UST continues UAAP beach volleyball domination

The University of Santo Tomas secured the first postseason spot in the UAAP Season 77 women's beach volleyball competition on Wednesday at the UE Caloocan sand court.

The rookie duo of Cherry Rondina and Rica Rivera continued their winning form in dispatching their FEU counterparts Bernadettte Pons and Charm Simborio, 21-15 and 21-16, then followed that with a 21-6 and 21-14 dismantling of UP's Arylle Magtalas and Hannah Mangulabnan.

The Female Spikers are just two wins away from sweeping the eliminations, and the corresponding incentive of an automatic finals seat and a thrice-to-beat advantage.

Trying to chase them down is La Salle, who needed three sets to defeat National University, 21-17, 20-22, and 15-9. They tote a 3-1 record, just ahead of FEU and Adamson.

UST is also undefeated in men's beach volleyball after four games, with the duo of Mark Alfafara and Kris Roy Guzman winning over UE's Edward Camposano and Carlo Almario, 21-16 and 21-12.

The other results sees defending champions NU down Ateneo, 21-19 and 21-14, Adamson soaring over La Salle, 24-22 and 21-17, and FEU easing past UP with identical 21-19 scores.

Ateneo, FEU secure wins in UAAP women's basketball eliminations

Ateneo and Far Eastern University kept themselves in contention for a postseason spot with their respective victories on Wednesday morning at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Lady Eagles of Erika Dy defeated the University of the East, 70-56, in the second game of the doubleheader.

A 31-point first quarter was all that Ateneo needed, aided by a stifling defense that held UE to 20% shooting.

Danica Jose, Ther Aseron, Sara Bo-ot, and Franchesca Tantoco each scored ten points in the win, while Jose added a game-high fifteen rebounds and swatted the Lady Warriors five times.

Nicole Mendina and Eunique Chan led UE with fifteen points each, sending them to their eighth loss in ten matches.

The first game of the doubleheader saw Far Eastern University preventing the University of the Philippines from nabbing their first win, 59-54.

Claire Castro's basket with 96 seconds remaining gave the Lady Tamaraws a 56-53 lead, and the Lady Maroons were unable to make a field goal in the dying seconds to make a dent. Castro would finish with twelve points and fourteen rebounds.

Bea Daez finished with a game-high 25 points.
 Ateneo and FEU joined idle Adamson and University of Santo Tomas in a tie for third place with a 5-5 record, trailing pace-setting National University at 10-0 and defending champions La Salle at 8-2.

The scores:

First Game (Women)

FEU (59) - Castro 12, Siat 10, Chan 10, Valenzona 9, Gabriel 8, Arellado 6, Tanaman 2, Ventura 2, Baldonado 0, Balleser 0.

UP (54) - Daez 25, Tatel 8, Bautista 7, Isip 5, Aurellado 4, Wong 3, Medina 2, Delmoro 0, Franco 0, Rodas 0.

Quarterscores: 14-15, 29-26, 41-41, 59-54

Second Game (Women)

Ateneo (70) - Aseron 10, Bo-ot 10, Jose 10, Tantoco 10, Javier 9, Tomita 7, Belarmino 5, Nitorreda 5, Buendia 3, Posadas 1, Cancio 0, Dogong 0, Go, Lamar 0, Yam 0.
UE (56) - Mendina 15, Chan 15, Sto. Domingo 10, Tacula 6, Llosala 5, Bale 3, Sampaga 2, Ano-os 0, Gayacao 0, Nama 0.
Quarterscores: 31-10, 45-26, 63-41, 70-56

NU continues women's basketball domination

Standings:

NU 10-0
La Salle 8-2
UST 5-5
Adamson 5-5
Ateneo 4-5
FEU 4-5
UE 2-7
UP 0-9

Matches scheduled today:

8 a.m. – UP vs FEU (women)
10 a.m. – ADMU vs UE (women)

National University sealed the first postseason spot up for grabs this past weekend for the women's basketball tournament of the UAAP.

The Blue Eagle Gym played host to the Lady Bulldogs' tenth straight victory, a 67-50 dismantling of Far Eastern University, creeping closer to an undefeated eliminations and the reward of an automatic finals seat.

Shelly Gupilan and Afril Bernardino combined for 29 points and 15 rebounds for the win.

Chasing down the pacesetters are La Salle Lady Archers. The defending champions disposed of their rivals Ateneo, 53-37, for their eighth win of the season. Trisha Piatos led the charge with 15 points, while Cass Santos added 14 and 7.

Losses by the Lady Tamaraws and the Lady Eagles moved them behind in the race for postseason spots, as both the University of Santo Tomas and Adamson moved ahead of FEU and Ateneo win wins over their respective opposition.

The Tigressess pounced on the University of the East, 54-36, with Maica Cortes netting 10 and 10, while Adamson kept UP winless this season on the efforts of Jingky Balasta's twenty points.

FEU and Ateneo have a chance to get themselves back on level terms with UST and Adamson with wins in their matches today at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Lady Tamaraws face off against the Lady Maroons to kick off the basketball action today at 8am, while the Lady Eagles face the Lady Warriors at 10am.

