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MANILA, Philippines – After playing spot minutes for La Salle, Justine Baltazar looks poised to shine as he embraces a bigger role in Season 81 of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
Since the preseason, Baltazar was tasked – along with fellow big man Taane Samuel – to fill in the shoes left by former league MVP Ben Mbala.
La Salle’s Kiwi recruit, though, got sidelined right on his first game with the Green Archers last week, leaving Baltazar to take most of the work load at the paint.
But the 6-foot-7 revelation stepped up in a big way, unleashing a career-high of 17 points to go with 12 rebounds to power La Salle past National University for their first win on Wednesday, September 19.
“Sabi sa akin ni coach na dapat ako yung maging leader sa court, pagsabihan ko lahat ng teammates ko, ngayon kailangan namin magstep up especially na wala si Samuel,” said Baltazar,
(Coach told me that I should be a leader on court, call out my teammates, especially now that we have to step up with Samuel gone.)
Samuel sustained a Jones fracture on his right foot – a bone fracture between the base of the foot and the toes – that will require at least six to eight weeks of recovery after his surgery.
Although the Green Archers are down to 12 men for the rest of the first round, it hardly mattered as Baltazar even highlighted his double-double outing by nailing the go-ahead jumper in the last 28 seconds that gave La Salle a 78-76 edge.
“Titira ko na talaga, two seconds na lang eh, di na ako nag-dribble eh,” Baltazar said of the key play where the Green Archers used Aljun Melecio as a decoy.
(I was really going to shoot it, two seconds left, I didn’t dribble anymore.)
The Green Archers look to continue their winning momentum as they clash with the winless University of East Red Warriors on Sunday, September 23, 4pm, at the Filoil Flying V Centre. – Rappler.com
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