NCAA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Rhenz Abando’s departure left Letran searching for a new primary scoring option.
It took just a game for the Knights to find one in Kurt Reyson, who answered the call with a blistering 31-point performance in a 101-97 overtime win over Jose Rizal University in the NCAA Season 98 men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday.
“For me, it’s time for him to step up. Before, he was always overshadowed by veterans, but now he needs to step up,” Letran head coach Bonnie Tan said of his third-year guard from Davao Occidental.
With Letran on the verge of an upset loss, Reyson played hero after getting a key steal and hitting the game-tying triple that forced OT.
The 5-foot-9 Reyson shot 9-of-14 from the field highlighted by 6-of-8 from downtown. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists.
“I have a huge trust in him because It’s his third year. Last year, (Rhenz) Abando was there, someone we can rely on with scoring but now we need someone to step up and it’s good that he (Reyson) showed up big today,” said Letran skipper Fran Yu, who is in his final year.
“He’s aggressive, even in practice. The shots he took earlier, those were the shots he practices,” added Yu, who also played a key role in the victory after collecting 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Reyson hopes to sustain his form when Letran takes on Arellano University on Sunday at the same venue.