GILAS Pilipinas Women head coach Pat Aquino couldn't help feeling like a proud father seeing Jack Animam show that she truly belongs in Serbia.
"Hindi na tayo nagulat, pero ang galing lang talaga ni Jack and I'm so proud of her," he told Spin.ph.
Jack Animam in Serbia debut
Aquino was just in awe of the strides his former National University standout has done as he showed that she belonged in her debut in the First Women's Basketball League of Serbia on Saturday.
The Bulakenya banger was a force to be reckoned with in the paint, tallying 20 points, 14 rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and one assist in 33 minutes of play to help Radnicki Kragujevac to a 78-77 opening day triumph over Proleter 023.
Those weren't hollow stats, mind you, with Animam playing solid minutes matching up against her Serbian counterparts and even scored on a crucial putback in the final minute to ice the game for good.
It was an impressive debut for the former UAAP MVP, who has continued her rise from her time with the Lady Bulldogs to her campaign in Shih Hsin University in Taiwan and her trainings in Atlanta under East West Private.
However, Aquino, being the stern mentor that he is, took note that there's still a lot that the 6-foot-2 center could work on moving forward.
"She has improve in her offensive skills and being aggressive in the paint," noted the concurrent NU head coach, who also zoomed in on Animam's 4-of-9 free throw shooting."
Aquino also implored Animam to extend her game, knowing that adapting to the European style of play should bode well for her overall development.
"She has to take the midrange shots in order to be more versatile on the court," he commented.
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