Puno leading Lions’ attack

Jomel Puno continued to rack up solid numbers for San Beda University in Season 100 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament.

The 6-foot-6 Filipino-Canadian forward just keeps on making heads turn as he figured prominently in the Red Lions’ twin wins the past week.

Puno fired a career-high 22 points in the Red Lions’ 66-64 win over bitter rival Letran College last Tuesday.

Then, Puno dropped 19 points as San Beda scraped past University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, 63-62, last Saturday.

His sense of urgency showed up more evidently following the go signal given by his coaches to be more aggressive as the first round of the eliminations nears its end.

With an average of 19 points, nine rebounds, and 1.5 assists in two games with a 45.5 percent shooting from the field, Puno was feted as the Collegiate Press Corps NCAA Player of the Week backed by the Philippine Sports Commission with Discovery Suites and World Balance as minor sponsors from 1 to 5 October.

The sophomore forward said he felt he needed to do more for his team in San Beda’s back-to-back championship bid.

“Throughout last season and the start of this season, I felt like I was too laid back (with) being a supporter,” Puno said.

“After I got the go signal from my coaches and teammates, I tried doing my best, which I haven’t been able to do (in a while).”

Puno zoomed past Joshua Guiab of Jose Rizal University, Jimboy Estrada of Letran, and the reigning Most Valuable Player from Mapua University, Clint Escamis, for the weekly award given by scribes covering the collegiate beat.