2014 PBA Draft Thoughts.

Okay, this is my first official written piece as part of the Rivals PH network. Some of the answers here made it to the 4x4 on the recently concluded PBA Draft. But this post contains my entire thought process. Feel free to express your agreement / disagreement.

1. Who was the biggest winner in the 2014 PBA Draft?

A. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. SanMig Coffee, fresh from a Grand Slam (and 4 straight conference titles), opted to trade out of the draft once Rodney Brondial was selected by Ginebra (you can thank Y! Philippines' Carlo Pamintuan for that tidbit), netting the chance to switch first round picks with Globalport and a 2018 second round pick.

B. The Gatorade PH PBA Draft Combine Scrimmages. The guys of Gatorade brought back this aspect of the combine this year, and it yielded the necessary impact for a few guys to get drafted, most notably Mike Gamboa with Rain or Shine and Maclean Sabelina for Blackwater.

C. Globalport. They have the top-ranked player in the draft in Stanley Pringle. They added another shooter in Anthony Semerad. They added a big man in Prince Caperal. They added another point guard in Nard Pinto. All four picks might make the team and possibly play vital roles for Pido Jarencio. 

D. Blackwater. The expansion team, even though they have the 12th pick, actually got eight quality selections that can compete for spots alongside their expansion draft picks.

E. Ateneo. The basketball program yields PBA players again with two more picks in Juami Tiongson and Frank Golla. You could make a case for a third with Ateneo HS product (and UP Maroon) Gamboa. You're potentially next, Nico Elorde and Chris Newsome, in 2015.

F. The NCAA. One advantage they have over the UAAP is having their student-athletes not lose their collegiate eligibility if they applied for the draft. 

2. Who was the biggest loser in the 2014 PBA Draft?

A. Only 41 out of 87 players were selected. Among the undrafted guys: the UE swingmen Ralf Olivares and Lord Casajeros. Adamson shooting menace Roider Cabrera. La Salle big man Jovet Mendoza (who has the more impressive college resume than Papot Paredes). JRU scoring machine Philip Paniamogan.

B. Barako Bull. Not surprisingly, the Energy traded their top draft pick, 3rd overall, to a RSA-owned team for a set of assets that when you look at it, don't exactly compare to what San Miguel got in Ronald Pascual.

C. Meralco was devoid of a pick in the draft. And what was odd (for me, at least) was their full representation at the draft knowing that they won't pick at all.

D. Chris Banchero. Because everyone ticketed him to be a top-3 pick. Imagine the surprise of Alaska getting him at 5th overall.

E. Juneric Baloria. A guy many tagged to be a late first round pick goes down to the 5th round (30th overall). Fortunately for him, Blackwater will need someone with scoring capabilities.

3. Who do you think will make the biggest impact in his rookie year?

Off the court: Manny Pacquiao will have the impact the PBA desperately needs, which is to get mainstream attention. To that, the league needs his presence to actually take advantage. His press conference to announce that he was going to be the head coach of Kia got attention from three different media types (basketball media, boxing media, and auto media). All the speculation and "controversy" makes it fascinating and interesting. He is why the league actually is now looking into the possibility of playing at the 55k-seater Philippine Arena on opening day.

On the court: Pringle would be the easy choice, because he can play immediately and instantly take the role of the third guard in Globalport's backcourt rotation, alongside Alex Cabagnot and Terrence Romeo.

However, don't sleep on the Blackwater point guards. They were impressed enough by Tiongson from their Malaysia experience to take him as their first-ever draft pick (because face it, that spot was Jericho Cruz's if not for Rain or Shine snatching him three picks earlier). This move reminds me of the 2014 NBA Draft, when the Raptors picked Bruno Caboclo. If you are that confident in the guy, and you are not sure if he will still be around when you pick again, you go get him already.

They also luckily snagged Heruela at the 3rd round with their 26th overall pick. Considering the expansion draft yielded Paul Artadi and Chris Timberlake, one could argue they are already are better off keeping the rookies. Even Clark Bautista (drafted 34th) has a shot.

4. Who was the most surprising pick of the 2014 PBA draft?

Ronald Pascual going third was one, although it clearly fits a need for San Miguel after their injury issues with Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter. Paredes (15th) being selected ahead of Caperal  (17th) is another, considering their collegiate resumes. Also, Rain or Shine not address their issues on lack of size with any of their four draft picks.

UST maintans lead in UAAP Beach Volleyball

Men's Standings:

UST 3-0
NU 2-1
Ateneo 2-1
Adamson 2-1
FEU 2-1
UP 1-2
UE 0-3
La Salle 0-3

Women's Standings:

UST 3-0
FEU 3-0
La Salle 2-1
NU 2-1
Adamson 1-2
UP 1-2
Ateneo 0-3
UE 0-3

The University of Santo Tomas continue their pace-setting ways in the UAAP Season 77 beach volleyball tournament at the sand courts of UE Caloocan on Sunday.

The Tigers Spikers duo of Mark Gil Alfafara and Kris Roy Guzman kept the slate with identical 21-17 set victories against Adamson on Sunday, after surviving a three-setter against Ateneo on Saturday, 14-21, 21-12, and 15-12.

The Blue Spikers fell into a four-way tie in second place with a 2-1 record, joining NU, FEU, and Adamson.

