Despite the limited games due to tropical storm 'Paeng', NCAA Season 98 had a week of career-high performances and one that stood out was from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde's Will Gozum.
Gozum tallied a career-high 34 points, 23 from the first half alone, and 13-of-17 shooting from the field In the Benilde Blazers' 92-79 win against Jose Rizal University to earn him his second Collegiate Press Corps NCAA Player of the Week honor presented by San Miguel Corporation and the Philippine Sports Commission.
This is also the second time that the Taft tower set his career-high this season after a previous 25-point game in Benilde's 85-72 win against the Mapua Cardinals.
For Gozum, the goal remains the same for the Taft-based squad, despite his new career-high.
"I'm happy na naka-career high ako pero sana magtuloy-tuloy pa rin kami. Siguro, day ko lang ngayon at feel ko na next game, mga teammates ko naman magwo-work (for the win)," Gozum said.
Benilde head coach Charles Tiu is also expecting more from his big man as the Blazers try to end a two-decade Final Four drought.
"It is (what I'm looking for in Will) except for the turnovers. He really carried up but he still had seven turnovers and zero assists," said Tiu.
"His turnovers are mind-boggling so I guess we have to improve on his passing but he still played a great game and I tip my hat off to him. He was really good in this game."
Gozum bested Arellano University's Cade Flores, Colegio de San Juan de Letran's Louie Sangalang, San Beda University's Tony Ynot, and San Sebastian College-Recoletos' Rhinwill Yambing for the honor decided and deliberated upon by print and online media regularly covering the league and also backed up by minor sponsors MNL Kingpin, Tinapayan Festival, and Jockey.
—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA News
