After being sidelined for over two weeks due to a right ankle injury, Kevin Quiambao made his return for Goyang Sono in the 2024-25 KBL Season on Tuesday afternoon at the Goyang Sono Arena.
Despite a solid performance from Quiambao, though, the Skygunners fell short.
The team suffered its fifth loss in six games with a 69-94 defeat to Javi Gomez de Liaño and Anyang JKJ Red Boosters.
In his second professional game, the two-time UAAP MVP finished with 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting, five assists, and four rebounds in 29 minutes and 29 seconds of play.
Quiambao had missed the Skygunners’ last three games after injuring his right ankle at the 7:42 mark in the second quarter of their 57-84 loss to the Seoul SK Knights on January 12.
The Skygunners were only trailing 43-51 at halftime, but Anyang JKJ dominated the third quarter with a 24-15 run. That left Goyang Sono in a 75-58 deficit heading into the final period.
That lead proved too much to overcome, as Anyang JKJ continued to assert control in the fourth quarter, building a commanding 90-65 advantage with 2:12 left to seal the win.
The loss dropped the Skygunners to last place in the 10-team league, with a 10-23 record.
Meanwhile, Gomez de Liaño had a quiet outing, failing to score but grabbing one rebound in just 4:49 of action. Nonetheless, the Red Boosters secured their third consecutive win, improving to an 11-23 record and ninth place.
In the earlier game, Calvin Epistola and Busan KCC extended their winning streak to three games with a clutch 87-81 victory over SJ Belangel and Daegu KOGAS at the Daegu Gymnasium.
Epistola, who had been held to just two points through the first three quarters, came alive in the payoff period, scoring seven key points. His five-point spurt helped extend the Egis’ 82-81 lead to 87-81, sealing the win.
The 5-foot-10 Fil-Canadian guard finished with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, three assists, and one rebound, helping Busan KCC improve to a 15-17 record, placing them seventh.
They are now one game behind reigning MVP Ethan Alvano and Wonju DB, who hold sixth place with a 16-17 record.
Belangel, on the other hand, led Daegu KOGAS with 21 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal in the loss, as the team dropped to 18-14, staying in fourth place.
