Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

Basketball

UAAP POW Quiambao steps up when La Salle needed him most


De La Salle University didn’t have much going for it in its bumpy campaign prior to the 12-day FIBA break. Then it eked out two hard-earned wins in a row to stay in UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament Final Four contention.

With their backs against the wall, the Green Archers leaned on Gilas Pilipinas pool member Kevin Quiambao. And he stepped up when it mattered the most as La Salle held on for dear life with crucial back-to-back victories.

The Green Archers gained payback at their first-round tormentors – University of the Philippines and Adamson. There, the versatile forward put up solid numbers in their two escape acts to stay alive and kicking in the thick of the wild semis race at 5-6.

DLSU is level with Adamson in the No. 4 spot entering the homestretch.

Against defending champion UP on Sunday, Quiambao showed the way with a near double-double performance of 18 points and nine rebounds. And the Green Archers pulled off a slim 82-80 win for sweet revenge after a 72-69 loss in the first round.

The 6-foot-8 wingman scored 13 of his points in the fourth quarter, including the game-sealing free throws. That capped off La Salle’s biggest win this season thus far, at the expense of previously red-hot and undisputed No. 1 UP.

Quiambao, 21, also finished with eight points on a decent 4-of-7 clip along with four rebounds and a block in La Salle’s pulsating 81-78 win over Adamson after CJ Austria’s buzzer-beating triple to snap a four-game losing skid and atone for its 86-84 loss in their first encounter.

#ReadMore  Ginebra 3x3 feels pressure in repping Barangay

His remarkable showing for the Archers earned him the Collegiate Press Corps UAAP Player of the Week presented by San Miguel Corporation and the Philippine Sports Commission for the period Nov. 17-20.

“’Yung first half ko, two points lang. Kumbaga bumalik ‘yung memory na first game na broken jitters nga. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, hindi pwedeng mangyari ulit ‘yun. Nag-step up lang ako kahit lamang sila nung third quarter,” said Quimbao, fresh off national team duty in the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers in the Middle East.

Quiambao edged out fellow Green Archer Austria, UP’s James Spencer and National University’s John Lloyd Clemente for the weekly honor deliberated on by the print and online media covering the collegiate beat, with MNL Kingpin, Tinapayan Festival, and Jockey as minor sponsors.

As morale-boosting as the string of triumphs was for the Taft-based squad, it’s not keen on lowering its guard anytime soon. Instead, it now sets its sights on slipping past second-running NU and gritty University of the East this week to shore up its Final Four hopes.

Written By


You May Also Like

Basketball

National University found a familiar comfort at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. Ten days ago, NU stunned the UP Fighting Maroons at the same venue...

Basketball

Aside from the pride of representing Gilas Pilipinas once again, Kevin Quiambao shared that his newborn son, Kevin Vennan, will serve as an added...

AdU

Dylan Darbin hit a clutch jumper with barely a second remaining, as Centro Escolar University spoiled Rey Remogat’s debut for University of the Philippines,...

Basketball

Camille Clarin set the tone for National University’s dominance after the holiday break with an impressive performance in the UAAP Season 87 women’s basketball...

Basketball

Mike Phillips of the De La Salle Green Archers delivered an exceptional performance for De La Salle University following the holiday break in the UAAP Season...

Basketball

Angelo Kouame has rejoined the Gilas Pilipinas pool for the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers. The 6-foot-11 Filipino-Ivorian center, who currently plays for...

Basketball

Kevin Quiambao admitted to playing in a “ligang labas” game last weekend, a move that has stirred some controversy amid his busy schedule in...

Basketball

Topex Robinson shrugged off the volatile reactions he received during De La Salle University’s 77-66 victory over fellow championship contender University of the Philippines...

Advertisement