Foreign student-athlete Peter Osang waited his turn.
On Wednesday, the UST Growling Tigers finally gave Osang his chance, and the Nigerian center sure made it count. The athletic 6-foot-7 big man filled up the stat sheet in UST’s 97-70 win over the UE Warriors, putting up 19 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 blocks in a memorable debut for the España-based side.
Peter Osang Keeps Things Simple
Debut games can be overwhelming, but Peter Osang looked unfazed on Wednesday in his first game in the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament. And it’s probably because he kept things easy and simple.
“Being patient,” Osang told Rebanse when asked about his mentality coming into his debut. “I restrict my man, look for my teammates, the scorers. And it came to me. I’m always told… we reward you when you play defense. So, when I play defense, I look to them on offense too. So, I just make things simple and easy.”
It probably wasn’t as easy as Osang made it look against UE, but he certainly did defend, as his 5 blocks prove. And, fittingly, he also got rewarded on offense as his teammates kept finding him in the paint. In all, the big man finished with seven makes in ten attempts.
A Big Thank-You From Peter Osang
As Osang basked in the glow of a swashbuckling debut, he didn’t forget to express how thankful he was for finally getting his opportunity.
“This is my first time being a reserve FSA, but I’ve been with UST for about, like, three years,” Osang said. “I really feel so grateful for this moment. And I really want to thank the UST community for this. And it’s been a long journey.”
It was certainly a long journey for Peter Osang. On Wednesday, he made the wait well worth it.
