JALEN Green has made the 2019 Chooks-to-Go NBTC League National Finals his personal showcase.
That was until FilAm Sports USA met San Beda in the Fantastic Four on Thursday.
"Sabi namin sa mga bata, pag naka-dunk yan pare, mabubuhay lahat ang crowd. So sabi namin, pilitin niyo na hindi maka-dunk," shared Red Cubs coach Manu Inigo. "Stay in front of him, yung talagang hindi siya makakabuwelo ng talon."
San Beda made the Fil-Am's life miserable and didn't give an inch to their fancied foes, limiting Green to just one dunk.
And the one hounding him all-game long? Little-known forward Tony Ynot.
The 18-year-old followed Inigo's instructions to a tee, giving the top-ranked high school player in the United States a tough time whenever he's defending him.
"Sabi lang ni coach, defense lang. Ibigay mo ang best mo," the 5-foot-11 forward said as the Red Cubs scored the 98-91 victory.
It was a sensational performance for Ynot, who got the job done on both ends of the floor with his 16 points, four rebounds, and two blocks, none bigger than his rejection of Green's drive with 10 seconds left in the game.
But rather than take pride with his own performance, what meant more for Ynot was San Beda progressing to the semifinals in his first run with the team.
"Ginawa ko lang yung best ko para sa team kasi first time ko din sa NBTC eh. Ginawa ko ang lahat para makarating kami sa Final Four," said the Misamis Occidental native who also played for the University of Southern Philippines.
"Ang sarap ng feeling. Ang importante naman sa akin, work hard lang talaga para umangat sa Finals."
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