Juan Gomez de Liano has been having a standout campaign early in the UAAP Season 81 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The 18-year-old has been turning heads with norms of 12.3 points on 38.1 percent shooting, while grabbing 7.0 rebounds and dishing out 3.7 assists per game. Outside of the numbers, the sophomore is also showing that he won’t let an injury take him out.
Twenty-four hours prior to the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons’ game against the Adamson University Soaring Falcons, the 6-foot-1 combo guard was hit hard on the chest by a teammate during their session. It was a solid hit, and Gomez de Liano found it hard to breathe even the next day.
“I wasn’t supposed to play. I got hit on the chest during practice last night,” he disclosed.
“I just got hit here (feels chest). Super sakit, mga eight out of ten. I had checkup this morning. Had acupuncture. It helped a bit.”
But he did not let his injury affect him once the whistle blew, as he tallied 21 points, eight rebounds, and two assists against the Soaring Falcons. However, the Fighting Maroons could not chalk this one up as they lost in a heartbreaker, 68-69.
“It wasn’t enough. I really did my best for the team. I just had to continue to get better. We had this game,” he recalled, as UP coughed up an eight-point lead in the final frame.
In a tight game, every point counts. What hurts for the Gilas cadet was that he could have given UP some much-needed leverage with 2:02 left. Clinging to a 65-64 lead, he split his charities. It then led to a three-pointer for Jun Espeleta that was a backbreaker.
“Free throws should be an easy bucket, kaya nga free e. I was surprised I missed,” he rued.
“So sad.”
With this, UP are now down to a 1-3 record to start the season – a direct contrast to their 3-1 start a season ago. Still, Gomez de Liano is not keeping his head down, as he vows to continue trying to lift UP.
“Right now, we’re trying to keep each other stay positive. Just focus on the next practices and continue to get better.”
