Jose Rizal University finally got its first win in five months.
And it was a statement victory.
The Heavy Bombers annihilated the season host Emilio Aguinaldo College with a whopping 97-74 scoreline.
It was JRU’s first win since last April 12 in Season 97, where it beat College of St. Benilde, 74-68.
For third-year Heavy Bombers head coach Louie Gonzalez, this was the culmination of his rebuild of the JRU program left by Vergel Meneses in 2018.
“Yeah, because that’s the only way for us na makalaro lahat eh. For me to utilize my bench, kailangan talaga yung pace ng game is ma-maintain namin eh,” said Gonzalez.
Four Heavy Bombers scored in double figures, while all but two players connected from the field.
“It’s not just kailangan namin pahirapan yung kalaban sa depensa. Kailangan pahirapan din namin sa offense, kasi ayun lang talaga yung paraan na nag-commit kami sa bawat isa before the season start. That’s the only way for us to compete na tapos na eventually na nanalo kami.”
Indeed, the Heavy Bombers made it hard for the Generals on both the defensive and offensive end. JRU breached the 90-point mark for the second straight game while forcing EAC into 26 turnovers which they converted into 37 points.
Gonzalez also admitted that their loss against Letran in the previous game fueled them to perform even better this time. They want to prove to everyone that they belong in the oldest collegiate league in the country.
“What fuels us to finish strong is during our last game, we did our best already. Pero for us to make a statement that we really belong in this league, is for us to make an absolute best every second, every minute dun sa floor. Kaya ayun ang challenge ko dun sa players ko,” he shared about the 100-96 overtime heartbreak they experienced last Wednesday.
The JRU head coach also said that this is the identity that they want to build this season – a team who plays fast and moves the ball around.
“Ganun naman kasi yung direksyon ng JRU basketball eh. It’s all about the team, it’s all about us sharing basketball. It’s all about player movement, it’s all about ball movement. Now darating yun eh,” the former DLSU Green Archers head coach said.
“Kung mapapansin niyo fast-paced yung laro eh. Pero hindi siya bumilis dahil given na may opportunity na kami sa break, kukunin namin. Pero pag wala, my player knows na we’re discipline[d] enough and responsible enough na pumunta kami doon sa ginagawa namin.”
