Lead by example: UE’s Lingolingo, Ateneo’s Dela Rosa rule as UAAP Players of the Week

MANILA, Philippines – Star or not, players in any sport stand out by the way they lead their teams by example.

That’s the situation UE sniper Wello Lingolingo and Ateneo all-around beast Kacey dela Rosa currently find themselves in as they lead their respective squads in the thick of Final Four contention in the UAAP Season 87 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

For their exemplary efforts for the period of October 2 to 6, the pair were awarded the fourth Collegiate Press Corps Players of the Week citations backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, with Discovery Suites and World Balance serving as minor sponsors.

Lingolingo, currently the talk of the town for his buzzer-beater against Adamson to lift UE to a decade-best fifth-straight win, averaged 11.5 points on 67% shooting and an identical 67% from three, with 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals as his Red Warriors now stand in third place with a 5-2 record.

The downtown specialist bested his teammate Precious Momowei, La Salle duo Kevin Quiambao and Joshua David, UST’s Mo Tounkara, and NU’s Kenshin Padrones for the weekly award deliberated by reporters regularly covering the collegiate beat.

Dela Rosa, on the other hand, is slowly starting to see the fruits of her hard-carrying ways pay off as Ateneo ended the first round with a 4-3 card in fourth place behind mighty NU, champion UST, and fast-rising dark horse Adamson.

The 6-foot-4 reigning MVP proved to be a bona fide double-double machine, dropping 19 points and 13 rebounds in a masterful 90-62 win over UE before her 21 points and 13 boards fell ever so short in a narrow 58-66 loss to the undefeated Lady Bulldogs.

It was business as usual this week for an in-form Dela Rosa, who normed 20 points, 13 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game after churning out double-doubles for all her seven games so far.

She bested UST’s Kent Pastrana, NU rookie Cielo Pagdulagan, and Adamson’s Kem Adeshina for the weekly citation. – Rappler.com