‘He clearly took over the game’
FAR Eastern University star RR Garcia’s fourth quarter performance against University of the Philippines yesterday earned plaudits from UAAP basketball commissioner Andy Jao, who claimed he had seen "a great performance."
"Haven’t seen a performance like that in a long while; he clearly took over the game," exclaimed Jao, who watched as Garcia scored 18 of the Tamaraws’ 24-point output in the last eight minutes.
Garcia tied former La Salle ace playmaker and current Smart-Gilas mainstay JV Casio’s 18-point output also in the payoff period in the Archers’ 81-79 squeaker over University of Santo Tomas last Aug. 28, 2006.
Hounded by a stifling UP defense in the first 30 minutes, the 5-foot-8 Garcia woke up from a long stupor and ran rings around his Maroon defenders with help coming from veteran forward Aldrech Ramos, nailing back-breaking shots after another in whittling a huge 16-point deficit.
Garcia, at 21 the youngest of four siblings, expressed satisfaction with his scintillating outing, saying: "Ito na siguro ‘yung isa sa best games ko individually. Binigay ko lang talaga ‘yung best ko ganun din ang mga teammates ko nu’ng fourth."
Garcia got going offensively with a lay-up at the 7:37 mark and went on to score a variety of shots against UP defenders, his clutch floater off 6-foot-7 UP reinforcement Alinko Mbah finally giving FEU the lead 55-53 with 1:12 left.
With his backcourt buddy Terrence Romeo playing out-of-sync, Flores decided to put the ball–along with his team’s hopes–on the hands of Garcia, who gladly rose to the occasion.
"Basta sinabi ko lang sa kanya na siya na ang humawak ng bola (in the fourth). Iba na kasi talaga maglaro ang beterano. Nagkakalat rin kasi si Terrence at ayoko ng maulit ung nangyari (against Ateneo)," explained Flores.
The team’s defeat to the Blue Eagles last week obviously still nagged at Ramos, who said: "First time ko kasing naranasan talaga na matalo pa despite leading ng six points sa last one minute. Ayoko ng maulit ‘yun."
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