UAAP: Quiambao career-high, took Robinson’s “be bwakaw” advice

THE more shots you take, the better your odds of getting it in. That was proven by the reigning UAAP Most Valuable Player, Kevin Quiambao, who reset his career-high performance against their archrivals on Saturday. 

Quiambao never stops proving why he is still on top of the MVP race, as he led DLSU to an 80-65 victory over the Ateneo Blue Eagles, dropping a career-high 33 points, along with 13 rebounds, two assists, and a steal. 

All thanks to Green Archers head coach Topex Robinson, who believes it is a no-brainer to put all his trust in Quiambao’s offensive prowess. Allowing him to do whatever is necessary to get a win.

What’s the advice?

The Taft-based squad outperformed the Katipunan-based squad, with 20 assists to the latter’s 14. Despite the fact that they share the ball, it is entertaining to see your main man do all of the work. 

Quiambao contributed only two assists to La Salle’s 20-assist performance. Proving that the King Archer took matters into his own hands in most portions of the game to defeat his archrival.

“Hinintay ko lang ‘yung game na kusang pumunta sa’kin. Sabi kasi ni coach magbwakaw ako eh, kaya bwinakaw ko na,” Quiambao said. “Sumusunod lang po ako, pasensya na.”

A coach’s dream

Meanwhile, La Salle head coach Topex Robinson expressed his gratitude for having the 6-foot-6 Gilas Pilipinas member aboard. Sharing how mature Quiambao has been for the team.

“Yesterday when we had a mass, I get to see a glance of him on my right. Sabi ko, parang sobrang bait naman ni Lord na binigay itong mamang ito sa amin,” said Robinson.

“I think what I really admire about KQ is really the work that he puts in. Nobody on our team will question the work that he does and setting the tone, the standard for our team. We just have to trust him.”

“He also knows that sometimes he’s forcing it and what I really like is he always tells me babawi siya palagi. He’s man enough to admit he was forcing things and babawi siya,” he added.

More than that, Robinson believes it is critical to see how much Quiambao is loved by his teammates, as well as how much he loves them. Knowing that this will assist them advance to the Final Four level. 

UP is Final Four-bound

The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons are now the second team to reach the Final Four, defeating Adamson Soaring Falcons 70-59 on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena. 

The Fighting Maroons joined the Green Archers in the semis, improving their record to 8-1 as the sole second spot. This win represented the team’s sixth straight Final Four appearance, dating back to Season 81 in 2018.

“This was a clinching semifinal game, so you know, it’s something that we’re going to celebrate tonight. But at the same time, the goal is the big picture — getting to the finals,” said UP assistant coach Christian Luanzon.

“For Coach Gold, this is something he’s been doing since he started coaching. For him, it’s more than just the results; it’s all about the improvement of the team. Even after this win, we still need to improve,” he added.

On Wednesday, the quest for a UAAP Final Four spot continues as the UE Red Warriors meet the fourth-place seeking AdU Soaring Falcons at 2:00 PM, followed by the ‘Battle of Katipunan’ between UP and Ateneo at 6:00 PM.