AFTER going through a season-ending injury due to a torn ACL, Emilio Aguinaldo College’s Hamadou Laminou made a triumphant return to the NCAA Season 94 for the Generals.
They might have dropped the game to the Lyceum Pirates, 106-97, but Laminou’s return to form after a scary injury is a small victory for the Generals in itself.
Laminou finished with 34 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks – leading the Generals’ third quarter outburst where they trimmed the 31-point lead of the Pirates to three points entering the fourth period.
“Sadly we lost again to Lyceum. We had a chance to beat them. But what I’m going to do right now is to not think of my injury anymore,” said Laminou.
“We just want to win. I don’t care what’s the score or what we’re doing, I just only care for our team so I’ll do my best for us to win. We focus on our next game against Arellano right now,” he added.
Laminou knew that he’ll be playing a huge role for the Generals this season, being one of the few remaining veterans left for coach Ariel Sison.
That’s why he took rehabilitation seriously, and only came back to practice three weeks prior to the season to ensure that he’ll be healthy this time out.
"I am just trying to focus, we don’t have much veterans [in the team] so after my ACL injury I was readying myself to get back and get better than before," he said.
What’s more impressive is that Laminou never went through any tune-up games or preseason games.
For Sison, his faith in Laminou never wavered.
"Yesterday he talked to me, he said 'Coach, please ask my teammates to pray for me, this is my greatest comeback. I was off for a year and I want to comeback strong,'" Sison said.
“For me, he’s still our main man,” he added.
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