La Salle’s Jeron Teng watches on the bench during the Green Archers’ rout of the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 79 men’s basketball tournament Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016, at Mall of Asia Arena. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
INJURED La Salle star Jeron Teng can’t wait to get back on the floor after missing his first ever collegiate game in five years.
Although his status remains “day-to-day,” Teng thinks he’ll be ready when the Green Archers try to stretch their perfect run in the second round of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
“I just want to be 100 percent when the crucial games in the second round come,” said Teng, who was sidelined due to bone spurs.
That Teng had been playing through pain made his numbers even more impressive as the former Finals MVP averaged 16.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in his first six games.
“He’ll be gone for a week,” said La Salle assistant coach Louie Gonzales. “We hope he gets well soon. But Jeron is a strong guy, so even if he had an operation, he’ll be back soon.”
Teng, who came in crutches last Sunday, liked how his teammates stepped up despite his and coach Aldin Ayo’s absence as La Salle overwhelmed rival Ateneo, 97-81, to complete a seven-game sweep of the first round
“It was a really good game,” said Teng. “It was really fun watching my teammates have fun inside the court and I just can’t wait to come back.”
Super rookie Ben Mbala, a 6-foot-7 Cameroonian, again dropped huge numbers, as well as showcased several highlight dunks, to finish with 28 points, 13 rebounds and five steals against the Eagles.
As the Archers try to maintain their lofty standing, the Eagles hope to do better in the next round after slipping to fourth with a 4-3 record.
Ateneo mentor Tab Baldwin said the Eagles need to work on their ball handling and rebounding to be more competitive in the coming games.
“Ball retention in the UAAP is extremely important,” said Baldwin. “We have several teams that play all out pressure basketball [and] to be able to punish teams that run that system is extremely important. We are a long way off to be able to do that.”
“[Our rebounding] is nowhere near where we want it to be.”