“WINNING is the byproduct” has been the mantra of defending champion La Salle this 87th UAAP basketball tournament—and it’s working so far.

The green and white crew from Taft is currently on top with an unbeaten 3-0 mark that included a 74-61 win over rival Ateneo last Sunday.

“I think what’s important to all of us is what’s in front of us. We don’t have control on what’s gonna happen in the next few days or in the next few weeks but what’s important just like what Mike (Phillips) said is we always have to make sure that we keep our culture alive, we’re gonna go through our struggles,” Green Archers coach Topex Robinson said.

“We’re gonna go through our victories but again, trying to get better sinabi nga ni KQ (Kevin Quiambao) kanina that ang dami pa namin dapat matutunan, I mean as a team.

“We know that it’s a different ballgame right now coming into this season that all teams are really gonna be all playing against us so ang sa amin lang palagi is really true to our faith, to what we believe in as a family, and just let the results take care of itself. Winning is gonna be the byproduct of what we’re doing as a team so we’re gonna hold on to that,” he added.

Robinson emphasized the key contributions of the 6-foot-7 Quiambao along with veteran big man Phillips.

“They will always gonna make you look good that’s the blessing of having a KQ and Mike. A lot of times we just try to remind each other, this guy (KQ) always reminds me if I’m getting so emotional, this guy reminds me also if I’m losing it so we always try to help each other out because we get lost especially me,” Robinson said. “It’s really nice to have that kind of relationship with these guys wherein we kinda flattened the hierarchy that I’m not the head coach, I just happen to have the title but it’s everybody.

“That’s really the key to us is we work together as a team. We always use us, ours, and we. That’s really the key to this.”