Jalalon's impressive triple-double earns him Player of the Week honor

Dennis Acosta (file photo)

By Ivan Saldajeno

SAN JUAN, MM--Before Scottie Thompson and Jio Jalalon became NCAA stars, making a triple-double was a rarity in college basketball.

Jalalon's feat on Friday was rarer that the press just could not pass up on him as the player of the week.

The NCAA Press Corps announced on Sunday that the Arellano guard is the Accel-Quantum XVI Player of the Week after going red-hot and outlasting his fellow Gilas Cadet Thompson in a triple-double battle and the entire Perpetual Help team in an 84-77 overtime win.

Jalalon tallied 32 points, ten rebounds, and 15 assists as he helped the Chiefs beat Thompson, who had 24-12-11 on Friday, and the Altas.

The King Chief said that his inspiration is no less than the King Alta, who helped him and the rest of the Gilas Cadets win the gold medal in the SEA Games.

"I want to prove to everyone that I can be like [Scot] too," Jalalon told the press after the win.

Also considered for the plum are last week's winner Arth Dela Cruz of Letran, who also had a triple-double this past week, and Mark Cruz of Letran, who had a fourth quarter explosion this past week as well.