Teng rises to the occasion for La Salle

As the curtains closed on UAAP Season 75 a year ago, Jeron Teng walked away with the Rookie of the Year trophy in one hand and a Mythical Team plaque in the other. Yet, despite the accolades that have accompanied a solid rookie season, Teng’s sophomore season has not been as smooth as he hoped it would be. From his erratic free throw shooting to his at times questionable shot selection, anyone and everyone with a pen, paper or even a Twitter account chose to criticize Teng and put all the blame on his shoulders for the Green Archers’ 3-4 first round this UAAP Season 76.

Despite all of the criticism that has come his way, Teng continues to evolve as a player. Known unfairly as a one-dimensional scorer last season, the sophomore has seemingly become more well-rounded this season, sacrificing his scoring and deferring to his teammates, seemingly content on exerting himself only when he is needed the most.

Though his averages of 14.2 points and 6.2 rebounds are down from last season, he has improved his assists, steals and blocks averages while playing in less minutes per game. As a matter of fact, Teng led his team in assists per game last season and leads the team in total assists this year, a statistic that is often overlooked by critics and fans alike.

Surprisingly, Teng is no longer La Salle’s leading scorer, a title he has relinquished to Almond Vosotros averages 14.5 points per game, but when he is needed most, he is not afraid to rise to the occasion.

Late in the first round against Adamson with the game tied and with less than a minute left to play, Teng made two free throws–his supposed Achilles’ Heel–to take the lead and seal the game.

A few games later, Teng was shackled by the Ateneo defense and he had just five points with a few seconds remaining in a tight contest. With the Green Archers up by just one point, Teng had a chance once more to save the day, but he made just one out of two free throws to extend the lead to two. Ateneo scored on the ensuing possession to tie the game at 64 with just 13 seconds remaining, and many began to blame Teng once more, whose flubbed free throw could have saved the game.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Teng was the recipient of the ball in the last play of the game and he isolated against the Ateneo defense, not afraid or distracted by his poor game thus far. He dribbled, faked, pivoted, spun and scored just before the buzzer to break the tie and win the game for the Green Archers.

The next weekend, La Salle battled the league-leading NU Bulldogs and Vosotros was unable to find his rhythm and he finished with just two points. It was Teng once again who rose to the occasion for La Salle. He kept the Green Archers in the game, scoring 13 out of the team’s 25 first half points and he finished with a total of 21 points, seven rebounds and a steal.

NU attempted to exploit Teng’s weakness of free throw shooting late in the game, fouling him in two crucial possessions wherein he attacked the basket with just over a minute left to play. Fortunately for DLSU, Teng was composed enough to knock down the four out of four free throws to give DLSU a one point lead from a three point deficit. After Ray Parks answered with a tough shot to give the lead back to NU, Teng then responded with a putback shot off his own missed jumper, giving DLSU a lead they would never relinquish.

“Inisip ko lang na I will just do what I do in practice,” shares Teng after the game regarding his crucial free throws.

Those who have closely followed the games this season have seen Teng grow in each and every game. Once a question mark when it comes to endgame composure, Teng is now someone that head coach Juno Sauler can rely on to create his own shot down the stretch and bail the team out from impending defeat.

Critics and fans alike have constantly put Teng under the microscope, more so when it comes to DLSU’s struggles, and they have not hesitated to pin the blame on him. Yet now that La Salle is on a roll, Teng has proven that his young shoulders are broad enough to carry La Salle over the hump and into the race for the championship. As Jeron Teng has matured and learned to trust his teammates, the Green Archers have grown as well into one of the top teams in the UAAP.