Bloodied, bruised but victorious. Those three words perfectly encapsulated Luis Pablo’s Sunday in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.
Rising to the occasion, Pablo paced the injury-depleted Green Archers past defending champion University of the Philippines, 72-69, in a game where he showed glimpses of who he was back in the NCAA a few years ago.
At the buzzer, the former La Salle Greenhills standout looked like he had come from a 12-round boxing slugfest with multiple bandages on his face.
However, just like he used to do with the Greenies back in 2023 when we won the MVP, he shrugged off the physicality and sent a team to the winning side, this time for La Salle.
If you ask him, though, what he did when he was still with the Greenies is just part of the past, and he’s focused on what’s in front of him.
‘To be honest, I don’t even think about that MVP award anymore because it’s done,’ said Pablo, who transferred to La Salle last year after playing sparingly for UP in Season 86. ‘Now, coach (Topex Robinson) just reminds me of my role here on the team.’
Fielded into the starting five in the absence of injured teammate Mason Amos, Pablo recorded 14 points, six rebounds, a steal and a block in almost 27 minutes of action.
Pablo also cleared that his performance against his former team was nothing personal.
‘Going into the game, I didn’t think that I’d have to score or do this and that, we always talked about having a certain role.’
With Pablo giving La Salle a much-needed lift, La Salle gained a share of the third seed with rivals Ateneo and UP at 4-3 to end the first round of eliminations.