Urged to shoot more, Manuel drops career-high to lead Alaska

FILE – Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Alaska coach Alex Compton has been urging Vic Manuel to shoot the ball more, telling him that he isn’t aggressive enough on the offensive end

“He’s telling me that I’m gun-shy and he’s always on my ears. Of course, I want to show him that more than my defense, I could also score,” said the hardworking forward in Filipino.

But on Sunday, Manuel gave what Compton wanted from him and showed his offensive capabilities en route to a career-high 27 points in the Aces’ 93-74 victory over Blackwater.

The Nueva Ecija native powered his way in the fourth quarter, unloading 15 of his points to quash the Elite’s second half fightback.

That performance could be regarded as surprising, given that Manuel’s numbers are expected to dip as well as his minutes in the import-laden conferences. But for Manuel, he attributed the stellar night to his ever-ready attitude.

“Every game, I’m prepared whenever coach calls my number. I know that my playing time is limited because of our import, so I try to contribute as much as I could whenever I’m on the floor,” he said.

Manuel, however, doesn’t expect Compton to stop with his ribbing even after this career night.

“He won’t stop,” he said with a smile. “But I’ll still shoot no matter what he says.”