BY GWEN BERGADO
IMMEDIATELY after teaming up with Amie Povida in a block that sealed La Salle's revenge win over University of Santo Tomas, Angel Canino finally gave her body the permission to break down as she sat down and cried with her hands to her face.
Soon after, the Season 85 Rookie-MVP was assisted by the La Salle team staff towards the exit of the Smart-Araneta Coliseum towards an ambulance to get herself checked.
But it wasn't just fatigue which Canino had to battle through, no. Canino also had to shake off the effects of being in the wrong end of an indavertent knee from teammate Shevana Laput who was losing her balance after an attack.
"What just happened is that I just hit the ball and she was the one behind me to cover for me,” Laput recalled. “Unfortunately my knee hit her head."
READ: Canino wills La Salle to hard-fought five-set triumph over UST
That didn't stop Canino as she played on and still finished with a game-high 27 points made of 24 attacks, two blocks and one ace laced with 13 receptions and 13 digs.
Laput was thankful to Canino for powering through, in awe of Canino's guts in seeing the game through.
“You know Angel is such a strong person, very strong mentally.” Laput said.
Laput, who finished with 16 points built on 15 atttacks and a block, shared how there's no ill-feelings between them after the accident, with Canino even pushing her to keep going.
“Honestly, she didn’t blame me at all or anything like that,” Laput shared. “She just said, ‘Laban lang, Puso."
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