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SMB's Jericho Cruz gains confidence ahead of Guam stint

Sports | Basketball

SMB's Jericho Cruz gains confidence ahead of Guam stint

By Mark Rey Montejo

At A Glance

The Filipino-Guamanian player said SMB's title victory against Magnolia gave him the confidence to represent the Pacific island territory in the continental qualifiers.

San Miguel guard Jericho Cruz savored the moment as a PBA champion as he is set to leave the country and suit up for Guam in the FIBA Asia Cup window later this month.

jericho cruz.jpg — San Miguel's Jericho Cruz (PBA Images)

The Filipino-Guamanian player said SMB's title victory against Magnolia gave him the confidence to represent the Pacific island territory in the continental qualifiers.

“Grabe ang sarap umalis ng ibang bansa na panalo. Nasa mindset ko na pag natalo kami parang ayaw ko pumunta eh [and] maglaro sa Guam,” Cruz said on Wednesday, Feb. 14.

“Ready na ‘yong ticket ko for Guam, kasama ko ‘yong family ko, at the same time vacation na rin ‘yong dating, excited akong pumunta ng Guam, sana makapanalo kami,” he added.

Cruz also praised the hard-fighting Magnolia for giving them a good fight, particularly to guards Mark Barroca and Jio Jalalon.

“It was a big relief for us, pero hats off to Magnolia grabe ang lakas nila, especially sa guards sila Mark at Jio,” Cruz stressed.

The three-time PBA champion played a key role in San Miguel's Game 5 victory, listing 30 points spiked by eight three-pointer.

In Game 6, despite having a measly shooting, Cruz managed to find his deadly form in the second half as he drilled one of three crucial triples to seal the deal for the Beermen.

He will fly to Guam for the FIBA window which begins on Feb. 22. Cruz and the Guamanians are bracketed in Group C along with Asia’s powerhouse China, Japan and Mongolia.

Related Tags

San Miguel Beermen guam Jericho Cruz FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers

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