De La Salle University continued to stand above the rest in the second round of the UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball tournament as the only unbeaten squad heading into the Final Four, thanks to Kevin Quiambao.
Quiambao registered a rare second triple-double, bringing La Salle back to the Final Four.
Meanwhile, Konateh steered the semifinal-bound NU to its ninth straight win.
Displaying all-around brilliance in the past week, Quiambao was honored by the Collegiate Press Corps as the UAAP Men’s Player of the Week for the period of November 4 to 12.
The sophomore forward delivered another sensational triple-double, recording 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 12 assists along with four steals and two blocks in the team’s 86-76 win against the UE Red Warriors.
He became the first player in modern league history to achieve more than one triple-double in a single season.
Previously, Quiambao scored 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists in La Salle’s revenge win over NU, marking the league’s first triple-double since 2018.
One of La Salle’s significant breakthroughs in the ongoing round came after their 88-79 victory over the UP Fighting Maroons, where Quiambao scored 22 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and recorded three steals.
Against Adamson, the Green Archers secured their ticket back to the semis with a 69-57 victory, as the 22-year-old ‘point forward’ collared a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The MVP frontrunner has been nothing short of consistent in the Green Archers’ twice-to-beat bid, attributing his success to the coaching staff’s system.
“Kevin is really a blessing for coaches; he’s a coach’s dream, and I’m so fortunate to coach him. He, along with these guys, just makes my life easier,” said head coach Topex Robinson.
“One good thing about Kevin is he makes everybody around him look good, showing how much he really cares for this team more than obviously getting that individual award or winning a championship.”
Quiambao averaged 16.7 points, 14.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.7 steals in the past three games as La Salle stretched its winning streak to six and became the unanimous choice of print and online scribes.
He edged out NU’s Jake Figueroa, Ateneo’s Joseph Obasa, and UP’s CJ Cansino for the weekly honors presented by San Miguel Corporation and backed by minor sponsors Discovery Suites and Jockey.
