After six years, Shane Menina was finally back in the NCAA.
This time around, the Cebuano hotshot was no longer wearing Mapua’s orange and red, instead donning Arellano’s blue and red.
But the game had not changed for the now-25-year-old gunslinger.
“Hindi ko ineexpect kasi akala ko di na ko makalaro dito e, so yun. Binigyan ako ng chance no Boss Peter [Cayco], Coach Cholo [Martin na makapasok sa team, so yun. Masaya ako,” he said.
The newly-appointed lead guard for the Chiefs produced a game-high 15 points, five rebounds, an assist, and a steal in 25-minutes of action while giving Arellano a 63-58 win against Emilio Aguinaldo College.
In the clutch, Menina was able to make a layup with 1:44 left to give the Chiefs a four-point advantage.
He then followed it up by sinking two clutch free throws with 11-ticks left to bring his team to three, 61-58, helping them get the 63-58 win.
It was the first time he had actually played at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“Masaya ako kasi first time ko maglaro dito sa Araneta so grinab ko yung opportunity kasi may tiwala si coach sakin,” quipped Menina, who had already played at the NCAA’s homebase Filoil Ecooil Centre and the SM Mall of Asia Arena before.
“Binigyan niya kong tiwala, binigyan niya kong oras so tiwala din kami sa kanya, kung ano yung mga sinabi niya. So nilalaro namin yung best namin,” said Menina, who was studying at and playing for University of Cebu after his stint at Mapua.
His performance was what Martin had expected of him. After all, he is the most veteran player not just of the Chiefs but also in the entire league.
“Alam naman natin yung laro niya e.
“And yung timing, and yung adjustment niya and yung adjustment niya sa team niya kasi nga bag siya sa team namin. So okay naman, good result naman,” said Martin.
Now that he is back in the Grand Old League, he hopes to be able to play in the last place he had not been in — the NCAA Finals.
