One-and-done UP big man Quentin Millora-Brown lost his grandfather, a UP alumnus, midway through UAAP Season 87.
It was a full circle moment for UP big man Quentin Millora-Brown as he sank the championship-clinching free throws in Game 3 of the UAAP Season 87 Finals against the DLSU Green Archers at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.
In his only year for the Fighting Maroons, Millora-Brown found himself in the toughest high-pressure situation he could imagine, as he was at foul line with 11.3 remaining in the season with UP ahead only by two, 64-62.
But the Fil-Am center remained calm as a fiddle to ice UP’s first championship since 2022. After the game, it wasn’t surprising why.
[RELATED: UP Fighting Maroons back on top of UAAP mountain with dramatic Game 3 win over La Salle]
That is, Millora-Brown dug deep and remembered his late grandfather — who is a UP alumnus.
Though Millora-Brown’s grandfather was focused on medicine, he also had a love of basketball and had actually coached the 6-foot-10 big man in his early years. Among his focal points were foul shots.
And helping UP to the championship from the charity stripe was the icing on the cake for Millora-Brown’s fairy tale season with the Fighting Maroons.
“Just [a] big smile, big smile for me [after the game]. You know, basketball was one of his passions along with medicine and he would always try and coach me. It was always free throws. He always talked about free throws,” said an ecstatic Millora-Brown that couldn’t hold back his grin.
“And I think that being able to come in and hit two clutch free throws at the end, was a great nod to him and just… I’m just so happy,” he added.
Millora-Brown’s single season with the Fighting Maroons has been a successful one, with the big man being one of the focal points of UP’s offense throughout the year. After adhering to his grandfather’s wishes to join his alma mater, he said that there was absolutely no doubt he made the right decision.
“I mean, it was an amazing decision. I don’t think that there’s any way I can look back and have any regrets on anything. This season was amazing so, just really happy right now," QMB said.
In the Game 3 clincher, Millora-Brown was the top performer with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, along with 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block.
Francis Lopez added another double-double of 12 points, and 11 rebounds. He also had six assists, one steal, and one block.
Finals MVP JD Cagulangan ended up with 12 markers as well. He added two rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Mike Phillips paced La Salle in the loss with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Two-time MVP Kevin Quiambao, who is rumored to be headed to South Korea, finished with 13 markers and four boards in a losing effort.