WILL Gozum has a chance to accomplish a feat that Sunday Salvacion failed to complete two decades back: win the MVP award and steer his team to the championship.
Will Gozum on trying to complete what Sunday Salvacion fell short on
That fact isn't lost on the mind of the NCAA Season 98 MVP.
"Si kuya Sunday, iba talaga yung nagawa niya eh. So hopefully magawa ko rin and mahigitan ko rin si kuya Sunday," Gozum said.
He sure did put himself one step closer in achieving that after powering St. Benilde to a 76-71 Game Two win over Letran and force the NCAA Season 98 seniors basketball Finals to a grudge match on Sunday.
Gozum put up 21 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, an assist, and a steal, including the go-ahead lay-up with 55.4 seconds left that allowed the Blazers to level this best-of-three series.
It wasn't the case for CSB back in 2002.
Salvacion, who won the top individual plum, carried the Blazers to the NCAA Season 78 Finals only to get swept by San Sebastian in the championship series.
Imparting lessons from that experience, Salvacion did get a chance to have a pep talk with Gozum and the rest of the squad, motivating them to not shy away from the spotlight and boost them in hopes of ending the school's 22-year title drought.
"Thankful ako sa pag-support nila sa amin," said Gozum.
But it's not the only thing that plays on Gozum's mind.
He was in the same position in 2017, winning the NCAA Season 93 Juniors MVP after leading Mapua to the Finals and also forced a Game Three only to fall to the JD Cagulangan-led La Salle Greenhills.
Curiously, Gozum is now teammates with three members of that Greenies side, namely Mark Sangco, Makoy Marcos, and Ladis Lepalam. "Yung time na yun against LSGH, pero ngayon nasa Benilde na ako," he said with a smile.
As inspired as Gozum is, he knows that CSB must still put in the work to claim the throne.
"Hindi naman ibibigay ng Letran yan nang madali sa amin pero kami, focus lang kami," he said. "Job's not done for us. Gusto naming makuha yung championship para buong CSB community masaya and patuloy kaming suportahan."
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