By: Brenn Allen Flores
Despite a near triple-double performance that propelled Mapua University past contenders Colegio San Juan de Letran, Chris Hubilla remains more focused on winning than on individual accolades.
The Sorsogon native finished with a team-high 19 points, shooting 56.4 percent from the field, along with 10 rebounds and nine assists.
A former NCAA Juniors Mythical Five member, Hubilla emphasized that winning is his top priority.
“Di ko po talaga inaasahan yung pag score talaga, gusto ko lang everytime manalo eh. Nagkataon lang ganito nanaman’ yong performance ko, ‘yon lang,” he stated.
“As a role player lang talaga, ginagampanan ko lang yong role ko,” he added.
Hubilla spearheaded a fourth-quarter surge that secured the victory, supported by veteran JC Recto, who contributed 14 points. Hubilla praised Recto, highlighting their strong chemistry on and off the court.
“Pag respect ko talaga kay JC. As a rookie, talagang ako, nirerespeto ko talaga siya as a senior ko. Pag off the court naman kami, mga lapses naman namin pinaguusapan namin. Lahat kami nagkakaisa talaga. Nagtiwala lang kami sa bawat isa,” Hubilla remarked.
While he flirted with a triple-double, Hubilla also recorded eight turnovers in the contest, three of which occurred during a tightly contested second quarter.
“Sa totoo lang, bumaba morale ko noong nagsunod-sunod yong turnovers ko pero kung iisipin ko sarili ko – wala dito sarili ko – team yong nilaro ko dito, team yong pinunta namin dito. Isinantabi ko muna yong sarili ko,” he admitted.
“Sa third quarter nagisip ako kung paano ako makakabawi; sinimulan ko sa dipensa, sa dipensa talaga kasi kapag nagkamali ka hindi ka naman babawi sa opensa, sa depensa talaga.”
Before finding his home in Intramuros, the 6-foot-4 big man from Bicol had a brief stint as a UP Fighting Maroon.
He initially committed to the team he ultimately led to a victory over Letran, but later decommitted to join the Cardinals.
Hubilla has since become a vital piece in Mapua’s revenge season. He averaged 11.56 points and 6.11 rebounds per game in the first round, while contributing a combined total of 29 points in the Cardinals’ first two games of Round 2.
The rookie has also emerged as one of Mapua’s vocal leaders, particularly following Marc Igliane’s suspension.
“Sobrang init ng laro talaga hindi natin maiiwasan ‘yong ganoong pangyayari. Pinapalahanan ko sila na mag-relax lang kahit sobra yong ginawa sa kanila – wag na sila babawi, laruan nila, bawian nila sa laro,” Hubilla said, recalling the fiery contest against Letran.
“Gusto lang namin talaga manalo, tsaka yong mga teammates ko naman hindi naman nila gusto mawala eh. Nagkataon lang yon nga si Igliane nawala saamin pero sobrang gusto niya makalaro, gusto niyang makatulong saamin. Hopefully, sa San Beda kumpoleto na kami.”
Mapua will look to continue its momentum against San Beda University in a crucial game on Sunday at 2:30 PM.
