Ram Sharma faces perhaps the most daunting job in Benilde-La Salle Green Hills' finals series against University of Perpetual Help System DALTA: locking down NCAA juniors MVP Lebron Jhames Daep.
But the 6-foot-6 bruiser is thriving under pressure.
With the Greenies facing a do-or-die situation in Game 2 on Sunday, Sharma stood tall and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds all while limiting Daep to his season-low output of eight points.
"Siya kasi ‘yung rank no. 2 sa NBTC kaya po ‘pag naglalaro kami namo-motivate ako kasi ako unranked ako. Ayon ‘yung ginagawa kong fuel sa laro. Ginagawa ko lang din ‘yung role ko," Sharma, who also had six points and two blocks, told GMA News Online.
"Hindi naman po ako nai-intimidate sa kanya, hindi ko masyadong iniisip ‘yun sa laro."
[He's the rank no. 2 in the NBTC ranking so when we play, I'm motivated because I'm unranked. That's what I use as fuel for the game. I also make that my role... I'm not intimidated by him, I don't really think about that in the game.]
Even LSGH head coach Renren Ritualo gave Sharma props, saying the young big man was a key cog in their 95-91 grind-out win that allowed them to drag the Junior ALTAs to a rubber match on Tuesday.
"Ram Sharma is big for us. Sharma is there for us every time," Ritualo said of his sophomore ward.
"He has to take it personally because of our lack of rebounding, that's his main job, to rebound and to defend. He did a good job. He takes less credi,t but he's really big for us."
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
