Ry De La Rosa made sure his comeback was felt as the graduating team captain was hailed as the latest Collegiate Press Corps NCAA Player of the Week after steering Jose Rizal University to a new winning streak in the NCAA Season 99 men's basketball tournament.
The 5-foot-10 guard averaged 10.67 points and 2.0 rebounds in their last three games highlighted by his two consecutive clutch outings against upset-seeking San Sebastian College-Recoletos and Arellano University for their back-to-back victories.
Against the Stags, De La Rosa buried six three-pointers to lead their 79-72 win before his two triples late in the game against the Chiefs towed them to a 79-74 triumph as they seized the solo third spot in the team standings with an 8-4 card.
De La Rosa's stellar performances saw him edge out Lyceum's Greg Cunanan, Arellano's Jade Talampas, and Benilde's Migs Oczon for the weekly honors presented by San Miguel Corporation and backed by minor sports Discovery Suites and Jockey.
“Definitely getting there for sure, just have to continue and put in extra work. My teammates and my coaches are really not pressuring me to get back, and I'm glad that it was showing and I'm just very thankful to be in this position," said the 24-year-old ace.
“I'm glad I am playing with this group, these guys just know how to hold it down, they know the only way to win is to rely on one another and that's just our thing, continuing to show the brotherhood we have."
De La Rosa's presence is an added boost to an already-stacked Heavy Bombers squad, especially after he missed seven games following an injury he sustained during the opening day game against Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
JRU head coach Louie Gonzales recognized De La Rosa's huge contribution to their campaign, which has now allowed them to surpass their total win count last season. But the veteran mentor said he keeps on reminding the players not to get complacent as they move forward.
"We really rely on each other and again, si Ry is just a byproduct na lang siya nung itinatakbo namin," Gonzales said.
"Pero gusto ko lang i-remind sila na itong kumpiyansa na nakuha namin, lahat ’to mapupunta into waste kung hindi namin aalagaan."
("We really rely on each other and again, Ry's performance is just a byproduct of the system that we run... But I want to remind them that this confidence that we have now, this will all go to waste if we don't protect it.")
—Bea Micaller/GMA Integrated News
