Tankoua NCAA player of the week

MANILA, Philippines — In what could be his final stint in the San Beda-Letran rivalry, Donald Tankoua made sure the Red Lions would come out on top.

With their once imposing 22-point bulge, 67-45, halfway through the final period reduced to three and their ace scorer fouling out in the final minute, Tankoua hit a clutch basket to save the day for the Red Lions, 74-68.

With his wards way ahead, San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez actually opted to use new combinations, enabling the Knights to mount a rally and turn the match into a thrilling finish on a 19-0 blast.

“Had we lost the game, I should probably blame myself for that because I gave everybody a chance to play and the other guys who came in just simply didn’t want to really step up,” said Fernandez. “They thought it was already a won game for us.”

With Robert Bolick fouling out, San Beda needed someone to take charge.

For stepping up in the clutch and finishing with 19 points and nine rebounds, the 6-foot-6 Cameroonian earned the Chooks-to-Go/NCAA Press Corps Player of the Week honors.