Lyceum guard Enzo Navarro. NCAA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Despite only scoring a point, Enzo Navarro still impressed Lyceum coach Gilbert Malabanan following the Pirates’ 82-80 win over the Arellano Chiefs on Tuesday.
Navarro remained a key factor for Lyceum even after missing all of his six attempts from the field, tallying a game-high eight assists that went with four rebounds.
“Renzo is my go-to guy. What I mean by go-to is, he doesn’t need to score. Especially if he’s inside the court because he’s my number one veteran in the team and my leader,” said Malabanan.
Malabanan also lauded the graduating guard for giving way to his teammates on the offensive end.
“Whatever he says inside the court, he says like a coach. I can see the game, but he can see things I can’t see and that’s the good thing. I’m very proud of him sacrificing his scoring but look at his assists,” he said.
Navarro is the leading playmaker in the league at the end of the first round, averaging 5.8 assists per game.
John Barba, who dropped 15 points in Tuesday’s game, also commended his team captain.
“His leadership is next level because he disciplines us. He trusts us and I trust him. We have a give-and-take relationship,” Barba said.
The Pirates will head into the second round in second place at 7-2 just half a game behind top seed College of St. Benilde (7-1).