BARAKO Bull’s veteran slotman Enrico Villanueva is the least surprised with the way rookie point guard Eman Monfort has been carrying the team on his shoulders with starting playmaker Jonas Villanueva out for the remainder of the season due to a torn meniscus.
Villanueva, who is still on the reserve list after undergoing surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, believes the 5-foot-7 Monfort carries with him the fighting heart of Ateneo.
“He’s definitely taken a lot of boys to school. Kita niyo naman siguro,” Villanueva said proudly of his rookie teammate after he scored a career-high 25 points, including 17 in the second half, to lead Barako Bull to a 104-91 win over Barangay Ginebra.
Villanueva, who won a 2002 UAAP crown with the Ateneo Blue Eagles, calls the pint-sized Monfort a “champion” for displaying that big, fighting heart, particularly in the Energy Cola’s last three games that all ended in victories.
“Di ako nagugulat sa pinapakita niya kasi ginagawa na niya yan as the starting point guard of Ateneo. He’s a champion and he goes with a fighting heart,” he added.
It was the Energy Cola’s third straight win as well that allowed the George Chua-owned franchise to grab a piece of the lead with idle Petron Boosters with their 3-1 win-loss card.
Monfort is averaging 19.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in Barako Bull’s last three contests.
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