BY John Miles Arcenal
FOR someone who had every reason to take it slow, Reinhard Jumamoy instead put pedal to the metal in his return from a shoulder injury.
READ: NU repeats over Ateneo to tighten grip on top spot
After missing National U's previous game, Jumamoy made a steady return in their well-earned 66-50 win over Ateneo to get back on track in UAAP Season 88.
The Cebuano guard finished with eight points, two rebounds, and two assists, providing the spark the Bulldogs needed to break away in the second half.
“First of all, iniisip ko lang talaga, gabayan ako ni Lord kasi ‘di naman ako nakapag-ensayo for the past days,” said Jumamoy, who was sidelined after getting hurt in their first-round encounter against the Blue Eagles.
“Sinabi lang ni coach Jeff [Napa], tulungan mo lang yung tempo ng game, magdala ka ng bola. Kaya pasasalamat lang talaga ako sa Panginoon sa pinakita ko ngayon.”
Despite facing Ian Espinosa, the same Ateneo guard involved in his injury, Jumamoy brushed off any sense of tension.
“Si Ian, matagal ko nang kalaban. Since elementary pa kami sa mga province namin, nagkakalaban na kami. So may familiarity na rin. Ginawa ko lang yung role ko,” he told SPIN.ph.
Reinhard does more than just score
Once known as a triple-double machine back in NU-Nazareth School - where he won the MVP plum - the 5-foot-11 playmaker has embraced a new identity under Napa’s system.
As he put it, “Basketball is a game of adjustment. Dito, kailangan kong mag-fit sa system namin at pagalingin yung mga kakampi ko. As a point guard, unahin mo sila. Ako na yung last option ni coach.”
“'Pag kailangan na may score, andyan pa rin, pero pass-first na talaga.”
Indeed, he kept making plays at both ends, winding up at eye-popping +23 in the blue-and-gold's 15-point win.
And with streaking La Salle up next for the league-leading Bulldogs, they can rest assured they can take on all comers with their game-changer at guard back in tow.
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