UAAP champions Kent Pastrana, MVP Kevin Quiambao set tone as Players of the Week

MANILA, Philippines – In sports, champions turn into prey as soon as they start to defend their titles, but only if they let themselves be so.

That wasn’t the case to kick off the UAAP Season 87 basketball wars, as the La Salle Green Archers and UST Growling Tigresses cleared the opening week with identical 3-0 records, led by their ever-reliable stars, reigning men’s MVP Kevin Quiambao of De La Salle University (DLSU) and the all-around dynamo Kent Pastrana of University of Sto. Tomas (UST).

The 23-year-old Quiambao averaged monster numbers of 18.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists against NU, Adamson, and rival Ateneo to earn the Collegiate Press Corps’ first Player of the Week award, backed by Discovery Suites and World Balance, for the period of September 7 to 15.

“So far all of us have a lot still to work on, especially me being new to this leadership role,” he said in Filipino. “We just need to keep doing our best and control what we can control.”

Pastrana, on the other hand, scattered norms of 16.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks to win the women’s top weekly citation deliberated by reporters regularly covering the collegiate beat.

“I have to keep up my maturity since coach [Haydee Ong] tells me that I’m one of the leaders on the court. I have to set the tone with what I show on it,” she said in Filipino.

For his efforts, Quiambao soared to a unanimous vote against UP’s JD Cagulangan, UST’s Nic Cabanero, and Adamson’s Monty Montebon, while Pastrana beat out reigning women’s MVP Kacey dela Rosa of Ateneo, UP’s Louna Ozar, and NU’s Camille Clarin. – Rappler.com