BY John Miles Arcenal
KYLE Paranada is having himself a dream start for University of Santo Tomas, posting averages of 13.5 points and four assists in their back-to-back statement wins over last season’s finalists, De La Salle University and University of the Philippines.
But beyond the numbers, it’s been his composure and playmaking in crunch time that’s turning heads.
“You know that’s clutch time. Fourth quarter, the coaches trust me, my teammates trust me, so I just get the team together so we can get that dub,” said Paranada, who has blossomed into UST’s X-factor during their fourth-quarter surge against La Salle.
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That trust didn’t come overnight.
Paranada shared that he’s been earning every opportunity by showing consistency in practice and proving that he can deliver when it matters.
“I think I just have to show what I can do in practice, in the games. That’s what makes them call my number in clutch time.”
Misfiring against the Green Archers, Paranada still found a way to make his impact -- delivering key assists in their fourth quarter run while also getting key stops to help the Growling Tigers complete their huge comeback.
“If my shots weren’t falling, I look for my teammates and I just play on how their defense is playing me,” said the 5-foot-9 playmaker.
With UST now riding momentum, Paranada has no plans of stopping now -- knowing that he, alongside fellow seniors Nic Cabanero and Fortshky Padrigao, won't have another chance at a UAAP title after this.
“It’s all our chance, you know. We always talked about it and we just say, ‘keep going, keep going,’ and we just keep going.”
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