LAWRENCE Mangubat was the first to acknowledge his delayed face-off with Titing Manalili, due to Letran's lead guard being sidelined with a sprained knee.
"Sayang nga eh. Maraming nakaabang sa amin, lalo na sa Cebu," said the Jose Rizal University playmaker.
Indeed, the two court generals have put the Queen City of the South at the forefront through their fine play this NCAA Season 102, with Mangubat a proud son of Liloan and Manalili hailing from Cebu City.
But as much as he regrets failing to duel with his fellow Sugbuanon, Mangubat believes his peer will come back stronger - and this wasn't their one and only chance to go at it.
"Alam ko naman babalik siya. Sana magkaroon ulit kami ng chance," he said, with the Heavy Bombers and Knights both considered title contenders.
READ: Manalili-less Letran shows character in takedown of JRU
Mangubat's priority, though, is his own crew after JRU saw its four-game win streak snapped on Thursday, a 70-66 defeat to the Manalili-less Letran.
Target on JRU's back
As much as the 5-foot-10 skipper did his best to keep his side afloat in registering 18 points and eight rebounds, the tough defense the Knights put on him gave him a glimpse of what the future holds - all the more as he establishes himself as one of the top guards in all of college.
"Sinasabi naman ni coach Nani [Epondulan] sa amin yun, lalo na sa akin na every game, pahirap nang pahirap yung pinapakita sa akin ng depensa," he said.
"Kahit saan ako magpunta, may tao pa rin. Kahit umihi ako, may nakasunod pa rin sa akin. Pero nag-a-adjust naman ako and ok naman ako mag-sacrifice para lang manalo."
Such is life for Mangubat and the Heavy Bombers, and they're slowly understanding the immense pressure that comes with being a top team.
Still, the 22-year-old wouldn't have it any other way.
"Siyempre, ang goal namin is nasa top kami. Every game naman yung goal namin ay manalo and every game pahirap nang pahirap. So ready lang kami parati," he said.
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