Jhazmin Joson relished the opportunity to play in front of a packed crowd at the Adamson University Gym on Saturday night when Ateneo de Manila University faced the University of the Philippines to close out the first round of the UAAP Season 86 Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Joson and the rest of the Blue Eagles prevailed 85-76, snapping the Fighting Maroons’ six-game winning streak amidst the intense atmosphere created by both teams’ vocal supporters.
The Gilas Pilipinas member herself caught the ire of the UP crowd with her antics, especially in the second half. However, she managed to maintain her focus and scored two crucial three-pointers for the Blue Eagles in the second half, helping seal the win.
“I am actually happy with the crowd,” said Joson, who led the Blue Eagles with a season-high 29 points, 12 of which came in the third quarter, shooting 8-of-12 from the three-point line. She also contributed with four assists and two steals.
“This is what I wished for, this is what I hoped for. We don’t get this kind of crowd often, so I’m thankful. It doesn’t matter if they’re booing; I’m thankful that people are watching us,” continued the 5-foot-7 winger.
“Actually, I’ve been missing a lot of my threes. Luckily, they started hitting now. Thank you, Lord, it was against UP.”
As a fifth-year senior, the 24-year-old guard takes it upon herself to lead her teammates, whether in practice or in an actual game. She can be seen directing her teammates on where to go on both ends of the floor. Sometimes, her frustrations can be evident, but that is because she is determined to win during her last playing year with Ateneo.
“Honestly it is a huge growth from last year to now,” said Joson. “You know me before if you watched the game grabe yung sakit ng ulo ko.
“I was yelling but now I’m more calm because bumabawi sila e and their knowledge of basketball is progressing as we play more. It’s grown. So I am excited for them to mature even more throughout the second round.”
For Ateneo to fulfill its dream of winning its first championship since Season 70, it needs Joson to be a positive example for her teammates. The Blue Eagles broke ground in Season 85 by reaching the Final Four again after seven seasons, and the challenge is definitely to go at least one step further.
Much of that will depend on how effectively Joson can galvanize her troops to reach the promised land.
“I love coaching Jhaz,” said coach LA Mumar. “Jhaz is a talent. She’s like a daughter to me. So we have our ups and downs, but we stick together.
“We know she’s the leader of this team. There are Junize (Calago) and Kaycee (Dela Rosa), but Jhaz is really the leader of this team. Everybody knows that.”
