Tony Ynot had to sit out some games early in the NCAA Season 101 due to a nagging ankle injury, leaving a huge hole in De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in their redemption campaign.
The star guard finally returned to action last October 8 and immediately made his presence felt, although he had to adjust his game given the four-month lull he had to endure.
Among the adjustments he had to make was transitioning from being a slasher to becoming more of a playmaker—a shift that Benilde head coach Charles Tiu has praised him for in recent outings.
"I think with Tony, the good thing is he said it many times to his teammates, he doesn't care about scoring. He just wants to make everybody happy and share the ball," Tiu said last October 28, when Ynot dished seven assists in their 70-67 escape against Lyceum.
"We also have to understand that he basically didn't play for four months. Walang practice practice 'yan."
Prior to Tuesday’s finals rematch against Mapua University, Ynot ranked second in the league in assists with 5.67 dimes per game, trailing only Letran rookie Titing Manalili, who leads with 9.11.
But the graduating guard proved he can still make those shots himself, waxing hot just in time as the Blazers hacked out a 75-65 victory over the Cardinals to improve to 6-3 in Group B.
Ynot fired three early three-pointers to power their 18-0 start in the first quarter on the way to finishing with 25 markers, his season-best scoring, together with eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
"Ang sarap lang sa pakiramdam kasi paunti-unti ko nang nababalik ‘yung laro ko at nakatulong na ako sa team kasi the past few games, hindi talaga ako maka-shoot kaya nag-decide ako sa mga last games na mag-create na lang para sa mga teammates ko," Ynot shared.
"Ngayon ang sarap sa pakiramdam na naka-shoot ako at ako pa ‘yung best player. Thankful ako kay God at sa mga teammates ko."
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
