Three games into the season, James Kwekuteye has already installed himself at the top of the pecking order in San Beda’s increasingly talented lineup.
The Filipino-Canadian was a complicated puzzle to solve for Emilio Aguinaldo College on Thursday night, leading the streaking Red Lions to another runaway win, a 89-72 dumping of the Generals in the NCAA Season 95 men’s basketball tournament.
Playing in an adverse atmosphere at EAC Gym in Manila, Kwekuteye simply shot the lights out with his timely sniping right in the first half, finishing with 21 points as the Lions roared to a 3-0 start.
Kwekuteye, a 6-foot sophomore shooting guard, punctuated his scintillating performance with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the second period.
From that point on, and with the Lions way ahead, 45-29, the latter half was reduced to a showcase of San Beda’s firepower and the opportunity for coach Boyet Fernandez to shuffle his men and explore more combinations.
“I always give my best out there on the floor. We were able to start strong and kept it going until the end,” said Kwekuteye, who now averages almost 15 points in three games.
The Generals, who got the contributions they wanted from marksman Marwin Taywan and pivotman John Paul Maguliano, couldn’t get help elsewhere and absorbed a second defeat in three outings.
“I want to give everybody a chance to play for them to gain confidence,” Fernandez said. “They will need that confidence during crucial games.”
Guard Evan Nelle added 15 points and six assists for the Red Lions.