QUENTIN Millora-Brown stepped into the Smart Araneta Coliseum free throw line with 11 seconds remaining in the season, his University of the Philippines hanging by a thread against La Salle, 64-62, in a frantic conclusion to the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball finals.
The maroon-clad half of the 25,248 people in attendance held their collective breaths, some saying their prayers to whomever God they believe in, asking that the brilliant one-and-done recruit would finally ice the game and put an end to this bedlam of a series.
Over at the other end of the gallery, a sea of green did their best to make the venue as rowdy as possible, hoping that whatever ‘magic’ worked for them in Game Two would once again resonate in the decider.
READ: Respect prevails in aftermath of UP-La Salle all-out war
Ultimately, the result of the game fell into the hands – literally and figuratively – of the 24-year-old QMB who composed himself for one of his final acts as a Fighting Maroon.
And it turned out to be an answered prayer for all Iskos - whether in Cubao or all over the world.
“I knew it was going to go in as soon as it left my hand, but I couldn’t let myself relax until I hear the final buzzer. I think everyone else was the same way,” said Millora-Brown while stating that there wasn’t really any sigh of relief yet even after extending the game into two possessions.
“We were excited being up four, but we knew it wasn’t over yet. La Salle is a great team. We knew they were going to try and put up a fight and get that chance for a comeback,” he added.
“We knew we had to do whatever it took to get that one last stop. That’s what we were saying in the time out. Just one more stop. One more rebound. Whatever it takes.”
Getting back UP
As if the weight of bringing State U back to the promised land wasn’t heavy enough, memories of UP's collapse in Game Two also certainly came into play.
The Fighting Maroons had the chance to go ahead and potentially win the finals four days ago, but Francis Lopez missed four free throws late, allowing the Green Archers to force a winner-take-all.
But with Lopez seemingly having shaken it off with a clutch three of his own before these foul shots, QMB knew that he had to drop those memories behind and focus on something that he’s done countless times before.
“It was all about clearing my head. Just focusing on that moment, focusing on that one shot at a time, one free throw at a time, and letting everything take care of itself,” he said.
“For me I just cleared my head to let myself make the shot I’ve made a hundred thousand times.”
By being steady from the line, Millora-Brown stamped what has been a solid series so far with norms of 14 points on a 60-percent clip shooting to go with nine rebounds, all while going toe-to-toe with the La Salle bigs led by the brilliant Mike Phillips.
For all the pressure, the expectations, the glory of victory and the heartbreaks of defeat – Millora-Brown will always be grateful to be in this position.
And making it sweeter is he’ll call himself a champion when he looks back at these unforgettable times.
“I love competing with those guys. I think they would say the same thing. Just being able to compete at the highest level is one of the joys we all share. No matter what the result is, being able to compete at the highest level is what we love to do," he shared.
"The hard work that we put in everyday to get us to this moment was really important. It was exciting," he added.
"It’s so much fun, everyone's just smiling right now looking back at every memory we’ve made throughout the season and just enjoying the moment."
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