After a shaky start to the UAAP Season 88 High School Boys’ Basketball Tournament, National University Nazareth School has soared to the top of the standings following their win over Far Eastern University-Diliman last Wednesday.
At the forefront of the Bullpups’ rise are two juniors — Shaun Lucido and Mot Matias.
Despite being a year younger than their Grade 12 seniors at just 18 years old, the duo stepped up and embraced their responsibilities for NUNS.
“Siguro, na-define namin yung mga roles nila at yung mga tasks na binibigay namin sa kanila,” said Bullpups head coach Kevin De Castro.
“Nama-maximize namin yung bawat isa sa kanila. ‘Yung pagiging family din namin lumabas na.”
Just two years removed from their stint with the Bullpups’ 16-and-under squad, Lucido, a 6-foot-1 winger from Legazpi City, Albay, has emerged as NUNS’ leading scorer, averaging 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Meanwhile, Mot, son of former PBA pro Ronnie Matias and standing 5-foot-10, leads the league in assists with 8.1 per game, alongside 6.7 points and 3.7 rebounds.
After limited minutes in their 19-and-under debuts last year, both made it a point to work their way up the NUNS hierarchy.
“Kita naman natin last season, limited yung minutes ko. So ngayon, talagang nagtrabaho ako noong preseason. So ito, pinapanindigan ko yung role ko,” said Matias.
“Pareho kami ni Mot na limited yung minutes ko. Binabawi ko po this season,” added Lucido.
Even with their hard work, neither expected to assume leadership of the Bullpups so quickly.
“Hindi ko ine-expect na ganito kabilis kasi madami pa pong seniors sa amin,” admitted Lucido, who finished with 14 points and three rebounds in their 80-72 win over the Baby Tamaraws. “Sobrang thankful kami sa tiwala ng coaches.”
“Kaming mga players talagang tinatrabaho namin yung pinapagawa ng coaches sa amin,” echoed Matias, who tallied 12 points, nine assists, and five steals in the victory.
With five games left in the elimination round, the duo is already in playoff mode, aiming to avenge their seniors Collins Akowe and Migs Palanca, who suffered heartbreaks in their final year last season.
