JOSE Rizal University head coach Nani Epondulan described their match against Lyceum as a 'test of character' for his boys and how they'll respond especially as they were coming off a crushing loss to San Beda.
And he found the player with one of the biggest characters in the team in the form of rookie big man Jahmir Eligado.
Facing an upset-conscious Lyceum side, Eligado delivered his best performance yet, dropping a double-double of 22 points, 16 rebounds, and an impressive 10-for-10 from the field, second only to Mangubat who had 23.
But as exceptional as the statline sounded, Eligado, ever the humble stalwart, chalked it up to repaying the trust given by Epondulan and his deputies.
“Kasi tinatrabaho ko yung rebounds ko, nakapokus lang talaga ako sa rebounds ko,” he told SPIN.ph.
“Parang, inumpisahan ko siya dun sa rebounds, tapos, yun, yung mga tira ko, ano naman, sumasabay naman dun sa rhythm nang ginagawa ko," he continued.
“Syempre, thankful ako na binibigyan ako ng minuto ni Coach Nani, and pati yung tiwala din ng teammates ko, kasi tinatrabaho namin yung role namin, and ginagawa namin yung role namin,” he added.
Deepening the JRU frontline
While already a regular starter this NCAA Season 102 so far, the Tarlac native hasn’t chipped in that high of a scoring input in their previous games, especially since he shares the floor with the likes of Mangubat, Hubilla, and even Sean Salvador off the bench.
But when the shots were falling and opportunities kept presenting themselves, Eligado didn’t think twice about punishing LPU, especially since they have a sour loss to shake off.
“Expected naman kasi ready lang naman kasi ako every game, tapos, tinatrabaho ko lang, and hindi ko na iniisip yung mga, kung paano ako i-score, and magpagpadamihan ng score sa mga kasama ko, kasi, Lawrence tsaka Chris, alas scoring machine lahat yan eh," he said.
With Eligado emerging as a solid and steady presence in the paint that could reward the Bombers with points if needed, Epondulan has another ace up his sleeve that could pay dividends as the season heats up.
JRU may run through Mangubat and Hubilla, but stopping just the duo won’t mean stopping the Heavy Bombers.
“Ginagawa ko lang yung matutulong talaga. And tatandaan ko lang yung lagi sinasabi nila sa amin na bawal maging complacent sa team na to, bawal maging relaxed.”
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