With an average to 12.4 points behind 34.2 percent three-point shooting, Ahanmisi is Adamson’s second top scorer, just behind center Papi Sarr.
La Salle knew they had to limit the Filipino-American’s output, and decided to put veteran guard Kib Montalbo on him.
While Ahanmisi still came up with 17 points on the back of 45 percent three-point shooting, Montalbo had apparently done enough to extinguish the former’s hot hands.
“(Montalbo)’s a good player,” conceded Ahanmisi. “It’s the playoffs man. That’s how you’re gonna have to play.
“You’re gonna have to play hard every second, every minute.”
From shooting 4-for-7 from the field in the first half, the second year guard converted just two more after the halftime break. Ahanmisi’s cold hands hastened Adamson’s downfall, as the Green Archers outscored Adamson, 49-36, in the end game. Montalbo, a defensive specialist, got into Ahanmisi’s head, playing him physically while psyching him out.
“I guess my shots weren’t just falling for me. Like I said you know, Kib is a good defender,” reiterated Burbank, California-born Adamsonian.
It seemed like Montalbo had done everything to get into Ahanmisi’s head, as the former was clearly seen talking to the latter during the game. In fact, Ahanmisi narrated one such conversation.
“Kib’s just telling me that… because I got a foul one time and then I was like, ‘that’s a foul blah blah blah’ and he was like, ‘it’s alright blah blah blah’ and then we were coming down the curtain, I just said, ‘you know this is playoff basketball’ and he’s like, ‘yeah you’re right this is how we’re gonna play’.”
Such was Montalbo’s defense that Ahanmisi’s older brother Maverick felt the need to react to the Green Archer’s antics on Twitter. When asked about what he felt, Jerrick just admitted that it was part of the game.
Hey @kibmontalbo idc, you better hope I don’t catch you outside bruh lol
— Maverick Ahanmisi (@CaLi_LuvsME) November 18, 2017
Hahaha I love how I tweet a “controversial” tweet, just to get hella followers and retweets and I got it lmao ? you think I really care about @kibmontalbo ? He was doin what he’s suppose to do. Bully people lol my brother will tell you I don’t baby him
— Maverick Ahanmisi (@CaLi_LuvsME) November 18, 2017
“It’s true. Everything Maverick said, it’s true.
“Kib’s gonna do what he has to do but you know he’s not gonna baby me. My brother’s not gonna baby me. He’s not gonna baby me. He knows that’s gonna happen if that’s the type of player I’m gonna be. He’s just gonna keep telling me don’t back down from anybody. Just keep playing you’re game and make sure it doesn’t get to your head,” shared the younger Ahanmisi.
As always in the UAAP, losing in the post-season is painful, as one defeat could end a run at the championship. Tonight was Adamson’s second consecutive loss at the hands of La Salle in the Final Four.
Despite the loss, Ahanmisi was upbeat about the progress he has made as a player, as well as that of his team’s.
“I think I grew from last year. I think that I showed more people that even with a little bit of pressure, I can still stand my ground. My team also I think showed everybody that we deserved to be at the top of the UAAP.”
