Inside the tense press room, San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta was still going through the stat sheet while Aldous Torculas sat beside him, both visibly exhausted after a game that needed five extra minutes to settle.
The noise from FilOil EcoOil Centre had faded, but the San Beda-Letran clash had left its mark on Torculas, who had just played one of the biggest games of his NCAA career.
In front of the media, the silence was deafening. Everyone knew what they had just witnessed was another classic game between the longtime rivals.
Escueta then turned to Torculas and asked about the shot that had kept the Red Lions alive.
"Was that your first time making that shot?"
"Yes, it is my first time," Torculas replied.
With San Beda trailing Letran by three late in regulation, Torculas rose from deep and knocked down the game-tying three-pointer. He then added two more triples in overtime as the Red Lions pulled away for a 74-65 victory over the Knights.
He finished with 18 points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks, but the significance of his night went beyond the numbers.
For a player who spent three seasons at UP searching for a consistent role due to limited minutes, Torculas is now being trusted with possessions that can decide a game.
In his final UAAP season, the 22-year-old forward averaged 3.87 points and 2.33 rebounds.
Six games into his first NCAA season with San Beda, Torculas is now averaging 17.0 points on 53.3% shooting, along with 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.5 blocks.
That turnaround has given Torculas a much bigger role as he continues to establish himself in the NCAA.
Against the Knights, Torculas delivered perhaps his biggest shot yet in his career, making it count when San Beda needed it most.
"I am just working on those kinds of shots," Torculas said.
"It just happened that in this game, I really needed to shoot the ball. I was very fortunate that the ball came to me, and I took the shot with confidence."
San Beda may not have had its cleanest offensive game of the season, and Torculas admitted the win did not come easily despite the result.
"I am going to be honest, what was running through my mind was that winning is really difficult," Torculas said.
"Jimmy [Reyes] and I talked and we said we didn't want to lose this game."
San Beda needed that mindset from Torculas as it adjusts to a roster that no longer has several of the players who carried its championship campaign last season.
Fortunately, Torculas has given Escueta another option, but the bigger role also comes with a different kind of challenge.
"He'll still see different kinds of defenses, especially now that he needs to be able to read what the defense is giving him," Escueta said.
"When he was at UP, he didn't play in a lot of games. Now, he's playing in an atmosphere like this. It's a good thing he has the confidence to handle it."
Escueta knew that the next step was to do it consistently, especially as opponents began to see him as a bigger part of San Beda's offense. That means keeping Torculas grounded and focused on the work, rather than the attention that comes with his production.
"I always tell him not to stop working and stay humble every time," Escueta said.
"That's the most important thing. To improve, you have to stay humble, so you can reach your potential."
But for now, one big shot is enough to show how far Torculas has come.