LA Salle coach Derick Pumaren praised his point guards for stepping up in the absence of starter Evan Nelle.
With Nelle out due to a fever, Mark Nonoy and Penny Estacio filled the void admirably in the Green Archers' dominating 83-63 win over University of Santo Tomas on Wednesday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig for their first win in UAAP Season 85.
"That’s the beauty of the game. When somebody’s out, somebody steps up. Mark Nonoy filled in Evan’s starting role," said Pumaren. "Penny also had a good game today as a backup for Nonoy. Really happy and I hope they keep doing that."
The duo went beyond their statistical impact, providing a combined plus-20 for La Salle, with Estacio putting up six points and four rebounds, while Nonoy contributed three markers, two boards, and four assists.
After a heartbreaking loss against UP last Oct. 1 where they blew a 10-point lead, Pumaren urged his players to be resilient heading to the Wednesday matchup.
"I told the boys the most important thing we got to do is bounce back hard in this game today. We fell short last game, we were not able to close out the game, but we cannot dwell on that," recalled Pumaren.
"The season just started. I’m happy with the way the boys played. They responded positively. They stepped up and faced the challenge," he continued.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
