With his sheer athleticism on display and a green light from the coaching staff, Jomel Puno has now emerged as one of the pillars of San Beda University in their back-to-back pursuit in NCAA Season 100.
The 6-foot-6 forward has been the anchor for the Red Lions on both ends as he now becomes the team's top scorer through eight games.
The Filipino-Canadian cager detonated for a career-high outing against longtime rival Colegio de San Juan de Letran last Tuesday, dropping 22 points alongside 10 rebounds and two assists to fuel their 66-64 win before putting together 16 markers, eight boards, one dime, and one steal to star in their narrow 63-62 win over Perpetual.
His brilliance has helped San Beda cruise to its first back-to-back wins of the season, soaring to the final four picture with a 5-3 card and just behind Benilde, Mapua, and Letran with still one game left in the first round.
Puno said his rise was a result of the trust given by the coaches.
“Throughout last season and the start of this season, I felt like I was too laid back [with] being a supporter,” said Puno.
“After I got the go signal from my coaches and teammates, I tried doing my best, which I haven’t been able to do [in a while].”
In Puno’s exceptional week where he averaged 19 points, nine rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, he got the nod for the Collegiate Press Corps NCAA Player of the Week backed by the Philippine Sports Commission with Discovery Suites and World Balance as minor sponsors for the period of October 1-5.
He defeated Jose Rizal University’s Joshua Guiab, Letran’s Jimboy Estrada, and the reigning MVP Clint Escamis of Mapua for the weekly award given by scribes reporting for the collegiate beat.
—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News
