Just a week into the NCAA Season 95 Men’s Basketball Tournament, Jethro Mendoza has already given Emilio Aguinaldo College a signature moment to remember this season.
Mendoza hit the go-ahead layup with 1.5 seconds remaining as the Generals pulled off a stunning 84-82 upset over Lyceum last Friday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
That game-winner alone was more than enough for the sweet-shooting guard to earn the season's first Chooks-to-Go Collegiate Press Corps NCAA Player of the Week.
It capped off an eight-point fourth quarter for the graduating guard, finishing the game with a team-high 21 points to lead EAC in the victory, their first against the Pirates since 2016 and arguably the biggest win in school history since their win over Letran in 2015.
Jethro buried six triples to anchor his scoring explosion, while also tallying four rebounds, two assists, and a steal, committing zero turnovers in 26 minutes of action, helping the Generals fend off a Pirate comeback after they erected an eighteen-point lead.
He shared to the media afterwards, “Sabi lang namin, atin ‘to, lalaban tayo hanggang matapos. Kahit na nakakahabol na sila, gawin lang namin ‘yung tama.”
It also helped that first-year head coach Oliver Bunyi has full trust in his deadshot shooter.
“I was telling them, even if Jethro is doing 0-of-10 in the first part, I will still trust him to take the ball outside. That’s his job. ‘Yun naman, naging successful siya,” said Bunyi.
Mendoza bested Jerrick Balanza of Letran, RK Ilagan of San Sebastian, Jaycee Marcelino of Lyceum, Edgar Charcos of Perpetual, and the San Beda troika of James Canlas, Evan Nelle and Donald Tankoua for the weekly award handed out by scribes from print and online covering the beat.
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