Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — UST Growling Tigers’ Ed Daquioag and Perpetual Help’s Bright Akhuetie were adjudged the collegiate players of the week in their respective leagues.
The 6-foot Daquioag has emerged as the biggest revelation so far, powering the Growling Tigers to three straight victories and the solo lead in the UAAP Season 78 men’s basketball tournament.
Related: Daquioag’s 27 points lift UST past UP for 3-0 start
More known as a solid defender in his first three years in the country’s premier collegiate league, Daquioag, 24, proved he can also deliver the goods, enabling UST to enjoy its best start since 1999 when another Growling Tigers squad won their first 10 matches.
“I used to be one of the top defenders of the team before. But right now, we need to have some scorers so I just grabbed the opportunity given to me by coach (Bong dela Cruz),” said Daquioag, who was named as the hands-down choice for the first ACCEL Quantum/3XVI-UAAP Press Corps Player of the Week award this season.
The rebuilding Adamson Falcons initially bore the brunt of Daquioag’s offensive machine, with the Dingras, Ilocos Norte native firing away a career-high of 28 points while leading the Growling Tigers to an opening-day 70-64 win last Sept. 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Four days after, Daquioag continued his brilliance at the expense of title favorite Far Eastern U, banging in 12 of his game-best 18 points in the payoff canto, on their way to a dramatic 72-71 victory also at the Big Dome.
Not even a mild right ankle sprain he suffered early in the third canto could stop Daquioag from making the damage against host University of the Philippines last Sunday infront of 11,705 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena.
In that match-up between two unbeaten squads, Daquioag proved to be the biggest difference in the pivotal canto where he fired 17 of his game-high 27 markers, most of them off daring drives in the lane, while steering the Tigers to a 67-59 victory over the Fighting Maroons.
Meanwhile, after a disappointing first round loss at the hands of Ola Adeogun and San Beda, Perpetual’s Akhuetie vowed to himself, his teammates and coaches that he was gonna do whatever it takes to break even against the five-time reigning champions.
That he did. And a little bit more.
Akhuetie finished with 31 points and 11 rebounds and highlighted it with an epic game-winning basket at the buzzer in outplaying Adeogun anew as the Altas edged the Red Lions 88-86 last Friday (September 11).
Related: Perpetual downs San Beda behind Akhuetie
That performance was enough for 18-year-old Nigerian to be adjudged the NCAA Press Corps Player of the Week, the second time that he plucked the weekly individual plum – a fitting birthday gift for the Nigerian who just turned 19 last Saturday.
But more so than his eye-popping stats and the game winner, that game will be remembered for one glaring play – a play that will be replayed in the tournament highlight reel for years to come.
With over three minutes left and Perpetual trailing by one, Akhuetie received a pass from Scottie Thompson near the elbow and soared right in front of Adeogun before throwing down a monstrous tomahawk jam in front of the San Beda center sending the Perpetual gallery into a frenzy.
