Unheralded Reyes, Montalbo shine in the spotlight

Under the bright lights of the SMART-Araneta Coliseum, and in front of the eyes of the thousands in the bleachers and the millions watching at home, two of the youngest DLSU Green Archers earned their stripes in one of the most heart-wrenching editions of the historic La Salle-Ateneo rivalry.

With starting forward Jeron Teng saddled with three fouls, a lanky 6-foot-3 forward took his place in the lineup at the beginning of the second half. He was tasked to defend Chris Newsome, the man who torched La Salle for 27 points in the first round, but he did not seem to get rattled. True enough, Newsome was denied of the ball and when he did get it, he was contested from each and every angle.

He disturbed the passing lanes with his length and used his leaping ability to soar for rebounds to kickstart the offense. Sophomore Gabby Reyes had Newsome’s number defensively, and the prolific Ateneo forward finished with just eight points on eight shot attempts.

Though Reyes had just appeared in four games prior to this contest, he was ready to shine on the big stage when his number was called. “I kinda had a feeling [that I was going to play] because I was thinking at the back of my mind that Oda [Tampus] and Jeron had three fouls so I had a feeling that coach was gonna put me in and true enough he did,” shares Reyes.

He adds, “Coming in I was like, I just told myself this is it and I just have to leave everything on the court already because its about time [that I got a chance].”

True enough, Reyes made the most of his opportunity and though he failed to score, he collected three rebounds and hounded Newsome into a poor game from an offensive perspective. Reyes played the first 13 minutes of the second half and his excellent play on defense kept Teng on the bench until the fourth quarter, allowing him to preserve his fouls and energy.

“I think Gabby Reyes also played big defensively against Newsome. Even if Gabby didn’t contribute anything on offense, defensively he just gave two or four points to Newsome in that ten minute period,” shares Sauler on his prized forward.

Right when Reyes went to the bench, another young Green Archer flourished under the spotlight and played with composure beyond his years. In the absence of guard Thomas Torres, this 17-year-old point guard alternated the duty of orchestrating the DLSU offense masterfully with veteran LA  Revilla. His play resembled that of a five-year veteran hardened by years of college basketball, not that of a rookie who was still in high school at the start of this calendar year.

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Unshackled by the pressure of playing in one of the biggest games of the UAAP season so far, rookie point guard Kib Montalbo proved to everyone why he was highly-touted coming out of St. John’s Institute. He controlled the pace on offense, defended with toughness and even came up with a mid-range jumper with just over seven minutes left in the game. His shot kick started a 9-0 run for the Green Archers that put them in the driver’s seat for good.

Montalbo saw minutes sparingly in the first round, but the extended absence of Torres in the lineup during the second round for a myriad of reasons has given him an opportunity to shine, and against Ateneo, he found a way to make himself even more known to the college basketball community.

“Coach told me to stay in control and not to turn the ball over, and sabi niya nung 4th quarter na last three minutes nalang na ipapasok ako. Sabi niya give your best in that three minutes,” shares the rookie out of Bacolod. “Nag all-out ako and it really helped the team. When I made that shot, I gained the confidence na.”

While other players may shy away from pressure-packed situations, Montalbo seemed to welcome it and he showed the Animo spirit that has slowly been re-emerging in the community thanks to this team. “Konti lang before the game pero di ko na pinapasok sa mind ko kasi it will disturb you eh,” shares Montalbo on the pressure he felt due to the magnitude of the game.

“I just keep telling them, not just the point guard position, but everyone just to be ready because you’ll never know who can get to play in the next game. Everyone has to be ready, that’s what I tell my players,” shares the cerebral Sauler on how he mentally prepares his troops for their games.

With the UAAP season entering the homestretch, the contributions of both Montalbo and Reyes will be even more crucial for the Green Archers’ remaining games. With their experiences from this game tucked under their belts, these two players seem readier than ever to contribute.

“Expect me to help my team talaga, help my team with winning,” shares Montalbo on his outlook for the rest of the season.

Reyes adds, “I’m always ready, ever since last year, the point for me is to be ready at all times. It’s a big confidence booster but I have to keep my humility and keep on practicing to get better.”

Though their contributions do not always find its way to the stat sheets, both Reyes and Montalbo will be valuable assets to the Green Archers, not just for the remainder of the season, but for the coming years as well. The future is definitely bright for this team, and these two young players are, without a doubt, an indispensable part of that.

Missed the game? Read our full game recap here: http://thelasallian.com/2013/09/01/uaap-teng-lifts-dlsu-past-streaking-ateneo/