After carrying UP over UE, ailing Akhuetie gets lift from teammates

UP center Bright Akhuetie is carried by his teammates back to the locker room. Akhuetie continued to feel pain in his right ankle after spraining it during the game against UE at Mall of Asia Arena. Akhuetie led the Fighting Maroons to a 78-75 win. Photo by Mark Giongco/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Bright Akhuetie played through a sprained right ankle and did the heavy lifting anew for University of the Philippines Saturday night.

Akhuetie notched a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds to power the Fighting Maroons over a hard-fighting University of the East, 78-75, to stop a two-game slide.

After the game, Akhuetie’s teammates made sure to return the favor when the reigning UAAP MVP needed assistance going back to the Mall of Asia Arena locker room following the post-game press conference.

Bright Akhuetie, who finished the game despite hurting his right ankle, is carried by UP’s makeshift ambulance after the post-game presser following a 78-75 win over UE. 😂 pic.twitter.com/kXjSlgJ1hv

— Mark Giongco (@MarkGiongcoINQ) October 12, 2019

Kobe Paras and the rest of the Maroons came to Akhuetie’s aid in a show of camaraderie, carrying the 6-foot-8 center from the media room to the dugout.

UP stayed in solo second with a 6-3 record behind undefeated defending champion Ateneo, but Akhuetie knows the work is far from done.

“We actually wanted to come out and get the win. We can’t settle for this we have work to do.”

Akhuetie looks to continue his strong showing on Wednesday in a crucial duel against University of Santo Tomas, one of two teams that beat UP in the first round.