SAN FRANCISCO, California -- A rising college hoop star is aiming to be the second Filipino-American to win an NCAA championship in nearly half a century.
Virginia Cavaliers freshman point guard Kihei Clark hopes to tie with compatriot Raymond Townsend, whose UCLA Buins won the US collegiate basketball crown in 1975.
Clark has been a vital cog for the Virginia Cavaliers in this NCAA tournament, playing a crucial role in the final minutes with excellent defense and hitting clutch shots.
In the Cavaliers' last game in the Elite Eight vs Purdue, Clark made the game-tying assist to send the match into overtime and made the final two free throws that the sealed win.
"It's really exciting... There's no words that can explain the emotions as we're going through," Clark's Filipina mother, Sharon Simeon-Clark, told ABS-CBN News.
Clark's mother said she was praying for a miracle before her son made the game-tying assist.
"We're very proud of him. But oh my gosh, it was amazing! We couldn't even believe what just happened," she said.
Addressing Filipino fans, Clark said: "Thank you for the support I really appreciate the support I get out there, it means a lot to me to get so much support from the Philippines."
source: news.abs-cbn.com