On the women's side, UST also sets the pace with an undefeated 3-0 record. The rookie tandem of Rica Rivera and Cherry Rondina powered Lady Spikers of Espana to a 21-13 and 21-12 win over UE on Saturday, then followed that up with a 21-16 and 21-11 win over Ateneo's Michelle Morente and Jhoana Maraguinot.

Ateneo remained winless after three games after losing to the FEU tandem of Bernadette Pons and Charm Simborio, 21-15 and 21-7. The Lady Tamaraws are also atop the standings with a 3-0 record.

Just behind UST and FEU are La Salle and NU, both toting a 2-1 record. Defending champions Adamson are tied with UP for fifth place with 1-2 records. Ateneo and UE hog the basement for not having any wins so far this season.

NU, UP sweep UAAP Season 77 badminton eliminations

There will be a stepladder postseason at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Courts.

National University and the University of the Philippines took care of business in men's and women's badminton to secure an automatic finals seat, after sweeping the eliminations on Sunday.

NU turned back Ateneo, 3-2 to secure the finals seat and the thrice-to-beat advantage. The Blue Shuttlers' loss and La Salle's 5-0 domination over winless Far Eastern University ensures the Green Shuttlers are the second seed and hold the twice-to-beat advantage.

The defending champions will open the postseason in a "Battle of Katipunan" playoff, as UP defeated the Male Shuttlers of  UST, 4-1 in what constituted as a "play-in" game for the postseason. The other game saw Adamson end the season on a positive note with a 4-1 win over UE.

The Ateneo-UP matchup will take place on Wednesday morning at 9am. In their lone meeting in the eliminations last August 13, the Natividad brothers powered their way to a 4-1 win. Both team skipper Justin and his elder brother Pawee won their respective singles match, then they teamed up to win their doubles match as a tandem.

In the women's side, the University of the Philippines secured their finals seat with a 4-1 win over Far Eastern University.

La Salle forced a playoff for the right to finish second in the eliminations against Ateneo, beating their rivals, 3-2.

The Female Shuttlers of UST still have a chance to make it to the postseason, thanks to their 3-2 victory over UE. Both UST and FEU tote a 4-3 record, good enough to be tied for fourth in the standings.

The Ateneo-La Salle and UST-FEU matchups will take place also on Wednesday, at 1pm.

Mocking my own. My version of the 2014 PBA Mock Draft

The 2014 Gatorade PBA Draft will be held later today at the Robinsons' Midtown, and mock drafts are aplenty. Here is mine, and assuming teams will not trade up or down or into next year.

First round:

1. Globalport - Stanley Pringle. The BatangPier have locked in on this guy to be their pick. Now up to them how to juggle the minutes between him, Alex and Terrence.

2. Rain or Shine - Kevin Alas. The latest news on Paul Lee reportedly has forced the Elasto braintrust to rethink their draft plans. I don't buy that. Yeng likes collecting talent, period. Alas will fill in those big Cobra Commander shoes nicely.

3. Barako Bull - Chris Banchero. Knowing how they work, this will be the gateway for the former San Miguel Beer guard to actually join the San Miguel Beermen, eventually.

4. NLEX - Matt Rosser. They are to draft one of their own, right?

5. Alaska - Ronald Pascual. Aces add Calvin's old Kapampangan buddy to groom as the replacement for Cyrus Baguio / Tony dela Cruz / Dondon Hontiveros. 

6. Barangay Ginebra - Rodney Brondial. The man said so himself on FTS 97. Will be a handy bruiser to complement Greg, Chris and Japeth.

7. San Mig Coffee - Jake Pascual. They already have some youth infusion on the backcourt. Next step will be adding quality to their frontcourt.

8. Barako Bull - Rome dela Rosa. For a team starved of winning, they'll need players accustomed to winning.

9. Rain or Shine - Anthony Semerad. He's 6'5" with shooting.

10. Barako Bull - Juneric Baloria. They'll need some scoring punch. This guy gets buckets.

11. Kia - Manny Pacquiao. We all are waiting for this one.

12. Blackwater - Jericho Cruz. Familiarity. Closest thing to a direct hire these guys will conduct.

2nd round:

13. Alaska - Brian Heruela. Aces need an upgrade at the backup point.

14. Rain or Shine - David Semerad. Together again with his bro. He'll be the big man they'll need to shore up that perceived weakness.

15. Barako Bull - Maclean Sabelina. Impressed at the Gatorade Draft Combine scrimmages. 

16. Alaska - Prince Caperal. Adds ceiling. Could be an adequate backup to Thoss.

17. Globalport - Roider Cabrera. Team has holes at the forward spots. He'll fill those nicely.

18. Barako Bull - Kyle Pascual. More size for the Energy.

19. Globalport - Mark Romero. Another good complementary wing piece.

20. Talk 'N Text - Nard Pinto. Jong needs to jumpstart the impending rebuilding process

21. Rain or Shine - Raul Soyud. Here's another big man that can help.

22. San Miguel Beer - Paolo Taha. Beermen need guard depth, and he can provide scoring

23. Blackwater - Cody Tesoro. He'll bolster one major weakness, which is their backcourt depth.

24. Kia - Frank Bonifacio. Impressed with the measurables. And Kia needs many, many more of these.

Gilbert Arenas to return to Manila as part of All-In

Another former NBA superstar will be returning to the Philippines later this year.

