Twice in as many games, San Sebastian College-Recoletos’ clutch poise ended the winning streaks of two higher-ranked opponents in the NCAA Season 101.
Jhuniel Dela Rama shone in both of those games, dropping the game-winning jumper that lifted the Stags to an 82-81 stunner to stop Colegio de San Juan de Letran's five-game winning surge.
The star rookie then came up with two clutch three-pointers in the last two minutes against league-leading University of Perpetual Help System DALTA en route to a 62-61 escape, putting an end to the ALTAs' four-game rise.
At first glance, it might have seemed like Dela Rama carried the team on his own, but head coach Rob Labagala emphasized that their recent success was the result of a collective effort.
"Having him in these kinds of games, hindi na ako nagugulat, talagang he deserves it kasi he works hard for it. And aside from Jhuniel naman, we have a lot of players who stepped up," Labagala said.
"Especially ‘yung veterans namin si Christian Ricio, who was able to knock down big shots, and Ralph [Gabat] was able to facilitate and TJ [Felebrico] was crucial din. And I think it’s an overall effort sa lahat ng players namin."
What makes Labagala beam with pride even more, however, is his team’s commitment to his program despite the recent challenges surrounding the squad.
Following their win against the Knights, Labagala and Dela Rama opened up about receiving not enough financial support from their team sponsor.
Labagala, however, shared that the school has been working to address the issue since it came to light last week.
For now, all they can do is focus on moving forward as the Stags aim to revive their season with a 3-7 card.
"Really proud of the players. Really proud of the team kasi having been able, as a coach, na ma-hold ko sila and then buy in despite the situation is something na ma-appreciate mo sila nang husto," Labagala said.
"Ang hirap nu’n. Seeing these guys na mag-buy in pa rin, wala na akong masasabi kung hindi thank you."
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
