Quiambao fourth quarter explosion saves La Salle, forces Game 3

Game Sunday:

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

5:30 p.m. --- La Salle vs UP

There’s no more questioning Kevin Quiambao’s heart.

The back-to-back Most Valuable Player winner willed defending champion De La Salle University back from a late seven-point deficit for a dramatic, 76-75, Game 2 escape over University of the Philippines and forced a rubber match in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 men’s basketball finals Wednesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Quiambao scored 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and pulled nine rebounds to ensure the Green Archers will live to fight another day.

Game 3 of the championship rematch, which will once again go the full distance, is on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

"First, I just wanna be clear that, you know, KQ is just one of us. When we were down and out, these guys just told everybody that just don't give up, just keep playing,” La Salle coach Topex Robinson said.

Quiambao carried the Green Archers in overhauling a 66-73 deficit with more than four minutes left with cold-blooded back-to-back contested triples to cap the decisive 8-0 blitz that put La Salle in front, 74-73, with 1:30 remaining in the game.

Quentin Millora-Brown put the Fighting Maroons back in front for the last time with a quick two. Mike Phillips answered with a bucket which turned out to be the game-winning basket with 1:07 remaining as the last minute was played from the free throw line.

UP forward Francis Lopez crumbled under tremendous pressure and missed four free throws. Phillips and Quiambao did not fare any better, bricking their respective pairs of foul shots.

The Fighting Maroons had one last crack at ending a three-year title drought but Lopez, who had a great first half, had a hard time catching the ball as it crossed the half court. He got the ball to the hands of Gerry Abadiano, who was left open but missed the potential game-winner as the ball slightly kissed the front of the rim.

“I guess we made the necessary scouts in the end game and just gave us the opportunity to really- to connect from the outside but I don't know what happened and I don't know what transpired but we're so grateful that we got to see another day and get to play another game of championship," a relieved Robinson said.

Phillips had 18 points and 12 rebounds while EJ Gollena and JC Macalalag added eight each for the Green Archers, who remained on track for a back-to-back and an 11^th title overall.

UP drew first blood, 73-65, last Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

La Salle brushed off a sluggish start where it went down by five early in the opening quarter after unleashing a telling 18-4 surge to get on top, 22-13, off a Quiambao hook shot.

Lopez and Abadiano kept the Fighting Maroons afloat in the first half, making key baskets to keep within striking distance of the Green Archers.

Quentin Millora-Brown cut La Salle’s advantage to 33-30 after a split from the foul line with 3:06 left in the second quarter. The Green Archers went up again by seven only for the Fighting Maroons to score six straight free throws to close in, 37-36.

Raven Gonzales knocked down the last basket of the first half as La Salle entered the break with a 39-36 lead.

JD Cagulangan led the Fighting Maroons with 16 points while Lopez scored 14 of his 16 markers in the first half and grabbed nine rebounds for the Diliman-based squad.

Abadiano also finished with 16 points and Millora-Brown had 11 markers and eight boards in a lost cause.

The scores:

La Salle (76) --- Quiambao 22, Phillips 18, Gollena 9, Macalalag 9, Gonzales 8, Austria 5, David 3, Agunanne 2, Marasigan 0, Ramiro 0, Rubico 0.

UP (75) --- Cagulangan 16, Lopez 16, Abadiano 16, Millora-Brown 11, Torres 5, Alarcon 5, Torculas 2, Ududo 2, Stevens 2, Felicilda 0, Bayla 0, Fortea 0.

Quarters: 28-22, 39-36, 54-62, 76-75.