La Salle rookie flashes fangs vs Ateneo

De La Salle University head coach Topex Robinson shared an anecdote about his rookie Joaquin Tovera moments before the Green Archers plunged into a thrilling match against Ateneo de Manila University.

The mentor was worried about the 18-year-old guard having jitters taking over the spot of injured veteran playmaker Jacob Cortez in a rivalry game with much history and color.

Tovera, however, appeared to care more about sketching a vampire on the play board than mind the importance of the much-anticipated second round showdown of the two proud schools in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 89 men’s basketball tournament.

“I just want to describe what happened earlier before the game. So, we had that long lull, obviously, because of the break. And I was just observing him; he was using the coach’s board and I asked him: ‘Are you taking away my job?’ But when I looked at the coach’s board, he was drawing,” Robinson said.

It turned out he was drawing what Robinson called their energy vampire that was displayed inside their locker room.

“He was just drawing that vampire. I was like, ‘Do you know how important this thing is?’ I just mentioned this, and he said, ‘Yes, Coach, but I love to draw,’” Robinson said.

That calm and composed character bordering on nonchalance amazed the mentor.

The freshman carried that into the game, playing without any signs of jitters under the spotlight of the country’s biggest basketball rivalry as the Green Archers outlasted the Blue Eagles, 76-73, in overtime on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Tovera finished with 21 points on 6-of-14 shooting, six assists and seven rebounds to lead La Salle to its third straight win for the solo third spot with a 6-4 win-loss record.

The young gun may have a carefree personality but once inside the court, he gets the job done. With a bigger role, Tovera did not back down from the challenge.

“I’m not trying to be the best player, but I’m trying to play best for my team,” he said.

Although still committing mistakes and questionable decisions, Tovera delivered a crucial pass that led to Henry Agunnane slam dunk that tied the regulation at 66 and forced overtime.

He drained a difficult jumper with three minutes left in the extension to give the Green Archers a six-point lead.

Tovera, unfortunately, tweaked his ankle while attacking the basket with 38 seconds remaining, prematurely ending his outing.

But he allayed worries about his injury, assuring that he’ll be OK for the next game.

“My injury is not that bad, but I’ll be ready for the next one,” he said.

Robinson admired how Tovera has been showing maturity beyond his years, even though outside the hardcourt he remains a kid enjoying life.

“We talked about, hopefully he stays young. He doesn’t feel that pressure and he just enjoys it,” Robinson said.

“We hope that Joaquin stays to be that young guy that just enjoys basketball.”