Aldin Ayo called Ricci Rivero’s number, and he delivered

MANILA, Philippines – With 1:43 left in the third quarter, the De La Salle Green Archers trailed the NU Bulldogs, 54-48, and were in danger of losing for the first time in UAAP Season 79. It was also in that sequence of the game when rookie Ricci Rivero out of La Salle Greenhills was inserted for the first time in the second half.

Rivero had played sparingly in DLSU’s first 3 games of the season, with his most notable accomplishment being a reverse dunk he completed on a fastbreak during garbage time to punctuate a 100-62 blowout over UST just 4 days prior.

On Sunday, the former LSGH superstar was expected to once again play only spot minutes when he entered against the Bulldogs. And true enough, he finished the match with a total of only 10.8 minutes. 

But the difference this time was that in his brief appearance, he played a major role in ensuring his team’s fate.

“Actually he (DLSU head coach Aldin Ayo) always reminds me, ‘Be ready,’ and that I can contribute something to the team. Every training [session], I just show my willingness to do this and whatever. My willingness to win,” Rivero told Rappler in Tagalog after La Salle rallied from a 9-point third quarter deficit to beat NU and remain undefeated in 4 games.

In what was a potential preview of this year’s UAAP Finals, DLSU trimmed a 52-43 deficit with 2:54 left in the third period to 54-52 entering the final quarter. Four points from the Green Archers’ 9-2 run came from Rivero, who also helped apply pressure defense which created Bulldogs turnovers and woke up the La Salle crowd.

Rivero, who finished with 6 points on 3-of-4 shooting, didn’t score again until 1:59 left in the game, but when he did, it was off a beautiful euro step on the baseline which put his team ahead 68-61, essentially sealing the contest in stylish fashion.

“He told me, ‘I’m going to use you, be ready,’” Rivero recalled a conversation with Ayo. “I don’t look for points, unlike in high school where every game, even if I was exhausted, I could score. But it’s so different in college that you always have to be ready.”

Rivero also doesn’t need to always produce in the scoring department as often as he did in high school. DLSU, after all, is arguably the deepest team in the UAAP.

“Even if coach closes his eyes and he points at someone randomly, [that guy] can contribute. That’s how strong the line-up is. I really don’t look to score. I settled in on defense, and I showed my willingness to win,” said the athletic standout.

NU gave DLSU its biggest challenge so far by dictating the tempo and pace of the game, relying on solid defense, and sharing the ball on the other end. But, just like flipping a switch, La Salle was able to turn momentum around in such a short span, and for Rivero, one reason why that was is due to how close the bond of the team is.

“We’re very close, because when coach was just introducing his system, we had a lot of team building, we joined a lot of leagues,” he said.

Right now they’re on top of the standings in the league that truly matters, and if the game against NU is an indication, they may be there for a while. – Rappler.com