After Globalport suffered a 109-88 lambasting at the hands of TNT Katropa last Friday, coach Franz Pumaren was clearly frustrated with the lack of bench support from the Batang Pier.
“It should be a collective effort. We’re not getting help from the guys that should be helping us. Bench is not really there,” rued Pumaren after the match.
With a team that has scorers Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle at its disposal, Globalport have become heavily reliant on the two. But this conference, it did not translate into wins — they had been a 1-5 slate before Sunday’s game.
But without Terrence Romeo, who was suffering from diarrhea — still the effect of the typhoid fever he suffered last month — the bench needed to step up Sunday night. And it was Gilas Pilipinas cadet Von Pessumal who led the bench, scoring his career-high 14 points on four triples, in Globalport’s 105-86 win over the Mahindra Floodbuster.
According to the 24-year-old sniper, this was the message his coach had preached to them last Saturday.
“Malaking bagay because basketball is 48 minutes. Even if the starters play well for 36, the other 12 should be solid to win the game,” the former Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagle shared.
“Malaking bagay yung bench contributions and we try to do collectively yung effort para maka-contribute kami sa game.”
As a team, Globalport had 35 bench points — also a conference-high for the team. Pessumal is hoping that they can sustain this in their final four games in the elimination round with or without Romeo, who is averaging 26.0 points this conference.
“Si Terrence is not feeling well so we had to step up. He’s our number one option so when he comes back, I think mas magiging deadly pa if we can contribute na nandoon pa siya sa court,” Pessumal, who is averaging just 5.0 points in just 16.4 minutes of action, furthered.
“He just needs to rest and recover so when he comes back, mas fresh siya. Malaking bagay ang contributions namin.”
Moreover, now with a 2-5 slate and a game behind the currently eighth-placed Phoenix Fuel Masters, the rookie hopes that a win like this will make them realize how important it is to be consistent on a nightly basis.
“We just have to play together more and understand na if we want to make it to the playoffs, kailangan talagang team kami. We’re getting there slowly. Konti na lang,” the 6-foot-2 swingman stressed.
“Hopefully, this will be a springboard for us to the playoffs.”
