San Beda concluded its first-round run in the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament as the second seed, thanks in large part to Jomel Puno’s impact.
In only his rookie year, the high-leaping Puno powered the Red Lions to a perfect 3-0 record in the past seven days, highlighted by his impressive three straight double-double outings.
As a result, Puno was named this week’s Collegiate Press Corps NCAA Player of the Week with a solid average of 13.0 points and 13.3 rebounds. He zoomed past Mapua’s Clint Escamis, Jose Rizal University’s Marwin Dionisio, EAC’s Ralph Robin, and College of Saint Benilde’s Robi Nayve for the weekly honors, presented by San Miguel Corporation and supported by minor sponsors Discovery Suites and Jockey.
The Filipino-Canadian is one of the main reasons why San Beda is on a four-game winning streak with a 7-2 record for the season, just behind the league-leading Mapua University (8-1).
Puno, recommended to San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta by TNT guard Jayson Castro, showcased his best game so far against Perpetual last Tuesday, amassing 12 points and a tournament-best 17 rebounds en route to their comeback win. He followed it up with 16 points and 11 rebounds against San Sebastian before capping off the week with 11 markers and 12 boards against EAC.
Escueta praised Puno’s efforts for San Beda but emphasized that there’s more to come from him.
“Jom playing as a 3 is always an advantage for us. His activity in crashing the boards, his length, and athleticism are advantages for us,” the second-year coach said. “That’s the reason why we recruited him, and he knows it. We believe it’s a blessing for the basketball community that he chose San Beda over other schools. I’m sure he can do more.”
Puno, on the other hand, attributed his performances to his readiness to contribute to the Red Lions. He stated, “I just know my role coming into a game. I do whatever it takes to win. I really focused on positioning myself and timing my rebounds to help my team out.”