Gilbert Arenas will be involved in the "All In" basketball fund-raiser for Gawad Kalinga this coming November 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena, joining Eddy Curry, and a cabal of local players from the pro and collegiate ranks, among the players who will be facing off against the Ball Up Streetball All-Stars, coached by Sixers legend Allen Iverson. 

In a message to Sheryl Reyes, "Agent Zero" is excited to come back to the Philippines, who had previously been in the country six years ago. He adds, “It’s been six years, but I can still remember the warmth and love I received from my Filipino fans. I’m so honored and blessed to be a part of this event and help build homes for the poor.”

Reyes is pleased that Arenas has decided to pitch in and help, adding that “I’m very happy and thankful that Ball Up has helped me tap Gilbert for this event and that he agreed to join us. He has always been involved in charity work anywhere in the world, and we’re grateful that he will be coming with the other guys to help less privileged Filipinos,”

Presented by PcWorx, tickets for the "All In" basketball event are now available at all SM Tickets outlets and at www.smtickets.com. Prices are at PhP 6,500, PhP 5,500, PhP 4,000, PhP 2,000 and PhP 600.

UAAP Beach Volleyball action commences

Defending champions Adamson opened its title defense with a straight sets victory over Ateneo yesterday at the sand courts of UE Caloocan.

The Lady Falcon duo of Amanda Villanueva and Marleen Cortel, who is attempting to fill the gap left by Season 76 MVP Shiela Pineda, outlasted the Lady Eagle tandem of Michelle Morente and Jhoana Maraguinot, 21-10 and 22-20.

Adamson's chance to sweep the day was denied by National University, as the duo of Jaja Santiago and Fatima General needed three sets to win, 19-21, 21-16, 15-9. The Lady Bulldogs lost their opener, 21-18 and 21-15 to Far Eastern University's pair of Bernadette Pons and Charm Simborio.

Meanwhile, the rookie duo of Cherry Rondina and Rica Rivera for the University of Santo Tomas defeated La Salle's Ara Galang and Cyd Demecillo, 21-18 and 21-13, while the University of the Philippines' Arylle Magtalas and Hannah Mangulabnan defeated their University of the East counterparts Francislyn Cais and Krysel Cueva, 21-17 and 21-18.


In men's beach volleyball, Adamson upset defending champions National University. Michael Sudaria and Rence Melgar won in straight sets against Edwin Tolentino and Josephnry Tipay, 21-17 and 21-19.

The other men's results sees Ateneo over La Salle, 21-16 and 21-14, FEU over UE, 21-10 and 21-14, and UST over UP, 21-16 and 21-14.

UE sweeps first round of UAAP boys volleyball

UE continue their romp through the UAAP boys volleyball tournament at the Adamson Gym, closing out their first round play with three successive straight set wins.

The Junior Warriors beat NU (25-17, 25-22, 25-11), UST (25-9, 25-17, 25-22), and UPIS (25-9, 25-8, 25-10) to end the first round unblemished at 6-0.

In spite of their loss to the defending champions, the Bullpups remain in step, bouncing back with four-set wins over Ateneo (21-25, 27-25, 25-22, 27-25) and La Salle (25-16, 14-25, 25-17, 25-20) to take a 5-1 record.

Ateneo is in third place with a 4-2 record, just ahead of UST, which totes a 3-3 slate. The Loyola Heights-based squad beat the Tiger Cubs, 25-22, 25-19, 25-19, to close out their first round play.

Completing the symmetrical nature of the standings are FEU-Diliman (2-4), La Salle-Zobel (1-5), and UPIS (0-6).

Second round action commences on August 23 at the Adamson Gym.

TV5 to telecast Nanjing YOG Opening Ceremonies

TV5 once again will lead the coverage for the Olympics, starting off with the Opening Ceremonies for the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center.

Olympic coverage will also be done via AksyonTV, as well as in HYPER.

To be telecast on August 16 at 830pm, the Opening Ceremonies will be a 90-minute program highlighting the "China Dream."

Nearly 5,000 performers, including 500 dancers from the Nanjing Art Institute and 120 stuntmen from the Tagou Martial Art School, will be taking part in the ceremonies. According to director Chen Weiya, their interpretation of the "China Dream" will be about the coming together of everyone's dreams as one dream. Chen told said performes that they should be living out their dreams at the Opening Ceremonies, as you showcase your talent and forge your futures ahead.

The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) gathers the best 15-18 year old athletes worldwide, including seven Filipinos amongst the 3,500 athletes.

The Filipino flagbearer will be Gabriel Luis Moreno (archery). Joining him to represent the nation are Bianca Gotuaco (archery), Ava Verdeflor (gymnastics), Zion Nelson (athletics), Roxanne Yu (swimming), Celdon Arellano (shooting), Vicky Deldio (triathlon).

