Amid what has been a dominant run so far in the NCAA Season 99 juniors basketball tournament, the Perpetual Junior Altas showed they still had a hidden card up their sleeves in Jan Roluna.
The Junior Altas had been relying on their usual suspects in MVP frontrunner Amiel Acido, rising big man Lebron Jhames Daep, and the deadly backcourt tandem of Mark Gojo Cruz and Jan Pagulayan as they ended the elimination round on top of the entire field with an 8-1 record to book their first NCAA Final Four spot since Season 86.
But Perpetual head coach Joph Cleopas spiced things up in their semifinals clash against perennial contender Mapua University on Sunday, as fielded the seldom-used Roluna to further flaunt their depth.
And Roluna didn't disappoint, unleashing a career-high 22 points together with 11 rebounds, two assists, and three steals to steer the Las Piñas crew to its first-ever finals appearance with a 96-91 victory over the Red Robins.
Cleopas said he always knew what the 19-year-old Roluna could bring to the table.
"I don’t say na magic bunot [siya]. When I took him sa team, I knew his strength and I knew his capability," Cleopas said. "Hindi ako na-surprise kanina. He surrenders himself sa system."
[I don't say that he's a magic bunot. When I took him into the team, I knew his strenght and I knew his capability... I wasn't surprised earlier. He surreders himself to the system.]
Roluna, for his part, said he had just prepared himself for when the time comes that his name gets called by the coaching staff.
Before the game against Mapua, the rookie guard had only seen action in three games, where he posted averages of 4.0 points, 0.33 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.33 steals, and 0.67 blocks in nine minutes on the court.
"Binigay ko lang lahat para hindi masayang ‘yung trust ni coach na binigay sa akin," said the 6-foot-1 Roluna, who was recruited by Cleopas in Cebu.
"Focused lang at ready lang po palagi kasi hindi natin alam kung sino ‘yung bubunutin. At nabunot din ako, follow lang sa sistema."
[I just gave my all so that the trust that coach gave me would not go to waste. I just stay focused and ready because we never know who will get the call. And when it was my turn, I just followed the system.]
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
