De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde head coach Charles Tiu is hoping that big man and reigning Most Valuable Player Allen Liwag can return in time for the Blazers’ playoff push.
Liwag has played in only six of Benilde’s 11 games this season after previously suffering from dengue fever. More recently, he sustained a shoulder injury that is expected to sideline him for a few weeks.
“Yeah, it's tough for Allen. He started the season okay, got dengue, tried to get back in shape. When he finally got in shape, he had his best game against Mapua in one half — a double-double. And then he gets hurt,” Tiu said on Friday after their win against Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
Tiu added that while Liwag may be out for at least two weeks and possibly up to four or six, the timeline ultimately depends on the big man, who has been undergoing rehab for the injury.
And if Benilde wants to make another Finals run, Liwag’s presence would be a major boost.
“I hope he'll be able to catch up in time for the playoffs. I don’t know if he'll still be able to play in the remainder of the elimination round. We'll just have to monitor him day-to-day or week-to-week,” said Tiu.
“But we definitely need him if we want to win a championship.”
While the Blazers miss Liwag’s services, the Taft-based squad has solidified its hold on second place in Group B with a 7–4 record, trailing only San Beda University, which has one fewer loss.
With powerhouse teams Mapua, San Beda, and Letran no longer on their schedule, Tiu said the Blazers are on track to reach their target.
“Two [wins] out of three, I’ll take it," Tiu said.
"I thought we could have beaten Beda even without Allen. We were a few plays here and there short of that, so that became a loss for us. But again, our target has been to get into the top two. We still control our destiny, so we just have to take care of business and win our last two games,” he added.
Benilde will face Jose Rizal University and Emilio Aguinaldo College in its last two games of the elimination round.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
