Quiambao takes over as Archers escape Bulldogs

MANILA, Philippines – It’s just the first game of the UAAP Season 87 for the La Salle Green Archers, and yet Kevin Quiambao is already doing Kevin Quiambao things. 

The reigning UAAP Most Valuable Player hit the game-winning 3-pointer to tow the defending champions past the scrappy National University Bulldogs, 78-75, Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

Quiambao finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists on 4-of-22 shooting. 

He willed the Green Archers to the win as they played catch-up for the majority of the final quarter. 

With the game tied at 75 with time winding down, La Salle went to Quiambao, who previously scored six points in the past few minutes.

He then received a pick from Mike Phillips, which gave him and his defender, Steve Nash Enriquez, needed separation after the NU guard tripped. 

Seeing Enriquez falling on the floor and out of the equation, Quiambao settled down and aimed at the basket from the left wing, heaved it up and connected with 9.8 seconds left. 

NU had a number of chances to tie it, but Reinhard Jumamoy and Jake Figueroa missed their attempts, solidifying the win for La Salle. 

“First of all, hindi nagci-click ang gusto naming itakbo the whole game, pinpoint out ko lang sa sarili ko na kailangan ko lang mag-take over mode na… may masasandalan sila. So ginawa ko lang is nag-lead by example ako,” Quiambao told reporters after the win. 

“Good thing naman na pumasok yung tira ko. Sanay naman ako sa sisi e.” 

With NU leading by seven, 71-64, after a Jolo Manansala deuce, Earl Abadam and Quiambao teamed up to slowly give La Salle the upper hand. 

After a 7-0 blitz capped by a Quiambao triple to cut the tie the game up at 71, PJ Palacielo connected on a putback to give the Bulldogs the lead, 73-71. 

A split from EJ Gollena cut the lead to one, and an and-one by Quiambao with 1:35 left finally pushed them to the lead, 75-73. 

Manansala then sank a layup to tie the game up at 75 with 1:21 remaining, and the two teams fired blanks in their next possessions, leading up to the MVP’s game-winner.

Phillips had a double-double performance with 12 points and 11 rebounds. EJ Gollena added 10. 

Figueroa and Palacielo paced the Bulldogs with 15 points each. The former had five rebounds and four assists, while the latter hauled down 12 boards for NU, which had to battle back from an injury sustained by Mohamed Diassana in the fourth quarter.