Host University of Santo Tomas opened the UAAP Season 88 in grand fashion and its men’s basketball team followed suit with an even grander start.
The Growling Tigers launched fireworks in a giant-killing 2-0 start by taking down reigning champion UP Fighting Maroons and the DLSU Green Archers, who have been in the finals of the last two seasons.
And the biggest difference was the newest man in the middle in España – super rookie Collins Akowe.
Meanwhile, a new season changed nothing in the women’s division as back-to-back MVP Kacey Dela Rosa was the same beast, leading Ateneo de Manila University to a 2-0 start.
For their impressive performances that kept their schools unblemished from the period of September 20 to 28, Akowe and Dela Rosa were unanimously hailed as this season’s first Collegiate Press Corps’ UAAP Players of the Week.
Akowe, the UAAP’s first-ever Best Foreign Student-Athlete in Season 87 with NUNS in high school, immediately proved his caliber for UST in its 87-67 stunner over UP on Sept. 21, hauling down 29 points and 17 rebounds in one of the best league debut in history.
He then followed it up with a 20-point, 19-rebound double-double while playing a major role in the Growling Tigers’ 21-10 fourth quarter rally to upset the Green Archers, 93-84.
“It’s a great feeling, just taking advantage of our crowd. I just do what I got to do. I’m representing UST, I have to take it upon myself, they’re taking care of me so this is the way I can pay them back,” said Akowe after their opening game win held at their home gym, the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Akowe outclassed teammate Nic Cabañero, Ateneo’s Kymani Ladi, NU’s Jake Figueroa, and DLSU’s Jacob Cortez for the weekly recognition voted by scribes regularly covering the league.
Meanwhile, Dela Rosa put on a show in Ateneo’s 81-52 beating of University of the East on Wednesday, delivering 29 points on 72.2 percent shooting from the field, nine rebounds, five steals, and four blocks.
But it was on Sunday, Sept. 28, that her play proved pivotal as Dela Rosa scored 11 of the last 13 Blue Eagles’ points to outlast the Adamson Lady Falcons, 70-60.
Her 24 points on 88.9 percent shooting along with 19 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks led Ateneo to the win that carried more weight as Adamson blanked them last season, winning all three of their matchups including the stepladder semifinals that booted them out.
Dela Rosa’s numbers bested UP’s Shane Cunanan and Camille Nolasco, NU’s Tin Cayabyab and Ann Pingol, as well as UST’s Oma Onianwa for the citation that has Discovery Suites and Buffalo’s Wild Wings N’ Things as sponsors.
“Pinaghandaan talaga namin sila (Elaine) Etang, (Cheska) Apag kasi talagang gigil kami kasi last year (0-3 kami) so ngayon inisip ko na sa amin na ‘yung panalo talaga,” said the Gilas Women center.
