Jeric Fortuna has stepped up for Alab when they needed him
Last Sunday, when the Kaohsiung Truth were making a furious rally, Jeric Fortuna knocked down a timely triple that stopped Alab’s bleeding to secure their third win of the season. Friday evening, in what has become a trend, it was Fortuna once again who knocked down the biggest of shots against tormentor Singapore Slingers in front of a raucous Laguna crowd to break the Merlion curse.
With the Slingers up by a point in the final frame, Alab then turned up on offense, unfurling a 15-4 scoring spree to keep the Singaporeans at bay with an 11-point lead, 74-63, with 3:35 to go.
In that run, the five-foot-eight Fortuna shone the brightest, nailing two corner triples — all from kick-out assists by Parks– that became huge blows to the visitors.
“Ray-Ray has been attacking all game long, and they [Slingers] were helping on him. Na-open lang ako, [then] he found me. Great pass by Ray,” Fortuna shared after Alab’s 74-72 escape win.
His notable performance was a result of him just playing the right way, according to Fortuna, an ABL veteran and a one-time champion with the San Miguel Beermen back in the 2013 ABL Finals.
“Coach has been saying na if you’re open, take it. Take it with confidence. And I’m glad it went in,” shared a beaming Fortuna, who was averaging just 3.6 points per game prior to the game.
“I did not force anything. I just let the game come to me. Thankfully, the opportunities were there and I just took advantage of it.”
After finally winning one against the league-leaders, the 25-year-old floor general is hoping that the win will be the start of better things to come for the Philippine contingent in the regional pro league.
“We’re glad to get this win. They won against us twice. We beat a contender in Singapore. It’s a confidence-booster for us,” the UST alumnus said.
“Hopefully we can start a winning streak.”
And under his guiding on-court presence, the league neophytes know who to call during the clutch moments.
