FEU’s Mo Konateh and UST’s Oma Onianwa powered their teams with dominant double-double performances to earn PSC–Collegiate Press Corps UAAP Players of the Week honors for October 1–5.
Two towering foreign student-athletes made their presence felt in Week 2 of the UAAP Season 88 basketball tournaments, leading their squads to crucial wins and earning Collegiate Press Corps Players of the Week honors presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
After a winless 0-3 start, Far Eastern University finally broke through behind Mo Konateh’s dominant performance.
The 6-foot-10 Gambian center powered the Tamaraws to a hard-fought 64-58 win over Adamson University on Sunday, tallying 18 points, 21 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
Konateh’s dominance on the glass and clutch defensive stops, which included a crucial block on Emmanuel Anabo in the final 90 seconds, sealed FEU’s first victory of the season.
"That's what we expect from him and I was glad that he really stepped up today," said FEU coach Sean Chambers, praising his prized center’s leadership.
[ALSO READ: UAAP: Janrey Pasaol repays coach Sean Chambers’ faith with clutch outing for FEU vs Adamson]
The former Mythical Team member averaged 16.0 points, 15.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 block for the week, beating out Ateneo’s Dom Escobar and Shawn Tuano, La Salle’s Mike Phillips, UST’s Nic Cabañero, and UP’s Harold Alarcon for the citation.
Even in FEU’s narrow 74-72 loss to La Salle earlier in the week, Konateh was a steady presence with 14 points and 10 boards — a sign of consistency that Chambers hopes will anchor the Tamaraws’ resurgence.
In women's play, Oma Onianwa was unstoppable for University of Santo Tomas, spearheading a perfect 3-0 start to their campaign.
The Nigerian center exploded for 18 points and 15 rebounds in UST’s 76-62 statement win over defending champion National University, which was a rematch of the last two Finals series.
UST dominated the glass, grabbing a massive 78 rebounds — 43 of them offensive — compared to NU’s 37 total. Onianwa then followed up with 17 points and six rebounds in just 19 minutes as the Tigresses blew out UE, 99-42.
“For us, Oma is very important,” said head coach Haydee Ong. “At least ngayon, we're not undersized na against kina Kacey [Dela Rosa] tsaka [Sarah] Makanjoula. With her help, we can do one-on-one defense and tweak our system better.”
Averaging 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in just 22 minutes per game, Onianwa earned a unanimous selection over Adamson’s Cheska Apag, Ateneo’s Kacey Dela Rosa, FEU’s Amyah Español, and NU’s Tin Cayabyab.
—
Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.