BY JOHN MILES ARCENAL
AFTER suffering back-to-back losses, senior forward Wilmar Oftana came into the game determined to help Emilio Aguinaldo College finally get back on track.
But beyond ending their skid, there was a deeper reason pushing him this day - his family.
For the first time, Oftana’s partner, Crisdale Jane, and one-year-old son, David Isaac, traveled all the way from Sarangani Province to watch him play live for the first time, coinciding perfectly with his son’s first birthday.
READ: Emilio Aguinaldo gets back on track with blowout of Arellano
“Inisip lang namin na kailangan talaga naming manalo ngayon lalo na nasa dulo kami ng bracket namin. Kailangan naming dagdagan’yung panalo namin,” Oftana said.
“Sobrang laking dagdag confidence din ‘yung pagpunta ng pamilya ko rito na galing pang probinsya. Kaya gusto ko talagang manalo ngayon."
With them in the stands, the 24-year-old made sure to deliver a performance worth remembering, erupting for 19 points, on 5-of-6 shooting, to go along three assists, and three steals.
Through his breakout game, the Generals notched their second win of the season, improving to 2-3 in the NCAA Season 101.
Having endured consecutive defeats, Oftana admitted the frustration had been building.
But with his family in attendance, it gave him a different kind of motivation, one that went beyond competition.
“Binuhos ko lang talaga lahat ng kumpiyansa ko, bigay kung bigay. Basta kapag nasa loob ako wala akong pinagsisihan, buo loob ko,” told the SPIN.ph.
With the Generals finally got back in the win column, for Oftana, it couldn’t have been a more perfect birthday gift for his son.
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