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After shooting 24-of-69 from three and attempting just twice inside last year, UE sniper Wello Lingolingo finally sees the fruits of his focused labor amid a promising UAAP Season 87 start
MANILA, Philippines – It was a stellar Sunday special for UE gunner Wello Lingolingo after draining six three-pointers on the way to an 18-point total as the underdog Red Warriors survived to take a 75-71 stunner over defending UAAP men’s basketball champion La Salle on September 22.
With backcourt partner John Abate joining in the fun with his own 3-of-3 clip from deep, Lingolingo accounted for half of UE’s threes with a 6-of-10 clip, hugely boosting the Warriors’ final tally of 12-of-30 (40%).
While this display of supreme sniping confidence may come off as a surprise to some, UE head coach Jack Santiago was the least bit surprised that his veteran ward would come through in a huge momentum-boosting win.
“Last year, we had a lot of players, like the ones who transferred. Right now, he’s one of the veterans of the team and the co-captain, so I really give him a go signal,” he said in Filipino.
“As long as it’s a good shot, and as long as he’s not forcing anything, he’ll make that shot.”
In one of the most interesting, but likely unnoticed stats last year, Lingolingo averaged 5.9 points in a little over 16 minutes per game, totaling a 24-of-69 (35%) clip from deep, and stunningly enough, just 1-of-2 from inside the arc for the Warriors’ entire 14-game stretch.
Now given a much bigger role in Season 87 by necessity, the sophomore guard still stayed true to his standout strength, now totaling 10-of-26 (38%) in four games so far.
“For me, I was really assigned by coach as a shooter, and every time I catch the ball, if I’m wide open, I’m not disallowed to shoot, so I have the green light to shoot the tough shots,” Lingolingo said in Filipino.
UE certainly does not have the most famous names in UAAP basketball today, but this band of youngsters and veterans have a singular desire to lift the Red Warriors out of the doldrums.
Beating the defending champion is definitely a good start. – Rappler.com
