Misfiring from behind the arc all season long, Gab Gomez has his coaches to thank for, as he regained his firepower in Game 3 of the UAAP Season 85 finals.

Gomez came off the bench and delivered an impressive line, scoring 12 points on 3-of-6 shooting from long range and 3 of 3 from the foul line, helping Ateneo beat University of the Philippines 75-68.

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“To give credit to coaches and teammates ko, I wouldn’t be able to perform that way if it wasn’t for them,” Gomez told ABS-CBN Sports Content Lead Migs Bustos.

“I’m thankful for the trust my coaches gave me in that game.”

Throughout the season, Gomez struggled from 3-point territory, making only a shade above 28 percent from distance while averaging a quiet 3.13 points.

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Compounding his woes entering Game 3, the Filipino-Italian guard had only scored 4 points in total, missing two attempts from deep.

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But Blue Eagles assistant coach Sandy Arespacochaga insisted that the coaching staff felt it was only a matter of time before Gomez would have a career game.

“I wasn’t surprised Gab hit those threes. The two practices before, he was hitting them with accuracy already,” the Blue Eagles’ long-time assistant said.

“He worked and got a lot of shots up, aside from normal practices. It made sense. It was due that he would explode with a performance like that.”

And as if scripted beautifully, Gomez repaid his entire team’s trust in him, and contributed offensively from the get-go with the ultimate prize at stake.

Ateneo established a 30-12 lead in the opening quarter, where Gomez made two triples. Later on, he added another long distance conversion in transition, as the Blue Eagles dramatically took control in the first half.

“He’s been playing well even if he wasn’t making his shots in the previous games. He’s been locked in, doing his job for us,” added Arespacochaga.

Even finals MVP Ange Kouame, who finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks in the title-clincher, said he saw the big game from Ateneo’s unsung hero coming.

“For sure, nobody in the team was surprised. Gab was known as a shooting guard more than a point guard. Nobody was surprised,” the naturalized big man said.

Adding motivation on the part of Gomez, 22, was how badly he wanted to redeem his big brothers from Season 84, when they fell to the Fighting Maroons in a likewise historic finale.

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“I (really) just (wanted to) bounce back from last season. When I saw Tyler (Tio), Jolo (Mendoza), Raffy (Verano) crying, I told myself, ‘This should never happen again’,” said Gomez.

“That’s one of the motivations, although there have been many this season to become champions.”

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