La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao during a game against Ateneo in UAAP Season 87. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Kevin Quiambao is the UAAP men’s basketball tournament MVP for the second straight time.
Kacey Dela Rosa achieved the same feat, too, although in a much more dominant fashion.
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Quiambao ran away with the men’s crown, accumulating 81.357 statistical points (SPs) to beat La Salle teammat Mike Phillips for the award. The high-motor Phillips finished second in the MVP race with 74.928 SPs.
“KQ (Quiambao) … really put in the work [as an athlete],” said La Salle coach Topex Robinson. “It’s not an overnight thing where he just became the person that he is or the player that he is. And it’s just a testament of how he set the barometer for this team.”
“How he inspired his teammates, how he made sure that he’s going to challenge the guys, especially our other veterans. Mike [Phillips] was really stepping up big time. Josh David was also there. So again, we give credit where credit is due. And then KQ really brought this team to a different level … I’m just fortunate to be a part of KQ’s journey. And I’m really excited for what the future holds for KQ. And he deserves it,” Robinson added.
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Quiambao averaged 16.64 points, 8.64 rebounds, 4.07 assists and a steal per game in the elimination round, becoming the first Green Archer to win back-to-back MVPs since Ben Mbala in the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He is also the first local to win the award twice in a row since Kiefer Ravena in 2014 and 2015.
Dela Rosa, however, was the more dominant winner.
The Ateneo low blocks operator collected 96.286 SPs after averaging 22.07 points, 16.0 rebounds and 2.29 blocks per game to top all three departments in the elimination round. She also had 14 straight double-doubles in leading Ateneo to a Final Four appearance.
Kent Pastrana of defending champion University of Santo Tomas (UST) finished a distant second in the MVP race with 79.857 SPs, built around per-game averages of 15.21 points, 8.36 rebounds, 3.29 assists and 2.21 steals.
Dela Rosa joined Cassy Tioseco as the only Blue Eagles to win two consecutive UAAP women MVPs.
The last back-to-back MVP winner in the women’s division was former UST star Grace Irebu in 2018 and 2019.
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Phillips averaged 12.0 points, 11.57 rebounds, 1.71 steals and 1.07 blocks per game for La Salle and will join Quiambao in the mythical team.
