Nineteen-year-old Jeff Sapinit’s outside shooting clicks whenever the Mapua Red Robins need it most in the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association junior basketball tournament.
He showed it when the Red Robins to a 70-63 smashing of the San Sebastian Staglets at the Arena in San Juan.
Sapinit, a transferee from Far Eastern University, finished with only nine points in that game.
His two triples the fourth quarter came in just in time to help send the Red Robins to their fifth straight victory.
“Lagi ko naman itong ginagawa. Pero naging mas importante lang iyung mga nagawa ko sa game (against Staglets),” said Sapinit.
The Red Robins saw a 15 point lead vanish in the third period, after Staglets Jessie Sumoda, Romel Calahat and Damie Cuntapay combined for 13 points, to stay close, 48-53, at the end of the quarter.
Then, triples from Carl Lacap, Clint Escamis and Sapinit, who had two, allowed the Red Robins to pull away, 65-54, with 3:59 to go.
Lacap hit 12 points for the Red Robins, who now share the lead with the La Salle Greenhills Junior Blazers, while Escamis had 11.
With their win, the Red Robins are sharing the lead with the La Salle Greenhills Junior Blazers.
They are in an unfamiliar because, for many years, the San Beda Red Cubs have been dominating and winning titles.
This time around, the Red Robins are among those expected to make the Final Four, and with Sapinit among the expected to shine.
He is one of the top performing players of the team with his averages of 11.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals.