By: Miguel Caramoan
Beyond the speculations surrounding Janti Miller’s future with San Beda University, another name continued to generate buzz: Nygel Gonzales.
Fresh off an 84-81 winner-take-all Game 3 escape against College of Saint Benilde in the semifinals, Red Lions head coach Yuri Escueta did not mince words when asked about Gonzales’ standing among the league’s floor generals.
“Very important si Nygel. Alam ko people would say na, you know, the best point guard for them ay si Titing Manalili. He’s very good and talented,” Escueta said after the hard-fought win.
“But for me, I believe, personally, the best point guard in the NCAA is Nygel Gonzales.”
That declaration only intensified the intrigue heading into San Beda’s finals showdown with archrival Colegio de San Juan de Letran, which boasted a playmaker of its own in Jonathan Manalili.
What was expected to be a chess match between two elite guards, however, quickly tilted in favor of the Red Lions, as San Beda imposed its will and swept the Knights to secure its 24th NCAA seniors crown.
For Gonzales, individual accolades were the furthest thing from his mind.
“Regarding sa best point guard, wala naman sa akin ’yon. Si Titing, ibang point guard talaga,” Gonzales said.
“Mas masaya ako na nakuha namin yung championship and two-time champion na ako.”
Manalili still managed to leave his mark, averaging 16.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 2.5 steals across the series.
But the Cebuano guard also endured his share of struggles, fouling out in Game 1 and coughing up an average of three turnovers in the two-game sweep — many of which came from Gonzales’ relentless ball pressure.
Tasked with slowing down the Letran rookie, Gonzales treated the matchup not as a personal duel, but as a responsibility tied to San Beda’s larger goal.
“Wala naman, pero lagi ako china-challenge ni Coach Yuri. So mas ginanahan lang ako nung sinabi niya ’yon, and nakapag-deliver naman,” he said.
Offensively, the former Mapua Red Robin made sure the trust was repaid.
Gonzales, a 6-foot-2 guard from Lipa City, posted 16.5 points and 4.5 assists per game on a blistering 60% clip, repeatedly punishing defensive lapses with poise and patience.
His finest moment came in the title-clinching Game 2, where he erupted for all 19 of his points in the second half — seven of which came in crunch time — to slam the door on any hopes of a Letran comeback and firmly seize control of the series.
“Kung ano lang yung binibigay ng depensa sa akin ng mga guards na bumabantay sa akin, ’yon lang ginagawa ko,” Gonzales said, embodying the quiet efficiency that defined his finals performance.
With Yukien Andrada and Bryan Sajonia both moving on to the pros, Gonzales now finds himself at the forefront of San Beda’s next chapter, regardless of where the Red Lions eventually take the floor.
Whatever happens for the team and Gonzales, the focus remains the same moving forward.
“’Wag lang tumigil. Do the stuff that takes no talent — diving for the ball, staying honest sa defense — and everything will follow naman.”
