AS if his basketball resumé wasn’t already sterling enough, Kevin Quiambao had room for one more breakthrough: a career-high scoring output.
La Salle’s 94-87 overtime win over UST saw the reigning and defending UAAP Season and Finals MVP fire 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting — the most he’s ever produced in a decorated two-year collegiate career to date.
READ: Quiambao-led La Salle remains first as UST runs out of gas in OT
For one of the best scorers in all of the Philippines today, as well as the hands down best player in college, that he recorded his personal-best only now - and that it was one point shy of even the 30-point marker - may come as a surprise.
Well, Quiambao himself was no exception.
The number that matters
In fact, it wasn’t until the Gilas Pilipinas player entered the post-game press conference that he learned about his latest feat.
And safe to say, he couldn’t believe it.
But had the result gone the Growling Tigers' way, career-high numbers won’t mean a thing.
“Nu’ng una kong narinig dito sa media na career-high nga, nagulat lang ako. Ang mahalaga naman, nakuha namin ‘yung panalo eh. Naka-career-high ka nga, talo naman kayo. Wala rin,” Quiambao told SPIN.ph.
“Lagi ko lang iniisip na gusto kong manalo para sa team. ‘Yung mga pansariling achievement, kusang darating ‘yan. Thankful pa rin ako na nakukuha ko ‘yun, pero ang focus ko ‘yung sa bigger picture lagi.”
No room for errors
If the outcome was the opposite, the story would have been a squandered 20-point lead late in the second quarter.
The culprit? A game-high 26 turnovers.
And if La Salle was to keep its title charge steady and afloat, there shouldn’t be room for such hapless faults.
As Quiambao put it, “First of all, hindi naming pwedeng paabutin ‘yung ganung sitwasyon ulit sa games. Kailangan lang namin i-value every possession and ‘wag na ‘wag naming hahayaan na masira ‘yung momentum namin."
“It's a learning curve for us, sa team namin, na marami pa kaming pwedeng i-improve. ‘Yung game na ‘to is a lesson na huwag maging kampante. Laro lang lagi, first to fourth quarter.”
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