College of St. Benilde guard Migs Oczon during a game against Emilio Aguinaldo College in the NCAA Season 98 men’s basketball tournament. NCAA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—College of St. Benilde welcomed back one of its key cogs in Migs Oczon on Saturday against Emilio Aguinaldo College.
Blazers head coach Charles Tiu was pleased to have Oczon back in tow but he was far from satisfied with his guard’s performance.
“He couldn’t shoot. I’m not happy with the way he played. He had so many open looks which I know he can make. He just needs to make shots,” Tiu said of Oczon, who missed CSB’s last two games against Letran and Arellano after feeling “under the weather.”
Oczon scored a team-high 14 points to help St. Benilde trounce EAC, 73-61, but he shot just 30.8 percent from the field, sinking only four of his 13 shots.
Tiu said Oczon was ready to compete in the Blazers’ last game against Arellano but was forced to sit out due to the league’s health and safety protocols.
Despite Oczon’s shooting woes, Tiu will continue to rely on the sharpshooter to deliver the goods for the Blazers, who currently top the standings with a 5-1 record.
“For me, we always trust our players. They can shoot as many times as they want as long as it looks good, we’ll give them that.”
Migs Corteza, who also had a big game for Benilde, lauded Oczon and said they missed his impact on offense.
“I really think Migs is a big help to our team, especially on offense. He’s our main guy when it comes to shooting. Coach Charles believes he can contribute on the defensive side also,” he said after dropping 14 points and five rebounds.
“I feel his defense is overshadowed by his ability to score but Migs Oczon can also defend like a two-way player. He just doesn’t get the credit he deserves every game,” he added.