MANILA, Philippines – In just his very first game for the AMA Online Education Titans in the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup, Jeron Teng proceeded to score more points than he ever did for De La Salle University in the UAAP.

Teng torched Team Batangas for 42 points, making 12 of his 27 field goal attempts.

His jump shot, though, remained a work in progress. When the Batangas players dared him to beat them from the perimeter and beyond the arc, Teng missed more than he made from above the free throw line.

But once he put his head down and drove to the lane, there was no stopping him. Teng split the double teams Batangas sent his way, spun his way to the hoop, and muscled his way for buckets just as he did for five years for La Salle. His drives were rewarded more often than not: Teng shot 23 free throws, more than the entire Batangas team, and made 18 of them.

"Di ko ine-expect 'yun," Teng said of his 42-point explosion. "Nagulat lang ako sinabi ni Coach Mark (Herrera)."

• READ: Jeron Teng explodes for 42 in his D-League debut

Teng's output marked the second highest in the D-League history, just behind James Martinez' 58-point game last year.

It was also more than Teng had ever scored for La Salle. His career high for the Green Archers was 35 points, set during his rookie year in an overtime game against National University.

Of course, it could not match Teng's personal best – he memorably scored 104 points as a high school player in Xavier School.

Herrera was not particularly surprised to see the No. 1 pick in the D-League Draft go off against Batangas. The coach played Teng for nearly the entire game, sitting him only in the last 13 seconds of the first half, and most possessions began and ended with Teng.

The stat sheet showed that Teng was on the court for 39 minutes and 46 seconds of the 40-minute game. Teng never averaged more than 33 minutes per game during his five-year UAAP career.

"Actually, ine-expect namin na siya talaga ang magke-carry ng team namin ngayon," Herrera said of Teng. "Talagang lahat ng opportunity, pag kailangan, binibigay namin sa kanya."

Teng repaid Herrera's trust by hitting some clutch shots and game-icing free throws in their 101-95 victory. Later, he expressed his delight at being given the freedom to play his game by the AMA coach.

"That's what I like about Coach Mark. He lets me be, he lets me play my game," Teng said.

"With Coach Mark, hinahayaan niya ako. He trusts my judgment, kaya din nalalabas ko 'yung game ko," he added.

Herrera welcomed not just Teng's scoring output but the leadership he showed inside the court, particularly when Batangas tried to make a comeback late in the game. However, he also acknowledged that the team still has work to do in terms of developing its chemistry.

"Hindi pa naman talaga solid," he said. "Medyo nagkakapaan pa kami sa opensa at depensa. As of now, naging individual. Si Jeron, dinala kami."

Teng, for his part, said: "I was just focused on doing my best for the team, to help my team win the game."

The former La Salle star sees plenty of room for improvement. He admits that his outside shooting can use some work, and he wants to be more of a playmaker as well.

"Lahat, kailangan ko i-improve," he said.

For now, however, he relished his successful D-League debut and the green light he was given by AMA.

"Super excited ko, kasi sa five years ko sa La Salle, hindi ako nakapag-D-League," he admitted. "'Yung iba, nakapag-D-League na. I used to envy those guys."

"It's another basketball experience, and I'm happy to improve."

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