RIGHT place, right time.
For the first 13 games, University of Santo Tomas was just waiting for rookie Amiel Acido to finally showcase his skills.
And in the Growling Tigers' last assignment in the elimination round, their patience finally paid off, as the up-and-comer delivered the goods when it mattered most.
He scored 14 points, grabbed two rebounds, and had an assist, steal, and block in close to 14 minutes of play, helping the black-and-gold secure the No. 3 spot in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball Final Four at the expense of Adamson.
READ: UST books return to Final Four as Amiel Acido breaks out vs Adamson
“Nabigyan ako ng opportunity na matagal kong inantay, so binuhos ko na lahat. I didn’t want this to be my seniors’ last game,” Acido said after the win.
Feeling good in Filoil
He went above and beyond for his veterans Christian Manaytay and Migs Pangilinan, yes, but at the same time, it can’t be denied that the venue itself seemed a little too familiar for the former NCAA juniors MVP.
“Actually, iba pa rin talaga itong Filoil, iba sa MOA o Araneta," he shared with SPIN.ph, talking about the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
"Ito, pagpasok ko pa lang, sabi ko, 'Alam ko 'to eh! na-miss ko 'to!' Na-miss ko maglaro sa court na 'to. Marami akong pinagdaanan dito. Dito nagsimula lahat.”
Apart from being the setting where he was hailed as the first-ever top individual player from Perpetual, which played majority of its matches at the San Juan venue, it's also the same place where he actually first wore UST's colors.
And even more, that first time just so happened to be up against the Soaring Falcons as well.
The only difference is that, back in the 2024 Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup, he was testing the waters and still trying to prove to himself that he made the right decision to commit to the Growling Tigers - and now, he has no doubt whatsoever he is in the right place.
“Looking back, sobrang nahirapan ako nun, ang tagal kong nag-isip. Midseason na ng preseason tournament, wala pa akong team. Talagang pinag-isipan ko kasi future ko nakasalalay dun," he said.
"Ngayon, masasabi ko, without a doubt, nasa tamang team ako."
Integral to that assurance, of course, is the deep sea of yellow that made him feel at home in an instant, which made its presence felt once more as it cheered for him in his old stomping grounds.
“Ang gaan sa loob, grabe ang welcome ng UST community sa'kin, simula sa mga kuya ko team to the fans. Sila yung reason kung bakit ako nandito. Marami pa akong matutunan dito,” he said.
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