The Letran Knights will be without leader and point guard Titing Manalili for the time being in the NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament. But they can take comfort knowing they have another guard in Chad Gammad who can fill in—at least in the scoring department.
In fact, Gammad showed his readiness in Letran’s close 82‑81 loss to the Arellano Chiefs as he finished with 23 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist while shooting 6‑for‑10 from distance.
Chad Gammad Embraces Scoring Role
With Letran already having a playmaker in Manalili and a defensive anchor and rebounder in Kevin Santos, Chad Gammad knows that scoring is one of his main responsibilities.
“When I’m on the court, my mentality is just to score. If I’m open, I’m shooting it. If there’s no hand in my face, I’m shooting it,” Gammad told Rebanse after Letran’s loss.
Gammad, a former Letran Squire, is definitely not shy about letting it fly. Before going 6‑for‑10 from deep against Arellano, he also went 4‑for‑14 in a Letran win over the San Sebastian Golden Stags. That confidence, it turns out, is not misguided as he puts in the work to be a good shooter.
“That’s based on my work. It’s the work that I put in, the reps that I put in outside the games, like in practices,” he pointed out.
Bringing the Energy Is Key
With Manalili sidelined for two to four weeks because of a sprained right wrist, Gammad admits that the Knights will be in for a rough stretch when they take on teams from Group B, including rivals San Beda Red Lions.
“I know the other bracket’s going to be tough, so we just have to keep the energy going. Even though we lost today, we have to bring the same energy that we’ve been bringing from our games to the next game against San Beda,” said Gammad.
That marquee matchup between the finalists of Season 101 will take place on October 5, and best believe Chad Gammad will be bringing the energy—and that gunner’s mentality—to help Letran bounce back from its first loss of the season.
