UE hero earns scribes’ approval

After 742 days of frustration, University of the East (UE) finally found the breakthrough it had long been chasing in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 89 men’s basketball tournament.

At the heart of the streak-busting win was Toper Lagat, who was named the Collegiate Press Corps UAAP Player of the Week for the period of 4 to 8 November.

The spitfire guard finished with 14 points and four rebounds as the Red Warriors snapped a two-year, 30-game losing streak with a 53-47 victory over Adamson on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Lagat also impressed in the lead-up to UE's long-awaited breakthrough, putting up 24 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a block in the Red Warriors' 94-83 loss to Far Eastern University last 4 November at the Big Dome.

“Firstly, I'm super grateful. It's our first win. Credits to my teammates and of course to the staff who made it possible. I'm just so happy right now that we got our first win," said Lagat after the Red Warriors earned their first victory since the second round of Season 87.

"Everything we went through, all those losing games -- this win is such a huge confidence boost for us, and of course, moving forward to the next games, we want to win more."

Lagat edged University of the Philippines' Dikachi Ududo and Elliot Dimaculangan, National University's Reinhard Jumamoy, and University of Santo Tomas’ Amiel Acido for the weekly citation in the voting among print and online reporters covering the UAAP beat.