Games today:
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
4:30 p.m. — La Salle vs FEU
6:30 p.m. — Adamson vs NU
Reigning Most Valuable Player Kevin Quiambao vows to make up for his crucial mistakes late in the previous game which put a blemish on the defending champion De La Salle University’s once pristine record.
Quiambao and the rest of the Green Arches will have their opportunity to regain their bearing when they take on winless Far Eastern University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 men’s basketball tournament today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
La Salle absorbed a shocker last Sunday after bowing to University of the East 71-75, in a game the Green Archers could have salvaged if not for Quiambao’s two missed free throws with 15.8 seconds left.
La Salle coach Topex Robinson hopes his wards will respond positively when they march back into action at 4:30 p.m.
“Coach Topex told us it was a wake-up call. We visualized last season. We’re not going to let this thing happen again,” Quiambao said.
The loss snapped La Salle’s three-game winning streak as it slid down to a tie in second place with University of Santo Tomas.
Quiambao owned up to the blame for the upset being the leader of the team.
“I have to be better and learn more,” he said.
The Green Archers had a flat start against the Red Warriors and even trailed by as many as 17 in the first half. La Salle, however, got its game going in the fourth when it made a strong rally to cut a 12-point fourth quarter deficit to just two.
Quiambao had a crack at tying it after a rattled Ethan Galang intentionally fouled him, giving the Gilas Pilipinas standout two free throws.
But he missed both.
La Salle, stacked with experienced players to back Quiambao, is fancied to get its rebound against a luckless rookie-laden Tamaraws side.