NU head coach Aris Dimaunahan praises Lady Bulldog veteran Camille Clarin, who made an impact against the Adamson Lady Falcons in UAAP Season 87 beyond scoring.
NU head coach Aris Dimaunahan spoke highly of skipper Camille Clarin as she found ways to contribute for the Lady Bulldogs, even as she struggled to find her shooting touch in their big win against the Adamson Lady Falcons at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
Clarin, already a two-time UAAP champion, had no points to show for herself after going 0-of-5 from the field against the San Marcelino squad. But after realizing that it wasn’t her day when it came to scoring, she focused on other aspects to help the team.
“I think it's a testament of how mature she is right now,” Dimaunahan said of Clarin’s mindset, as she finished with nine assists, six rebounds, two steals, and one block.
“Maybe, 'pag bata 'yung player, ang nasa isip lang is to score eh. Pero there are a lot of fields and departments in this game that you could make an impact on. Defense, box out, defending, making right decisions, making good passes. All of those. I’m glad that I’m seeing that through CC’s eyes na she doesn’t get affected if she doesn’t score. Kasi nga, marami siyang kayang ibigay.”
Despite going zero in scoring, Clarin came out as the most efficient player on her team – finishing a +24 on efficiency in their 74-52 victory over Adamson.
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For Dimaunahan, if Clarin recovered her shooting touch, then it would just be a bonus.
“Just being in tip top shape, marami siyang kayang ibigay sa team namin na magiging impact sa game. Not just scoring. 'Yung scoring will be a bonus for her and for us and imagine kung makakascore pa siya, eh 'di this game will be a blowout right away.” he said.
What Clarin was able to do is not an easy task, as some players might lose focus and struggle to trust their teammates to do what’s right in order to win the game.
The game-changer for Clarin, at least according to Dimaunahan, is her immense experience in the field, having been with the Lady Bulldogs from as early as 2019.
With Clarin serving as the team’s captain for the second year in a row, Dimaunahan is eager to see what the 23-year-old will continue to give for her team – whether it reflects on the stat sheet or not.
“It's a testament of CC’s maturity in the game, being here in the league for so long already. She knows what to do already. Hopefully, madevelop pa niya 'yung pagiging leader niya moving forward for our campaign this year,” said Dimaunahan.
Clarin and the rest of the Lady Bulldogs are in the midst of a redemption campaign as they aim to regain the UAAP crown after failing to complete an eight-peat bid in Season 86, where they lost to defending champions UST in an entertaining three-game series.
Next on the agenda for the Lady Bulldogs are the UE Lady Warriors on Saturday, September 28, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.