WHEN Allen Liwag went down, Benilde team captain Justine Sanchez knew there was no time to dilly-dally.
With the Blazers’ reigning back-to-back MVP sidelined by an Achilles injury, Sanchez knew full well he had to shoulder more responsibilities for first-year coach Paolo Layug.
READ: Two-time NCAA MVP Allen Liwag out for Season 102: Sources
And against, Jose Rizal University last Tuesday, he did just that.
The 6-foot-5 forward turned in his best game of the young tournament, trying to keep CSB afloat even as they eventually fell short for their first loss in NCAA Season 102.
As injuries continue to be a problem in Taft Ave., the bigger picture remains clear: it's high time for those next in line to step up.
“As of now, noong na-out si Allen, biglang sabi ni coach Charles ako mag-captain ball,” he shared with SPIN.ph, referring to active consultant Charles Tiu.
“Sa totoo lang, ayaw ko talaga munang paisipin si Allen dito sa team kasi kung mas gusto ko na healthy siya na babalik, mas may peace of mind siya.”
As the two graduating seniors talked about the situation, Sanchez made one thing clear to injured Liwag: the former would take care of the Blazers while the latter focuses on getting healthy.
As he put it, “Sabi ko sa kanya na huwag niya muna kaming isipin, ako na munang bahala sa team.”
That responsibility was very much evident against the Heavy Bombers where he flirted with double-double of 20 points and nine rebounds on top of one assist.
Benilde found itself trailing by as many as 16 points before mounting a fightback, only to run out of steam in the final stretch.
Lessons from losses
Still, the 25-year old Tarlac native saw plenty to build on despite the defeat.
“Yun naman, we fought back naman eh. Yun naman talaga yung characteristic ng team namin,” he said.
“For me, ok na yun. Blessing yun, blessing yung loss namin ngayon. Siyempre, ayaw namin mag-relax. Ayaw namin na mag-stop kami.”
The Blazers have already been forced to navigate a growing injury list, but the skipper remains convinced they have enough pieces to weather the storm.
“Alam ko, malalim kami despite na alam mo yun, dami namin injuries, dami out sa amin,” he said. “Naniniwala ako kaya namin i-survive 'tong season na 'to.”
The loss may have stopped CSB's unbeaten start, but for Sanchez, it also served as reminder of what this season demands from him.
With Liwag still on the sidelines, this captain knows he has to keep answering the call.
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