 minutes of play to carry the Growling Tigers from 16 points down to beat the Blue Eagles, 68-58.
READ: UAAP: Tigers claw back from 16 down, snap Blue Eagles streak
“This is Kevin Ferrer and you cannot question Kevin Ferrer’s heart,” dela Cruz told reporters.
Ferrer said that coming into game day, he was already feeling under the weather.
“I couldn’t sleep last night and when I woke up I wasn’t feeling well so I told coach to just put me in the second group,” Ferrer said. “But coach said to just fight it off so I did.”
Ferrer shot the lights out against the Blue Eagles, making six out of his 10 3-pointers.
But it was his late game performance that mattered most for the Tigers, a situation where Ateneo’s Kiefer Ravena is usually at his best.
But not tonight as Ravena went just 4-of-18 from the field against one of the best defenses this season.
UST is determined to bounce back from a painful defeat to National University last week and it started with Ferrer’s leadership.
“We started 3-0 then we lost to NU. So what I did was I spoke to each and every player and asked them what went wrong,” Ferrer said.
Dela Cruz said Ferrer also huddled the team before the fourth quarter started where the Tigers were down 10 and the players answered the call.
“He led his team and the players responded.”