Coach’s trust proves vital for Pirates

Lyceum coach Topex Robinson is big on trusting his players to make the right play. Jaycee Marcelino showed everyone why.

Marcelino poured 13 of his 24 points in the final frame to lift Lyceum past Emilio Aguinaldo College, 106-97, in the NCAA Season 94 men’s basketball tournament Friday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Marcelino’s scoring burst rescued the Pirates after the Generals pillaged their 31-point lead and trimmed it to just 80-77 heading into the final period.

“It was a big learning for us because we were ahead and yet we played complacently,” Marcelino said in Filipino. “We doubled our effort in the fourth quarter to regain our lead and eventually win the game.”

Robinson said he trusted his players “to do the right thing” when the Generals made multiple runs.

“As a coach, sometimes you just have to bite your lip and trust your players that they will find a way,” Robinson said.

Meanwhile, San Sebastian held off St. Benilde, 85-77, as the Blazers handed limited minutes to key cogs Clement Leutcheu and Yankie Haruna due to disciplinary sanctions.

Blazers head coach TY Tang, however, did not disclose the reason behind the sanction and said that some things were just bigger than winning ball games.

“This is the part wherein we’d rather discipline more than being out there on the court and compete to win,” Tang said.

More than good players, Tang wants his wards to see the bigger picture of things.

“We want them to be winners in life more than winners on the court,” he added.

Lyceum’s victory put to waste Hamadou Laminou’s 34-point, 16-rebound effort for the Generals.

After suffering a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury on his right knee last year, the Cameroonian center is focused in helping the Generals in any way he can.

“I don’t want to think about my injury anymore,” Laminou said. “I want to focus on scoring.”

In the nightcap, new Perpetual Help recruit Edgar Charcos stepped up big to notch his first NCAA victory—a 78-75 thriller against Letran.

Charcos, a transferee from University of the East, delivered 27 points on a nine-of-12 clip from the field. He had 22 in the first half alone.

“Being trusted as the starting guard, I challenged myself to perform well for my new school,” Charcos said in Filipino. —WITH A REPORT FROM IVAN RUIZ L. SUING