When their backs are against the wall, there’s only one player the defending champion De La Salle University want with the ball in his hands.
In front of 17,112 fans at the jam-packed SM Mall of Asia Arena, back-to-back MVP Kevin Quiambao proved exactly why he’s the player you can count on when the game is on the line.
The 6-foot-6 wing was absolutely unstoppable in the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the UAAP finals, knocking down clutch shot after clutch shot to keep La Salle’s hopes of back-to-back championships alive and force a winner-take-all Game 3.
With momentum heavily in favor of the Fighting Maroons, Quiambao silenced the UP faithful with back-to-back triples, putting La Salle ahead 74-73. The Green Archers would go on to earn a 76-75 victory.
Up until that point, La Salle’s offense had seemed overwhelmed, struggling to connect from long range.
The rest of the Green Archers were just 2-of-14 from beyond the arc, while UP’s offense was clicking like a well-oiled machine, with every shot drawing deafening cheers from the Diliman crowd.
Seeing how deflated his teammates were in the second half, Quiambao knew it was time for him to step up.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Crunch time, it’s all about ownership. We were struggling the whole game, we were rattled nung third quarter,” said the former NU Bullpup.
“As a leader sa team, wala akong masabi. Lead by example, lahat ng pinagtrabuhan namin sa practice magtatranslate pagka may kumpiyansa ako sa loob ng court.”
“Lead by example” became an understatement as his two clutch shots reignited not only his teammates but the La Salle crowd as well.
The roars from DLSU fans drowned out the jeers from UP supporters as La Salle began to seize control of the game.
For Quiambao, his timely performance couldn’t have come at a more crucial moment. The Muntinlupa native was coming off one of La Salle’s toughest losses of the season, a game where he was held to just one point in the second half.
He opened up about the mental and physical struggles he faced since that Game 1 loss, revealing his determination to bounce back for his team.
“I think it’s all about mental toughness lang. Our bodies are so banged up na kaming lahat. For me, after that Game 1 loss, two days ako walang tulog, inisip ko kung anong puwede pang ipatulong ko sa team. Kung anong puwede ko pa iadjust sa second half nung Game 1,” admitted Quiambao.
“Marami akong regrets noong Game 1 na, sana ginawa ko to, sana ginawa ko iyon, so this time sabi ko lang sa mga teammates ko na enjoy niyo lang yung moment. No pressure, and then tiwala lang sa isa’t isa.”
By the final buzzer, it was clear that his teammates’ faith in each other paid off. With Quiambao leading the charge, the Green Archers now set their sights on a Game 3 decider this Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
After his herculean 32-minute effort, Quiambao could hardly stand.
Yet, as he sang the DLSU Hymn, emotion overtook him, and he cried.
With one last shot at a back-to-back championship, the weight of the moment was overwhelming for the two-time MVP.
And with Quiambao finally finding his groove in the finals, La Salle has more than enough firepower to secure their second consecutive crown.
