MANILA, Philippines – Finally, Deschon Winston’s matchup with Ateneo de Manila University was one to remember. 

De La Salle University’s 24-year-old winger scored 25 points, had six assists, and pulled down five rebounds in 33 minutes of play to lead the team to its first victory over its opponents since Season 80. 

With his 47.6 percent field goal percentage and excellent midrange play, Winston helped the Green Archers end their seven-game losing streak to the Blue Eagles. 

Additionally, Winston had this game scheduled during the off-season.

“It was obviously a game we had on our schedule for a long time,” the youthful star admits. The 2022 PBA D-League champion said, “We were just doing everything we could to win. 

“This time, I kept more rebounds because their team was bigger. I was required to crash the boards. We all merely had a strong desire to prevail in this match, he continues. 

Winston actually defied a slow start to the game and managed to go scoreless in the first period despite the great performance. 

But eventually, the Central Michigan University graduate discovered a method to assert himself in the contest.

In some cases, finishing strong is more important than starting strong. 

According to Winston, “Coach Tab (Baldwin), who is a really outstanding coach, utilized a bunch of defensive tactics in the first quarter to kind of stop what we do best.” “I just needed to take a seat, examine the situation, see how they were handling us, and consider my options in order to be useful. 

I was trying to do all it needed to get the win for our squad down the line, he continued. 

Winston has unquestionably adjusted to life in the UAAP. Though he may have had difficulties at times, he is now beginning to consistently demonstrate his talent.

The 6-foot-4 guard Winston, who is 22 years old, formerly competed for Division I Central Michigan University. 

In fact, during his college career, he changed institutions three times. Even so, as a student-athlete pursuing a master’s degree, he is qualified to play for the Green Archers for two seasons. 

Winston excelled in high school, helping Birmingham High School win the City Section Open Division Championship for the first time ever. Later, in 2017, he made a commitment to the University of California, Berkeley. He participated in 25 games during his lone season there, scoring 1.64 points on average. 

He spent his sophomore year at City Institution of San Francisco, a junior college. In 33 games played there, he averaged 13.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.

Scores at the End of the Match

DLSU with 83 points

Individual Scores: Winston 25, Nelle 10, Cortez 8, Quiambao 7, Abadam 7, M. Phillips 6, Austria 6, B. Phillips 6, Estacio 5, Nwankwo 3, Nonoy 0, Manuel 0

Ateneo with 78

Individual Scores: Kouame 22, Ballungay 19, Andrade 8, Ildefonso 7, Padrigao 7, Gomez 5, Lazaro 4, Garcia 3, Chiu 2, Koon 1, Daves 0, Quitevis 0

Scores per Quarter

18-28, 46-47, 64-62, 83-78