Quentin Millora-Brown caps off his UAAP career as a champion, the perfect tribute to his late grandfather who inspired him to join the UP Fighting Maroons.
Throughout UAAP Season 87, Quentin Millora-Brown openly admitted how his “Lolo Angel” inspired his decision to join the UP Fighting Maroons following his NCAA Division 1 career in the United States.
Lolo Angel was Dr. Angel Millora, QMB’s late grandfather who graduated from the UP College of Medicine in 1963 before becoming a full-time physician. And when he passed away in November, it became added fuel for QMB to deliver UP’s first UAAP title since Season 84 in 2022.
“It means so much to me [winning a title for UP]. UP is a place that my grandfather went to school,” Millora-Brown said after their Game 1 win against the DLSU Green Archers last December 11. “It’s a place that this year, I was so glad to be able to make those memories. Things that he’s seen, things that he’s done, and just the pride that I feel when I wear the jersey,” the one-and-done big said at the time.
Two grueling games later, Quentin Millora-Brown found himself celebrating at the Araneta Coliseum hardcourt with the rest of the Fighting Maroons. Before he knew it, QMB was already a UAAP champion, and had fulfilled his wish to deliver a title to his Lolo Angel’s alma mater.
“Just a big smile for me [to win the championship],” Millora-Brown, holding back his tears, said on Sunday following UP’s title-clinching Game 3 win. “Basketball was one of [Lolo Angel’s] passions and he would always try and coach me.”
It was also QMB who iced Game 3 for State U, calmly knocking down two free throws that sealed the title and a final score of 66-62 with 11 seconds left in regulation. This, as a record crowd of 24,518 waited whether he could guarantee UP’s Season 87 title, or give DLSU’s repeat hopes a lifeline.
Yet in this pressure-packed situation, years of being coached by Lolo Angel bore its biggest fruit for QMB as he capped off his short but sweet UAAP career.
“It was always free throws,” he said of Lolo Angel’s biggest basketball advice. “He would always talk about free throws, so I think that being able to come in and hit two clutch free throws at the end was a great nod to him, I’m just so happy.”
Without question, Quentin Millora-Brown will forever be remembered by the UP faithful as he lived up to the hype as one of their biggest Season 87 recruits. Bringing his NCAA D1-tested finesse to the UAAP, QMB proved to be crucial in UP’s title run as he held down the paint en route to the promised land.
The big man averaged 14 points, nine rebounds, and one steal per game in their Season 87 finals against the Archers. Part of this was his career-high 17 points in Game 1 as he banged bodies with DLSU’s high-energy big man Mike Phillips throughout a cardiac three-game war in a rematch of last year’s finals series.
And as he exits Diliman, Quentin Millora-Brown leaves having formed lifelong friendships with the Fighting Maroons he went to battle with for over four months.
“They are friendships that I’m going to have for the rest of my life. Everyone always says, when you have a championship team, they stick together 10 years down the line, five years down the line, 20 years down the line. Always going to be remembered and we’re always going to get back together, these friendships are friendships that are for life,” he said.
Banner image taken by Kieran Punay of KLIQ Inc.