Back in Game One of the Café France-Racal semifinals series in the 2017 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup, Bakers head coach Egay Macaraya had lamented that his team could not rely heavily on CEU’s foreign student-athlete Rod Ebondo.
“We cannot play Ebondo because Ebondo is not Superman. Ebondo will always be a problem inside but hey, ganun yung team ko ngayon, wala akong pamalit eh,” Macaraya had rued moments after the Bakers lost 88-86 this Tuesday.
After the 51-year-old mentor had pointed out that he needs more than just the Ebondo to carry the load for Café France, he finally found one in the form of CEU’s gunslinger Aaron Jeruta in Game 2 on Thursday evening.
The 22-year-old Pink Scorpion senior proved to be the x-factor in the Bakers’ 96-85 series-extending victory over Racal, firing 10 of his 18 points in the payoff period along with six assists and four rebounds.
“Aaron Jeruta stepped up,” lauded Macaraya of Jeruta, who also anchored the Bakers’ 16-4 spree late in the game that left the Tile Master stunned.
“He’s the only veteran in the team and this was his breakthrough game.”
For Jeruta, he definitely lived up to the billing as one of Café France’s veterans, as his battle-tested smarts rubbed off on his teammates at the time they’d had to climb back from the deep hole.
“Possession by possession natin laruin yung laro na ‘to, at mahahabol natin yung lamang nila,” shared Jeruta, when asked what he told his teammates when they were down by as much as 14, 57-43, early in the third canto.
“Sabi nga ni coach Egay, energy and effort lang, kaya dinagdagan namin yung energy and effort namin nung second half.”
Regarding his best outing yet, the five-foot-eight floor general is nothing but thankful, as his breakout game had come at a time Café France needed it most.
“Sobrang nagpapasalamat ako kasi buong season wala akong magandang nilaro ni-isa,” thanked Jeruta, who was also a member of the last Cafe France squad that won the 2015 Aspirants’ Cup crown.
“Sobrang thankful ako na binigyan pa rin akong chance ni coach Egay na magpakita ngayon, at thank God nakapag-deliver na ako,” he added.