Comprehensive UAAP Second Round Schedule for Collegiate Basketball

Here are the combined schedules for the UAAP collegiate basketball games for the second round: (women's games are italicized)

August 16 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

8am La Salle vs Adamson
10am NU vs UST
2pm Adamson vs UST
4pm UE vs UP

August 17 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

8am Ateneo vs UP
10am FEU vs UE
11am FEU vs NU
4pm Ateneo vs La Salle

August 20 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

8am Adamson vs NU
10am UST vs La Salle
2pm NU vs Adamson
4pm UE vs Ateneo

August 23 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

8am UST vs UE
10am Adamson vs UP
2pm La Salle vs UP
4pm UST vs FEU

August 24 at the Blue Eagle Gym (for women) and SMART-Araneta Coliseum (for men):

9am NU vs FEU
11am La Salle vs Ateneo
2pm Adamson vs UE
4pm Ateneo vs NU

August 27 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

8am UP vs FEU
10am Ateneo vs UE
2pm UP vs UST
4pm FEU vs DLSU

August 30 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

8am NU vs Ateneo
10am UE vs La Salle
2pm UP vs FEU
4pm UST vs Ateneo

August 31 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

8am UP vs UST
10am FEU vs Adamson
2pm DLSU vs Adamson
4pm NU vs UE

September 3 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

8am La Salle vs UP
10am UE vs NU
2pm UP vs Ateneo
4pm Adamson vs FEU

September 6 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

8am FEU vs UST
10am Adamson vs Ateneo
2pm Ateneo vs Adamson
4pm La Salle vs UST

September 7 at the Blue Eagle Gym (for women) and the SMART-Araneta Coliseum (for men):

9am NU vs UP
11am FEU vs La Salle
2pm NU vs UP
4pm FEU vs UE

September 10 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

8am UE vs Adamson
10am Ateneo vs UST
2pm UE vs La Salle
4pm NU vs UST

September 13 at the UST Gym (for women) and the SMART-Araneta Coliseum (for men):

9am UP vs UE
11am Ateneo vs FEU
1pm UST vs Adamson
2pm Ateneo vs FEU

3pm La Salle vs NU4pm La Salle vs NU

September 14 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum = UAAP Cheerdance Competition

September 16 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum

2pm UST vs UE
4pm UP vs Adamson

NU sweeps first round of UAAP women's basketball

It won't fully make up for their Season 76 Finals defeat, but National University avenged last year's loss against La Salle with a dominant 77-55 victory at the Blue Eagle Gym to close out the first round play in women's basketball.

The Lady Bulldogs started off strong, scoring the first seven points of the game, and although the Lady Archers would cut that lead down to one point at 14-13, with 3:21 left off an Inna Concuera putback, NU would break the game open with a 23-3 run and erect a 21-point lead with 4:45 left in the first half. La Salle would never get that lead down to single digits for the rest of the game.

Gemma Miranda finished with twenty points, fourteen rebounds, and two assists for the win, while Afril Bernardino added seventeen and eight boards. Camille Claro led the defending champions with eleven points and three rebounds. Concuera added nine points in under 9 minutes of action.

La Salle had beaten NU in three games last year to secure the crown, with the game this past Sunday being their first elimination round meeting since then.

In a battle to determine who will finish in third place after the first round, the University of Santo Tomas beat Adamson, 59-47.

It was a nip-and-tuck affair between the Tigresses and the Lady Falcons, but after Jingky Balasta converted a three-pointer to give Adamson a 43-41 lead with 8:22 remaining, UST scored eight straight points in a span of almost three minutes, erecting a 49-43 lead. Jolly Ballaso's putback cut the deficit to 49-45 with 5:10 remaining, but UST closed the game out with a 10-2 run to secure their fourth win of the season.

Lore Rivera led all scorers with fourteen points and twenty rebounds, while Maica Cortes contributed eight of her thirteen points in the final period. Balasta would finish with twelve points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Far Eastern University kept the University of the Philippines winless after one round of play, hanging on to a 65-61 result.

Jacqueline Tanaman broke a 61-all tie to give the Lady Tamaraws a 63-61 lead with 82 seconds remaining. The Lady Maroons had their chance tie the game or take the lead, but Patricia Pesquera and Bea Daez missed their shots, with a 24-second violation in between the two possessions.

April Siat capped her fourteen-point performance with two free throws with 22 seconds left for the final score. She would add six rebounds. Claire Castro would also have fourteen points, while adding a game-high eighteen rebounds and four swats. Angel Arellano scored a team-high eighteen points.

Daez led UP with 21 points.

Completing the slate of Sunday matches is Ateneo ending its four-game tumble with a 50-35 win over the University of the East.

The Lady Eagles shut down the Lady Warriors in the second half, limiting them to just thirteen points on five field goals in the final twenty minutes.

Danica Jose's sixteen points, eighteen rebounds, two assists, a steal, and two blocks allowed her to bounce back after a stretch of sub-par results.

Wins from Ateneo and FEU, coupled with Adamson's loss, formed a three-way tie for fourth place with a 3-4 record, with UE one game back at 2-5 for solo seventh.

The scores

First Game

FEU (65) – Arellado 18, Siat 14, Castro 14, Tanaman 8, Valenzona 5, Ventura 5, Baldonado 1, Hortaleza 0, Gabriel 0, Chan 0, Abat 0.
UP (61) – Daez 21, Wong 17, Tatel 10, Bautista 9, Pesquera 2, Delmoro 2, Esplana 0, Isip 0, Aliermo 0, Aurellado 0.

