After three years of patiently waiting, Peter Osang finally got his opportunity to play in the UAAP.

On Wednesday, the University of Santo Tomas opted to field the 22-year-old Nigerian in place of Collins Akowe against the University of the East.

Osang made every minute of his long-awaited debut count.

The 6-foot-7 forward delivered a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, on top of five blocks, as the Growling Tigers cruised to a 97-70 victory over the Red Warriors in the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

“I just stuck with what the coaches told me, and I played nothing special. Just played with the team, helped the team, did my job. That’s all,” Osang said.

It was a moment three years in the making for the agile forward, who joined UST in March 2023.

After finally getting his first taste of UAAP action, Osang admitted to assistant coach Peter Martin that he was overwhelmed by the moment.

But his composure on the floor hardly showed it.Peter Osang makes long-awaited UAAP debut count

“I just focused on the game, focused on defense,” he added.

Fellow foreign student-athlete Akowe also offered Osang some words of advice before tip-off.

Despite their differences in experience, Osang said he has always looked up to Akowe and credited his teammate’s guidance for helping him avoid putting too much pressure on himself.

“He’s one of the players in UST I look up to. I know I got here before him, but I’m still learning. So I learned from him, and I applied it to the game as well.”

Osang’s breakthrough performance was also a welcome sight for his coaches and teammates, who had witnessed firsthand the long road he took to finally earn his opportunity.

For the coaching staff, however, his impressive debut has presented an interesting dilemma, with Martin now having to weigh his options between Osang and Akowe moving forward.

“He was always a part of the team. It turned out well for today,” said Martin.

Teammate Amiel Acido, who led all scorers with 22 points in UST’s victory, was equally delighted to see Osang finally get his moment after witnessing the work he had put in behind the scenes.

“Very happy ako for Peter. Nakikita ko yung mga pinagtatrabahuhan niya. Every single day he’s working out, and he’s always present sa mga practice namin. I’m very happy for him,” said Acido.

Martin also shared that the coaching staff is looking forward to giving Osang another opportunity in the coming games.

Whether that chance comes in UST’s final two games of the season remains to be seen. Regardless, the Nigerian student-athlete insists that his approach will not change, regardless of how much playing time comes his way.

“It’s always been like that. I’ll keep on working, keep on showing up, keep on learning, and stay ready.”

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San Beda University got its revenge on College of Saint Benilde, claiming an 82-69 victory to close out the NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball Tournament elimination round and secure the top seed in Group A on Tuesday at the Filoil Centre.

The defending champions finished the elimination round with a 10-3 record, tying the JRU Heavy Bombers. However, the Red Lions secured the top spot by virtue of the quotient advantage.

San Beda will now face the winner of the Perpetual Help-San Sebastian play-in match in the quarterfinals, where it will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage.

Meanwhile, Benilde, which defeated San Beda, 77-68, on opening day, will face Group A second seed Emilio Aguinaldo College in the quarterfinals without a twice-to-beat advantage.

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Jimboy Estrada delivered once again in the clutch, drilling a game-winning three-pointer with 2.2 seconds remaining to lift Colegio de San Juan de Letran past the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, 85-83, and close out the NCAA Season 102 seniors basketball tournament eliminations on a winning note Tuesday at the Filoil Centre.

With the victory, the Knights wrapped up the preliminary round with a 9-4 record to secure the top seed and the twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.

Letran will await the winner of the Mapua University-Lyceum of the Philippines University play-in matchup, while Perpetual, which finished fourth in Group B with a 4-9 slate, will face San Sebastian College-Recoletos in the play-ins.

Estrada once again proved to be Letran’s go-to man in crunch time, finishing with 19 points, four assists, and three rebounds.

The Knights found themselves trailing, 83-82, with just 6.9 seconds left when they entrusted the ball to Estrada, who calmly pulled up from beyond the arc to bury the go-ahead triple with 2.2 ticks remaining.

The Altas failed to execute their ensuing inbound play, allowing Letran to escape with the victory.

“Sabi ko at sinabi sa coaches namin na babawi kami. Hindi puwedeng hindi kami bumawi,” said Estrada, who admitted that the Knights were motivated to bounce back after their previous loss to Emilio Aguinaldo College.

“Nasaktan talaga kami sa last game namin sa EAC. Nagprepare kami para dito sa Perpetual,” he added.

Perpetual had threatened to pull off the upset after taking an 81-78 lead late in the contest, but Titing Manalili sparked a Letran comeback with a personal four-point run to put the Knights ahead, 82-81, with 20 seconds remaining.

JM Tulabut answered with a jumper to restore the Altas’ lead at 83-82, setting the stage for Estrada’s heroics.

Chad Gammad provided additional firepower for Letran with 19 points, three rebounds, and three assists, while Justin Cargo and Kevin Santos contributed 11 and 10 markers, respectively.

Tulabut paced Perpetual with 12 points, while Gelo Gelsano posted a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds in the losing effort.

The Scores:

Letran 85 – Estrada 19, Gammad 19, Cargo 11, Santos 10, Reyes 6, Manalili 5, Walker 5, Buensalida 5, Valdeavilla 3, Villanueva 2, Hugo 0, Montecillo 0

Perpetual Help 83 – Tulabut 12, Gelsano 11, Orgo 10, Corpuz 9, Cristino 9, Montemayor 8, Gojo Cruz 7, Casinillo 7, Maglupay 3, Duremdes 3, Roluna 2, Borja 2

Quarterscores: 33-21, 45-43, 63-69, 85-83

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