UST’s Acido, NU’s Pagdulagan share spotlight as UAAP Players of the Week

The final week of the UAAP Season 87 elimination round featured standout performances from rookies Amiel Acido and Cielo Pagdulagan.

Acido of University of Santo Tomas and Pagdulagan of National University were named the Collegiate Press Corps UAAP Players of the Week (POW) for the men's and women's tournaments, respectively, as the Growling Tigers advanced to the Final Four and the Lady Bulldogs finished a sweep of eliminations.

Acido defeated fellow teammate Mo Tounkara, Quention Millora-Brown and Harold Alarcon of the University of the Philippines, and PJ Palacielo of NU to attain the POW honor of the season.

The 6-foot-4 former University of Perpetual Help System DALTA star recorded 14 points, two rebounds, one assist, and one block in UST's resounding 75-49 victory over Adamson, helping the team advance to the semifinals for the first time in five years.

"I'm just thankful to those who guided me, especially the coaches, my teammates, and then the PTs. They are the reason why I am in this position. I am very thankful to them and I am also grateful for the blessings that have come to me and the opportunity given by Coach Pido," said Acido in Filipino.

"I am very happy not only for myself but also for the whole team. They have wanted to get back to the Final Four for a long time. My mindset from the very beginning is that when I'm given a chance, I'll do everything to contribute for them, and that's it, so that we can fulfill our goals as a team."

Meanwhile, Pagdulagan was chosen over more well-known players like UP's Louna Ozar, UST's Kent Pastrana and Tacky Tacatac, NU's Angel Surada, and UP's Kaye Pesquera for the weekly honor in women's basketball.

The 19-year-old star has been reliable in their previous two games, hitting solidly from the field as the Lady Bulldogs defeated De La Salle University and Far Eastern University to complete a 14-0 sweep and secure a spot in the finals.

Pagdulagan averaged 11 markers, three boards, 1.5 dimes, and 0.5 rejections, making her the second Lady Bulldog to earn the weekly prize after veteran Camille Clarin, who received back-to-back Player of the Week citations last year.

"I am super happy because it was my first year and then we immediately had a sweep in the finals. But as Ate Angel said, the job's not done. The reason why we had a sweep in the finals is because we really worked it out. And that's right, the fight isn't over yet, so we still have a lot of things to work on," Pagdulagan stated. 

With ten days off before the Final 4, Pagdulagan revealed: “We will not be complacent. We have 10 days to work with our lapses, we can find a way so that when the Finals come, we won't have too much trouble and we can adjust."