JRU head coach Louie Gonzales. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Jose Rizal University used its tough loss to defending champion Letran as extra motivation to notch its first win in the NCAA Season 98 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday.
After blowing a golden opportunity to take down the Knights in overtime, the Heavy Bombers this time, barged into the win column with a statement performance against Emilio Aguinaldo College, 97-74.
“What fueled us to finish strong was our last game. During our last game, we did our best already but we fell short. For us to make a statement that we really belong to this league, we have to play our very best,” said JRU head coach Louie Gonzales.
JRU, which improved to 1-2, never trailed and led by as many as 27 points.
Agen Miranda powered the Bombers with 20 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. William Sy also recorded 20 points build on five triples.
“We learned from our mistakes. The win was already ours and we let it go. We practiced and we did what we did last game but better. We were very eager to win today,” Miranda said.
“We fought, nobody thought we would reach overtime with them, but we did. It was because of our efforts and we almost won as well,” said JL Delos Santos, who contributed 17 points.
The Heavy Bombers forced the Generals to commit 26 turnovers and shared the ball effectively with 20 assists.
“Our stats show a lot on how we build this team. It’s all about trust and effort. We don’t leave stones unturned on offense and defense because we are not a big team.”