Rising star Romeo continues to break ankles, hearts

MANILA, Philippines -- Terrence Romeo’s back-to-back explosive performances against Meralco and a tough Mahindra side merited his first Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the 41st PBA season.

The 5-foot-10 GlobalPort guard showed why he’s one of the pro league’s fast-rising superstars after out dueling veteran Meralco guard Jimmy Alapag in the Batang Pier’s pulse-pounding 108-104 win over the Bolts last Dec. 9.

Last season’s Most Improved Player was at his absolute best in the final period, banging 12 of his season-high 33 points to preserve GlobalPort’s victory and spoil Alapag’s last-quarter explosion.

Four days later, Romeo bucked a woeful shooting night from beyond the arc, knocking down his lone three-point shot in the game, before icing the contest with a layup off a crossover move to tow GlobalPort past Mahindra in overtime, 118-116.

The win pushed GlobalPort to solo fourth spot with its 7-3 win-loss record and secure a twice-to-beat advantage entering the quarterfinal stage.

The former Far Eastern University star averaged 31 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the Batang Pier’s 2-0 record last week to beat teammate Stanley Pringle, San Miguel Beer’s Alex Cabagnot, Blackwater’s Carlo Lastimosa and Barangay Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson for the weekly citation.

“Wala akong masasabi sa bata (Romeo) kasi nung kailangan ng three points, dun sya pumutok. Hindi sya nawalan ng kumpiyansa dahil naitabla niya tapos in transition nai-shoot pa nya (against Mahindra),” said GlobalPort coach Pido Jarencio in praising the 23-year-old Romeo.

Romeo’s game has no doubt, improved this season following his two-month stint with Gilas Pilipinas, which placed second in the 2015 Fiba-Asia men’s championships in Changsa, China last September.

GlobalPort looks to extend its franchise-best fourth straight win on Friday when it faces Talk ‘N Text in the opening game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.