Win or lose, Reinhard Jumamoy will always be the Bulldogs’ ride or die.
With five-tenths of a second remaining, National University put its faith in Jumamoy, and the point guard delivered, drilling the game-winning three-pointer to lift the Bulldogs to an 87-85 overtime victory over the University of Santo Tomas on Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“Wala akong masabi eh. Inisip ko lang na ako ‘yung titira, kasi iniensayo ko naman ‘yun eh,” he said.
“Tinake charge ko, win or lose. Sa awa ng Diyos, thank you, pumasok ‘yung tira ko.”
The game-winner secured NU’s fourth victory in UAAP Season 89, but the confidence Jumamoy showed in calling for the ball with the game on the line spoke just as loudly as the shot itself.
It was a testament to the point guard’s fearlessness and the trust his teammates and coaches had in him.
With the Growling Tigers threatening to force a five-second violation, head coach Paul Francisco had to improvise after UST shut down NU’s initial inbound play.
He found Jumamoy near center court and trusted his point guard to make something happen.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
“Before the inbound play, Reinhard went up to me and said, ‘Pag wala, sa akin na lang. So I have that trust in my point guard. There weren’t any options; UST played good denial defense on our play, so I just saw Reinhard, and I just trusted him with the pass,” Francisco said.
“Yung game winner, ibibigay ko kay Reinhard ‘yun. Ishu-shoot niya ‘yun. Tira niya ’yon. Win or lose, ayun, tumama, so napunta sa amin yung sitwasyon,” Napa added.
The decisive possession came after Jumamoy missed an earlier three-pointer and had his layup attempt swatted away by Collins Akowe, making his decision to take the final shot all the more significant.
For Napa, Jumamoy’s willingness to keep shooting despite previous misses is a quality worth trusting, even with the game on the line.
“Nagbunga ‘yung tiwala ni Coach Jeff sa akin. ‘Yung sinasabi niya palagi sa akin na sobrang kapal ng mukha ko,” said the 23-year-old guard.
“Siguro inisip ko lang noong nag-layup ako kay Collins, ‘yun din ‘yung nangyari sa amin last year noong na-turnover ko ‘yung bola. So iniisip ko kailangan ko mag-take charge. Kailangan ko i-lead ‘yung mga kasama ko,” he added.
Jumamoy finished with 19 points, six assists, and six rebounds, delivering an all-around performance for the Bulldogs. But beyond the numbers, it was his willingness to take responsibility and embrace the pressure, regardless of the stakes, that defined his performance.
