Quiambao finally ends up getting payback vs first-round tormentors as he anchors La Salle’s rise to No. 2

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 stated, referring to a detailed 80-77 determination hammered out by the Bulldogs throughout the first assembly of each faculties. “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 every of 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, a giant 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 executed 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 sport was that we can not lose, as a result of the staff is already on the rise when it comes to progress. The training course of and curve was there,” Quiambao informed 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 staff to take pleasure in this second due to the large and intense crowd,” he added.

Quiambao completed with 14 factors, 9 rebounds and 6 assists towards Ateneo, the one get-back sport 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 staff didn’t have revenge in its thoughts. Our mindset was to simply give attention to what’s in entrance of us and what we will do about it … We actually simply take pleasure in enjoying. We had one another’s backs,” the La Salle program cornerstone added.

Prime seed College of the Philippines (UP) additionally acquired 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 useful 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 stated.

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 sport in its pocket to fish out in case the Bulldogs win their semifinal match.

“The matches can be intense and whoever we face, I do know they won’t go down simply—and we’re the identical approach. We’ll give attention to what we’ve and what we will management,” Quiambao stated. INQ