MANILA, Philippines — Naging sandalan ng nagdedepensang San Beda University si Donald Tankoua sa oras ng panga-ngailangan.
Nagawang maitarak ng San Beda ang 22-point lead, 67-45 kontra sa Colegio de San Juan de Letran may 6:19 pang nalalabi noong Martes.
Subalit unti-unti itong tinapyas ng Knights nang pasabugin ng Intramuros-based squad ang 19-0 run.
“If we lost this game, I should probably blame myself for that because I gave everybody a chance to play and the other guys who came in just simply didn’t want to really step up,” wika ni San Beda head coach Boyet Fernandez. “They thought it was already a won game for us.”
Ngunit mabilis na umaksiyon si Tankoua nang isalpak nito ang krusyal na basket para ibalik ang Red Lions sa porma at makuha ang 74-68 panalo.
Nakalikom ang 6-foot-6 Cameroonian ng kabuuang 19 points ay siyam na rebounds para makuha ang NCAA Press Corps Player of the Week award.
Ayaw na ni Tankoua na maulit ang pagre-relax ng kanyang mga katropa kaya’t nais nitong magsilbing aral sa kanila ang naturang laro.
“What happened, happened and I think that we should realize that we really have to work hard in every game,” anang 23-anyos big man.
Naungusan ni Tankoua sa parangal sina Jaycee Marcelino ng Lyceum of the Philippines, Laurenz Victoria ng Mapua University at Michael Calisaan ng San Sebastian College-Recoletos.