Kevin Quiambao (No. 17) made positive nobody swept the season towards La Salle.—AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Kevin Quiambao had his eyes on the three groups that defeated La Salle within the first spherical of the UAAP Season 86 males’s basketball event.
After an 88-78 victory over Nationwide College (NU) within the second spherical, the multifaceted massive man let his motivation slip.
“We misplaced to them within the first spherical,” he mentioned, referring to a detailed 80-77 determination hammered out by the Bulldogs through the first assembly of each colleges. “I didn’t need that to occur once more.”
So determined was Quiambao that NU’s first-round victory could be a one-off that he poured in a uncommon triple-double, one in all two he would accomplish within the season. The 6-foot-8 ahead completed with 17 factors, 14 assists, 11 rebounds and 4 steals within the second-round conflict between the Archers and the Bulldogs, an enormous leap from his 25 factors, 9 rebounds and 4 assists within the first-round defeat.
That served as a warning to the opposite groups that beat La Salle within the first spherical. None of them have been capable of do something about it anyway.
By the point Quiambao was accomplished getting again at first-round tormentors, the nationwide pool member downplayed his revenge tour.
“For me, I simply doubled my effort after which my mindset coming into this recreation was that we can not lose, as a result of the group is already on the rise when it comes to development. The training course of and curve was there,” Quiambao instructed the Inquirer final Sunday, after La Salle held off fierce rival Ateneo, 72-69, to brush by way of its second-round calendar.
“I at all times inform the group to get pleasure from this second due to the massive and intense crowd,” he added.
Quiambao completed with 14 factors, 9 rebounds and 6 assists towards Ateneo, the one get-back recreation the place he was statistically decrease than his output within the first-round defeat. Quiambao had 17 factors, 14 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks when Ateneo beat La Salle, 77-72, of their first assembly.
Prime seed
“The group didn’t have revenge in its thoughts. Our mindset was to simply deal with what’s in entrance of us and what we are able to do about it … We actually simply get pleasure from enjoying. We had one another’s backs,” the La Salle program cornerstone added.
Prime seed College of the Philippines (UP) additionally received a style of Quiambao’s payback.
After ending with 14 factors, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 67-64 defeat to the Maroons of their first assembly, Quiambao completed with 22 factors, 12 rebounds, three steals and two assists in an 88-79 victory by the Archers within the second spherical.
These clutch victories helped La Salle end at No. 2 with an 11-3 (win-loss) card and gave the archers priceless safety within the Last 4.
“Coach [Topex] at all times says that the expansion rose ranging from our loss to UP within the first spherical and credit score additionally goes to my teammates who lowered their ego for coach’s system,” Quiambao mentioned.
La Salle will battle Nationwide College within the Last 4, needing to win simply as soon as to get rid of NU whereas having an additional recreation in its pocket to fish out in case the Bulldogs win their semifinal match.
“The matches will likely be intense and whoever we face, I do know they won’t go down simply—and we’re the identical manner. We’ll deal with what we have now and what we are able to management,” Quiambao mentioned. INQ