Quarterscores: 16-19, 30-34, 50-46, 65-61

Second Game

UST (59) – Rivera 14, Cortes 13, Siapoc 11, Penaflor 10, Reyes 4, Felisarte 4, Magdaluyo 2, Isanan 1, Angeles 0, Gandala 0.

AdU (47) – Balasta 12, Ballaso 7, De Castro 6, Amper 6, Mateo 5, Osano 5, Avila 4, Generoso 2, Ong 0, Ido 0, Durens 0.

Quarterscores: 8-11, 22-20, 38-36, 59-47

Third Game

NU (77) – Miranda 20, Bernardino 17, Tongco 11, Antiquiera 11, Gupilan 5, Abriam 4, Nabalan 4, Escoto 3, Sison 2, Paig 0, Castro 0, Layug 0, Seno 0, Layug 0, Seno 0, Villegas 0, Maghibon 0.

DLSU (55) – Claro 11, Corcuera 9, Ong A. 7, Piatos 6, Garcia 5, Ong M. 4, Oyao 4, Santos 3, Melendres 2, Vergara 2, Scott 2, Roxas 0, Castillo 0, Lumba 0.

Quarterscores: 23-14, 41-25, 59-41, 77-55

Fourth Game

ADMU (50) – Jose 16, Buendia 8, Tomita 8, Aseron 7, Javier 5, Bo-ot 2, Go 2, Yam 1, Nitorreda 1, Belarmino 0, Dogong 0, Cancio 0, Posadas 0, Tantoco 0, Lamar 0.

UE (35) – Tacula 7, Sto. Domingo 5, Llosala 5, Sampaga 5, Ano-os 4, Mendina 4, Bale 3, Chan 2, Gayacao 0, Bobis 0, Francisco 0.

Quarterscores: 11-11, 27-22, 37-26, 50-35

UAAP Season 77 Badminton to commence on Saturday

Ateneo Blue Shuttlers

Ateneo is ready for their title defense in badminton, as UAAP action for this season begins tomorrow (August 9) at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.

The Loyola Heights-based squad secured the championship double last year, with the Blue Shuttlers aiming for a back-to-back, while the Lady Shuttlers going for their third straight title.

Season 76 Rookie-MVP Bianca Carlos acknowledged the pressure that comes with being champions, and added that La Salle and UP will be major contenders in the distaff side.

The men, on the other hand, they will have to deal with Season 75 champions National University and perennial contenders UST. Season 76 MVP Patrick Natividad says that they will do their best, knowing that "other teams are preparing as well."

Schedule of matches:

Men:

9am La Salle vs Adamson (Court 2), NU vs UP (Court 3), FEU vs UE (Court 5), Ateneo vs UST (Court 4)

Women:

1pm Ateneo vs UP (Court 4), UST vs Adamson (Court 2), La Salle vs FEU (Court 3), UE vs NU (Court 5)

La Salle, NU extend unbeaten women's basketball run to six matches

Games on August 10 (Sunday) at the (Blue Eagle Gym)
9 a.m. – FEU (2-4) vs UP (0-6)
11 a.m. – UST (3-3) vs Adamson (3-3)
1 p.m. – NU (6-0) vs La Salle (6-0)
3 p.m. – UE (2-4) vs Ateneo (2-4)

Standings:

La Salle 6-0
NU 6-0
Adamson 3-3
UST 3-3
Ateneo 2-4
FEU 2-4
UE 2-4
UP 0-6

The first round of UAAP women's basketball on Sunday will close with a collision of undefeated teams, as UAAP Season 76 finalists La Salle and National University took contrasting routes on Wednesday to take their respective sixth wins this season, setting the stage for their first meeting since the finals this coming Sunday afternoon.

The Lady Bulldogs send the University of the Philippines to their sixth straight defeat, 57-44. Shelley Gupilan poured ten of her 25 points in the third quarter, outscoring the Lady Maroons, who only could muster nine by themselves.

UP held a 30-28 lead with over 3.5 minutes left in the period, before NU uncorked sixteen unanswered points, mostly from the efforts of Gupilan and Andrea Tongco, to erect a 44-30 lead with over nine minutes left. UP never recovered from the run, as they could only manage to whittle the deficit to as low as eight, 50-42, before NU closed out the game on a 7-2 burst.

Tongco would finish with seven points, six rebounds and two assists, while Afril Bernardino contributed with sixteen points, eight rebounds, three assists and four blocks.

Bea Daez led UP with 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

In contrast, the Lady Archers survived a fourth-quarter comeback from Far Eastern University to hold on to a 46-43 victory.

Trailing by eight points with under 6.5 minutes remaining at 39-31, the Lady Tamaraws scored nine straight points to take a 40-39 lead with 3:40 remaining.

However, the defending champions retook the lead, this time for good at 42-40 with a Trisha Piatos triple with 3:23 left. FEU had a chance to creep closer, but free throw issues plagued them in the dying minutes, going 1/8 from the stripe. In addition, April Siat missed a basket with 13 seconds left that could have given them the lead.

The Lady Tamaraws had an opportunity to force an extension, after Piatos' free throws made it a three-point game with 3.3 seconds left. Unfortunately, Angelica Gabriel committed a turnover with one second left to send them to their fourth loss in six games.

