Jose Rizal University had a lot at stake in the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament as they entered their battle against Emilio Aguinaldo College on Tuesday.
The Heavy Bombers only had a one-game advantage, keeping them above the Generals in the overall standings.
JRU was holding steady with a 9-6 record, while EAC was lurking behind them at 8-7.
A loss against the Generals would jeopardize their control over the fourth spot in the standings, potentially costing them a spot in the final four.
For head coach Louie Gonzalez, he and the rest of the coaching staff prioritized easing the pressure off the shoulders of his squad so they could go into the game with one thing on their minds: playing JRU basketball.
“Sa totoo lang going into the game iniisip ko paano alisin sa players ko yung sitwasyon namin if we lose or if we win. Ang naging direction na lang namin, let’s just do the best doon sa bagay na kontrolado namin, which is our defense, our brand of game, at pangalawa, yung ball movement namin,” explained Gonzalez.
Adding to the excitement were the birthdays of Marwin Dionisio and Jonathan Medina, who turned 24 and 22 respectively.
Gonzalez was adamant about using their big days as motivation, but for the right reasons.
“That’s one thing na sinabi namin na huwag tayo maglaro para sa mga birthday boys natin, maglaro tayo para sa pamilya nila. Especially both, may mga anak na pareho, kasama ito sa programa tulungan natin yung mga pamilyang kasama namin,” Gonzalez said.
At the end of the day, it was the same birthday celebrants who gave JRU its biggest boost to secure the 77-64 victory. Dionisio and Medina both had one of their best games of the season.
Dionisio ended the match with a game-high 16 points and eight boards to go along with two assists and one steal. Medina added 11 points, six rebounds, and two assists.
“Siyempre nagpapasalamat ako kay lord na binigyan niya ako ng panibagong araw, lalo na sa coach ko at ganoon din sa family ko siyempre sila yung motivation ko,” said Dionisio.
Dionisio and Medina’s efforts on their special days helped JRU survive another day in the gritty final four race as they shot up to a 10-6 record and knocked the Generals down to 8-8.
The job is far from over for the Heavy Bombers, though. They face another Final Four contender in San Beda University on Saturday at 9:30 AM.
