NCAA: Shorthanded Arellano gets timely boost from backup Travis Mantua

Arellano guard Travis Mantua. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Arellano got a much-needed boost from Travis Mantua, who stepped up anew in the absence of starting point guard Darrell Menina on Sunday.

With Menina sidelined with a back injury, Mantua gave his team a big lift in a 62-52 win over Jose Rizal University.

“He’s really well-intentioned. He’s always early in practice, he listens to what I tell him. I also know his fundamentals and I know I can let him go on the court. It’s just a matter of timing,” said Arellano coach Cholo Martin, whose squad also continued to miss the services of Cade Flores.

Menina’s absence has left a hole in Arellano’s offense—something which Mantua has been able to fill after a couple of games.

Mantua finished with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists against the Heavy Bombers after putting up 15 points in a loss to San Beda on Friday.

The former Far Eastern University player also drew praise from teammate Axel Doromal.

“Even before the season started, I can already see him being someone we can use. In the first round he had limited minutes but we trust him and he can bring a lot for our team,” Doromal said after scoring a game-high 17 points.

“I’m just happy because coach gave me the green light to play my game. I had to help Axel because he takes most of the load in scoring so I had to contribute just a bit,” said Mantua.