In their most important game of the NCAA Season 97 elimination round, Arellano University's Justin Arana did not take a single minute — or even a second — off.
Arana played all 40 minutes in the Chiefs' 65-62 win over Jose Rizal University, where he gave a heroic effort with 18 points and a monstrous 29 rebounds to lead his team into the play-in round.
After the game, Arellano University head coach Cholo Martin revealed it was actually the graduating big man himself who asked the coaching staff to play him the entire game.
"Usapan namin, 'pag pagod siya papalitan siya pero sabi niya, 'hindi, kaya ko pa coach.' Eh 'di sige okay," Martin said after their win on Wednesday, which formalized their play-in entry with a 4-5 win-loss record.
Arana, for his part, said he didn't want to take a breather in what was a crucial game against JRU and one that could possibly have been his final NCAA game.
"Ayoko talagang lumabas no'n kasi syempre kasi gusto kong tulungan 'yung team ko and gusto ko ring kumuha ng rebound at lalo na depensa kasi ayon yung puhunan namin," said Arana, who also had two blocks on his statline.
"Kasi 'yung score darating naman 'yun eh so mas focused ako sa depensa talaga kaya ayoko lumabas," he added.
"Last game ko na dapat 'to kung natalo. Ayoko talagang matalo."
—JMB, GMA News