Nicole Garcia led La Salle with fifteen points and eleven rebounds, while Piatos finished with ten points, five rebounds and three assists.

Claire Castro led FEU with twelve-points and a game-high sixteen rebounds.

UST used a strong close to the first quarter to secure their third win of the season against UE, 69-54. Tied at 14-all with over 2.5 minutes remaining, the Tigresses uncorked a 12-1 run to end the period up, 26-15. UST continued to hold their ground, never allowing the Lady Warriors to get closer than five points for the rest of the game. They also closed out strong, finishing the match on a 10-2 burst to prevent UE from taking their third win.


Closing out the quadruple-header at the Blue Eagle Gym, Ateneo slumped to their fourth straight defeat, losing to Adamson, 59-47. The troika of Jingky Balasta, Janille de Castro and Jolly Ballaso combined for 36 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Lady Falcons to their third win of the season.

The Lady Eagles got a subpar performance from Danica Jose, who was limited to just four points and eight rebounds. Caramia Buendia and Claire Aseron each had twelve points and six rebounds to take charge for the Erika Dy-coached group.

The other matchups in the Sunday quadruple-header sees Adamson and UST break their tie to see who will finish the first round in solo third place at 11am, UP seeking to secure that elusive victory against FEU at 9am, and Ateneo and UE closing out the first round at 3pm.

The scores:
First Game
NU (57) – Gupilan 25, Bernardino 16, Tongco 7, Miranda 4, Antiquiera 3, Paig 2, Abriam 0, Nabalan 0, Escoto 0, Seno 0, Castro 0, Villegas 0, Layug 0, Sison 0, Maghibon 0.
UP (44) – Daez 14, Wong 9, Bautista 5, Isip 5, Pesquera 5, Aliermo 4, Tatel 2, Esplana 0, Lapid 0.
Quarterscores: 10-6, 19-21, 41-30, 57-44

Second Game
La Salle (46) – Garcia 15, Piatos 10, Ong M. 6, Santos 5, Melendres 3, Ong A. 2, Roxas 2, Castillo 2, Corcuera 1, Vergara 0, Scott 0.
FEU (43) – Castro 12, Arellano 10, Tanaman 9, Siat 8, Valenzona 2, Ventura 2, Baldonado 0, Hortaleza 0, Chan 0, Balleser 0, Gabriel 0.
Quarterscores: 12-6, 24-14, 34-24, 46-43

Third Game
UST (69) – Siapoc 16, Cortes 14, Rivera 12, Angeles 11, Magdaluyo 4, Penaflor 3, Felisarte 3, Reyes 2, Isanan 2, Nartates 2, Mandilag 0, Gandala 0, Capilit 0, Pernia 0.
UE (54) – Sto. Domingo 12, Ano-os 8, Mendina 8, Llosala 7, Sampaga 7, Tacula 5, Chan 4, Gayacao 3, Francisco 0, Bale 0.
Quarterscores: 26-15, 38-29, 49-43, 69-54.

Fourth Game
Adamson (59) – Balasta 14, De Castro 12, Ballaso 10, Avila 8, Osano 5, Mateo 4, Amper 4, Ong 2, Ido 0, Generoso 0, Durens 0, Sulit 0, Alcoy 0.
Ateneo (47) – Buendia 12, Aseron 12, Yam 6, Jose 4, Javier 3, Tomita 3, Go 3, Bo-ot 2, Nitorreda 2, Belarmino 0, Posadas 0, Lamar 0, Tantoco 0.
Quarterscores: 15-9, 23-19, 42-31, 59-47.

Nike launches #PLAYPINOY basketball tournament for teens

Nike is inviting basketball-crazy teens in Manila to participate in the #PLAYPINOY tournament that is to be launched today, August 8.

#PLAYPINOY is a fast-paced and unconventional five-on-five pickup style basketball tournament, aimed to bring the spirit of Filipino basketball to a new level. According to Nike Philippines Country Marketing Manager Courtney Cole-Faso, it is a "platform that enables the youth to embrace their basketball roots, and express their love for the game." She adds that this is their opportunity to not only "show off their skills," but also to "celebrate the unique Filipino style of basketball."

#PLAYPINOY is targeted towards 15-18 year old players who are of legal Filipino residency (they have to be 15 y/o by August 16 and not turn 19 y/o during the tournament, which is scheduled on August 16-17, 23-24, and 30).

Registration begins at 11am today (August 8), until 8pm on Monday (August 11), on a first-come, first-served basis (or until all slots are taken). Four specific Nike branches have been designated to handle this: Nike Park Trinoma, Nike Forum Greenhills, Nike Park Bonifacio High Street, and Nike Park Mall of Asia.

At least one representative of an interested team has to be present during registration with the following requirements from each team member:

a. 1x1 picture OR valid school ID
b. certified true copy of birth certificate
c. if participant is < 18, parental consent
d. a signed event waiver form (which is available at the registration site)

Batang Gilas clashes with international teams at the FIBA U-17 Championship

TV5 is to telecast the matches of the Philippines Under-17 men's basketball team at the FIBA Under-17 World Championships in Dubai LIVE later this week.

