Graduating player Will Gozum waited patiently in the shaded lane for good scoring chances that decided the fate of the defending champions Malayan Red Robins.
Gozum struck twice underneath, scoring baskets that enabled the Red Robins to escape with an 82-80 win over the Letran Squires.
“Talagang kinakatawan ko na kailangang makuha ko iyung rebound. Focus ako lagi sa rebound,” said Gozum at the end of their Final Four playoff in the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association junior basketball tournament.
The 6’5 Gozum went on to finish with a game-high 24 points.
His two baskets underneath and defensive play off Neil Tolentino in the final minute proved crucial in giving the
Red Robins their second straight championship appearance.
His first big play came as Gozum’s layup off Carl Lacap’s pass in the remaining 48.2 seconds lifted the Red Robins in the lead for good, 79-78.
Then as Lacap intercepted a Neil Guarino’s pass, Gozum scored on a putback.
And that’s off Lacap’s miss in the last 14.4 seconds.
From there, the Red Robins gained a three-point cushion, 81-78.
Gozum then got an unsportsmanlike foul in his effort to stop Tolentino underneath in the last two seconds.
That’s after he elbowed Tolentino after he allegedly spat at him during a rebound play.
Then, Mike Enriquez knocked in one charity off Lakksman Ganapathy’s fifth foul, 82-78, in that same play, and after both incurring technical, with Ganapathy sent out of the game.
Then, Squires bungled a chance to keep up when they managed to convert only one of three charity tries following the incident.
“Credit sa mga bata. Nagpo-post kami. Dumating iyung sa endgame na kailangan naming makuha iyung composure, iyung focus. Dun kami siguro mas lamang,” said Red Robins coach Randy Alcantara.
Boxscores:
MAPUA 82 – Gozum 24, Bonifacio 16, Escamis 13, Lacap 12, Enriquez 7, Garcia 4, Jabel 4, Socias 2, Arches 0
LETRAN 80 – Cordero 16, Monje 15, Guarino 12, Aniban 10, Tolentino 9, Peralta 6, Labrador 6, Tamayo 4, Fuentes 2, Reyson 0, Ganapathy 0, Culanay 0, Tabajen 0, Montes 0
QUARTER SCORES: 24-20, 44-39, 57-58, 82-80
