NEWLY minted MVP Kevin Quiambao of La Salle raised his hands and pointed skyward after sinking one of his two free throws in the final 2.1 ticks.
Over at the Green Archers bench, coach Topex Robinson tried with all his might to temper expectations and kept signaling to his charges that it was not yet over.
Quiambao completed his trip to the foul line with another freebie and those hands–Robinson and Quiambao’s pointed La Salle back to the Promised Land last night.
Saving their best for last, the Green Archers fashioned a heart-stopping 73-69 victory over the gritty University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in Game 3 of their title duel to bag the 86th UAAP basketball tournament crown before a mammoth crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Despite the mid-week schedule of the rubber match for all the marbles in this season’s cage wars, 25,192 fans showed up at the Big Dome with maroon and green banners fluttering in the air.
La Salle’s banners fluttered proudly in the end as the Archers ended a seven-year title dry spell and gifted Robinson his first diadem in the collegiate ranks after falling short in his stints with San Sebastian College (2011) and Lyceum in 2017 and 2018 in the NCAA.
It was also La Salle’s 10th title overall after winning it all in 2016 under former tactician Aldin Ayo and standouts Ben Mbala and Jeron Teng.
Robinson joined the likes of former Archers’ strategists Ayo, Juno Sauler, and Franz Pumaren who guided the Taft-based five to the top in their first years.
“First, again, I’m so grateful and honored to be part of this amazing group of guys. Also, we have to give credit to the coaches that came before me, that built this team,” Robinson said. “They really did a tremendous job and I’m just so grateful for these guys that are with me throughout this season.
“I just can’t get enough, also the coaches, coach Caloy (Garcia), all of our coaching staff who really did a lot of things for us,” he added.
The loss put a bitter close to the cagers from Katipunan’s bid of annexing a second crown in three years after ruling the 84th season.
The Maroons clobbered the Archers 97-67 in the opener of the race-to-2 Big Dance.
Quiambao capped his brilliance in the tourney with 24 points, nine rebounds, and four assists for La Salle, while Evan Nelle sang his swan song with 12 markers, six boards, and seven dimes.
The 6-foot-7 Quiambao was named finals MVP after he averaged 14.7 points and 9.3 rebounds on top of 2.7 assists and 1.7 blocks.
UP appeared to have the title in the bag after it led 65-58 early in the fourth quarter before Quiambao took charge in the Archers’ vicious 12-2 blitz that gave them a 70-67 cushion with 4:12 to go.
Quiambao swatted a Gerry Abadiano driving layup in the last 30 seconds before icing the triumph with three charities amid MVP chants. — With Abby Toralba
