Betts Binaohan changed the game for De La Salle University in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament – and rightfully so.
Binaohan made her return to the basketball court after missing the Lady Archers’ last nine games due to a bone bruise in her left knee.
The graduating guard played in La Salle’s opening game of the season against National University, where she sustained the injury but continued to play through it.
By the evening, she could no longer move her left knee.
After undergoing rehabilitation and putting in hard work, Binaohan made her return on Wednesday, leading the Lady Archers to a 64-60 come-from-behind win over the FEU Lady Tamaraws.
She scored a team-high 15 points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc, along with eight rebounds, three steals, and two assists.
In her 31 minutes and 20 seconds on the floor, La Salle outscored its opponents by 21 points.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“If you’re going to look at Betts, she almost plays all positions. Defensively, she can guard from one to five. Offensively, she can play from one to four,” said head coach Cholo Villanueva, praising Binaohan’s versatility.
“She’s really big in the system that we’re running, so it was unfortunate that she got injured, especially during this stretch of the season,” he added.
After two straight Final Four appearances, La Salle is now at risk of missing the postseason with a 3-8 record, leaving their fate out of their hands. An Ateneo de Manila University win in any of its remaining three games would secure the Final Four spots.
“I’m just doing my job to help the team win and to maintain our spirit for the last three games,” said Binaohan, who is playing her final season for La Salle.
While she felt regrets watching from the sidelines during this challenging season, Binaohan still tried to contribute in any way she could.
The University of Perpetual Help product assisted the coaching staff by analyzing her teammates’ strengths and weaknesses in order to help improve their performance.
“Siyempre po may regrets, pero tinignan ko kung ano yung pwede kong gawin. So inaral ko yung game, kung ano yung kaya kong gawin habang injured po ako,” she shared.
“So binasa ko yung tendencies ng mga teammates ko, weaknesses nila para pagbalik ko, at least alam ko kung ano mga strength nila and ma-maximize namin yun sa loob ng court.”
