Aljun Melecio leaves Zobel with no regrets

MANILA, Philippines – The memorable 4-year high school career of reigning UAAP juniors MVP Aljun Melecio came to an end on Friday, March 4, when De La Salle Zobel fell to the NU Bullpups in Game 3 of the Season 78 finals.

The Junior Archers rallied from a 22-9 deficit at the end of the first quarter and were within two in the second period, but an offensive onslaught to open the third period by NU sealed its 16-1 season and championship.

Melecio, who finished with 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in the game, was clearly emotional after the contest as he bent down and wiped tears the moment the final buzzer sounded. Not long after, the incoming Green Archer went to the stands to hug his dad, Larry, as the Zobel crowd applauded the team’s effort.

“Good game or bad game, dad’s really the one who comforts me,” Melecio told Rappler in Tagalog moments after the defeat at the San Juan Arena. “I needed comfort. After that, I was okay.”

The 17-year-old star averaged 22.7 points and 7.1 rebounds a game in the elimination round, including a 42-point outburst against defending champion Ateneo to win the league MVP over NU’s towering Justine Baltazar, who was named Finals MVP with averages of 16 points and 20.3 boards a game.

Zobel was considered undersized all throughout the season and was an underdog in the finals against the much-taller Bullpups, but still managed to win Game 2, 71-60, to hand NU its lone loss of an otherwise unstoppable season.

“Actually after the game, that’s when I became emotional. I remembered all my history in Zobel from first year to fourth year,” Melecio said. “Zobel’s helped me a lot. Because of Zobel, I have a career in college.”

He added later on, “No regrets. I’m just happy we were able to do the unexpected.”

Despite the disappointing conclusion to the season, Melecio admits that it will be pleasing to look back at the year the Junior Archers had in the future considering how far they reached against the odds.

“It’s going to be a great feeling knowing we were underdogs in Season 78 but we were able to achieve something,” said the co-captain of the team, whom his coach describes as someone who leads by example more than vocally. “It’s great to look back at this moment.”

Melecio now turns his attention to a different task: proving himself to new DLSU Green Archers head coach Aldin Ayo and the La Salle community as he enters the UAAP seniors division.

“I have to be ready, because from Coach Boris [Aldeguer] (Zobel coach) to coach Aldin, it’s a different system,” he said about the change.

See you all in Taft

— AljunJayMelecio (@AljunJayMelecio) March 4, 2016

Melecio was free to rein over the ball in Zobel’s offense given that he was the primary scorer and playmaker. That won’t be the case in La Salle – at least not right away – where he has to compete for minutes with other guards like veterans Thomas Torres and Kib Montalbo, plus incoming sophomores Jollo Go, Andrei Caracut (last year’s Rookie of the Year), and Lorenzo Navarro.

“Coming to Coach Aldin, I’ll be getting little minutes,” admitted the explosive Melecio. “I guess I have to give Coach Aldin quality minutes.

“I think I can handle it,” he said about the pressure of playing for La Salle, which usually faces title-or-bust expectations. “When I was in first year high school [in Zobel], I was still getting used to in. In third year, it became normal.” – Rappler.com