Following Kurt Reyson's fantastic performance against the Blue Eagles in the SBP Invitational Games on Wednesday, Baldwin had nothing but praise for the Letran star.
Reyson assumed leadership for the Knights, leading them with a game-high 25 points on 9 of 22 shooting. He had three assists and five rebounds as well. Reyson put in a valiant effort, but the NCAA champion team failed late as the UAAP Kings pulled off a comeback victory of 90-85.
“Reyson’s a hell of a player, and he had a perfect game, and we knew they would go to him,” Baldwin said.
The 5-foot-9 guard was the target of their defensive attention in the game's closing minutes as they sought to minimize his possibilities, according to the four-time UAAP champion coach. The Blue Eagles, who had been down for most of the game, overcame Reyson and the Knights to secure the victory with a 7-1 run.
Following the departure of star guard Fran Yu, Reyson, who had 10.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game during Letran's NCAA Season 98 title run, is anticipated to take over as the Knights' captain in 2019.
Ateneo was led by Mason Amos, who had 16 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Jarred Brown had 14 points and four assists and scored a key three-pointer and a couple of free throws in the fourth quarter to help Ateneo win.
In terms of offense, we concentrated on producing quality shots for our talented shooters. JB made a corner three-pointer, showing that our execution improved as the game continued. I was happy with the team's development during the game, Baldwin said. (Romeo Braceros Jr.)