KEVIN QUIAMBAO, recently named Mr. Basketball by the Philippine Sports Writers Association, returned to action in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) with a solid performance following an ankle injury.
Mr. Quiambao fired 14 points on two treys plus four rebounds and five assists although his club Goyang Sono Skygunners absorbed a 94-69 defeat to the Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters late Tuesday night at the Goyang Sono Arena.
The two-time UAAP MVP suffered a sprained ankle on Jan. 12 that marred his highly-anticipated debut.
Mr. Quiambao then had six points in almost seven minutes of play before exiting, sitting out more than two weeks.
Despite Mr. Quiambao’s efforts, Goyang’s struggles continued nearing the homestretch of the regular season. It stands at the bottom of the 10-team league with a 10-23 slate.
His fellow Filipino import Javi Gomez de Liaño went scoreless for Anyang (11-23).
Mr. Quiambao’s availability should come in handy for Gilas Pilipinas when it assembles next month for the final window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
Mr. Quiambao is expected to be available when Tim Cone assembles his squad for a training camp in Doha before going on the road against Chinese Taipei and New Zealand on Feb. 20 and 23, respectively.
Gilas will battle Qatar, Lebanon and Egypt in the 2nd Doha Invitational Cup on Feb. 14 to 16 as part of its preparations, though it is already a shoo-in for the Asia Cup with a 4-0 slate in Group B. — John Bryan Ulanday