Helmed by Jamike Jarin, the team dubbed as "Batang Gilas" qualified for Dubai by finishing in second place at the FIBA-Asia U-16 championships that was held in Tehran last year. He has vowed that the team will show "Puso" as they attempt to make an impact in their upcoming matches.

Jarin, knowing that coming into the tournament as the smallest team, intends to make the game faster, quicker and then force the opposition to shoot from the outside.

Leading the way in the squad are the Ateneo High School trio of twins Matt and Mike Nieto, and Jolo Mendoza. Alongside them are Diego Dario and Paul Desiderio of the UP Maroons, as well as Arnie Padilla and Richard Escoto of Far Eastern University.

Completing the 12-man roster are Carlo Abadeza, Michael Louise Dela Cruz, Lorenzo Navarro, Jose Go IV, and Emmanuel Panlilio.

Here are scheduled preliminary matches for the Philippines:

August 8 vs Angola (4:45 pm local time)
August 9 vs Greece (7:45 pm local time)
August 11 vs United States (7:45 pm local time)

TV5 also revealed that they will also have coverage of the Round of 16 on August 12 (8-10pm), the Quarterfinals on August 14 (8-10pm), the Semifinals on August 15 (8-10pm), and the Finals on August 16 (5-7pm).

"All In" Charity Game tickets set for earlier release

Good news for those who want to see The Answer in the flesh after all these years.

Organizers of the "All In" charity basketball event slated this coming November 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena have announced that tickets for the event will now be available a week earlier than planned.

Tickets for the game can now be purchased at all SM Tickets outlets, as well as with PCWorx branches starting this Friday, August 8. It had been originally pegged to be released on August 15.

PCWorx Marketing head Jessel Fesarit explained that since the August 1 press conference at the NBA Cafe formalizing "All In," they "have received countless inquiries about the availability of tickets."

Given such demand, she added, they "have done what they can to ensure an earlier release."

Prices for the basketball game are as follows:

PhP 600 (general admission), PhP 3,000 (upper box), PhP 4,000 (lower box), PhP 5,500 (patron), PhP 6,500 (VIP). Proceeds from the event will benefit Gawad Kalinga.

Iverson will be coaching a team mainly composed of the Ball Up (better known back then as the And-1) Streetball crew against a local selection of PBA legends and collegiate sensations.

For more details regarding the event, inquiries may be directed to Fesarit at jfesarit@ikurot.ph.

Kazaam claims inaugural Next5Hoops women’s crown

The Makati Coliseum played host to the inaugural women's division of the Next5Hoops tourney, with Kazaam taking home the crown with a 79-73 win over Tattoo last July 27.

Joan Jessica Diego scored 20 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for the victors, with Dian Michel Casalme adding 16 markers, mostly on her four triples. Lorenzvi Tan and Bettina Magsanoc added a combined total of 20 points.

Rica Francisco and Mel Mandap led Tattoo in a losing cause, each contributing 19 and 14 points respectively.

The six-team tournament also featured Rogue and UP Bolera, who both made it to the semifinals, as well as Swoosh and EGS. Organizers believe that the tournament would grow even more competitive when more teams participate, acknowledging the growth of the sport in the country.

La Salle, NU win 5th straight in UAAP women's basketball

Games on Wednesday, August 6 at the Blue Eagle Gym:

9 a.m. – UP vs NU
11 a.m. –La Salle vs FEU
1 p.m. – UST vs UE
3 p.m. – Ateneo vs Adamson


Standings:

La Salle 5-0
NU 5-0
Ateneo 2-3
Adamson 2-3
FEU 2-3
UE 2-3
UST 2-3
UP 0-5.

La Salle and National University took care of business on Sunday to maintain their hold atop the standings in the women's basketball tournament of the UAAP.

The defending champions coasted to a 48-39 victory over rivals Ateneo, while last season's runners-up handled Far Eastern University, 56-40.

The Archers rode on a strong first half, limiting the Lady Eagles to just 17 points in the first half and erected a lead as large as twenty points in the third quarter. The ladies of Erika Dy did manage to whittle down the lead, but the margin was too large to overcome, sending them to their third straight defeat.

Cass Santos led the balanced scoring attack for DLSU with eight points, with Trisha Piatos and Nicole Garcia each adding seven markers.

Danica Jose led Ateneo with 17 points and 22 rebounds, but got little help offensively from her teammates, who shot a combined 7/38 from the field.

The Lady Bulldogs overcame a four-point halftime deficit with a strong second-half performance. Highlighting that performance was a 19-4 third quarter output, with NU forcing the Lady Tamaraws to go 2/14 from the field and forcing eleven turnovers.

Kristine Abriam led the charge with sixteen points, while Afril Bernardino contriubted a double-double with twelve points and ten boards.

Claire Castro led FEU with thirteen markers, alongside eight rebounds and five rejections.

The other two games featured one-point victories for UE and UST to set up a five-way tie at 2-3.

The Lady Warriors needed five more minutes to stun Adamson, 54-53, while the Tigresses kept UP winless this season, 44-43.

Ruthlaine Tacula managed to steal the ball from Zhalyn Mateo to preserve the victory, seconds after missing the second free throw. Tacula would finish with thirteen points, twelve rebounds and seven assists to lead the Lady Warriors, who had the chance to complete the comeback in regulation had Eunique Chan made the putback attempt before the buzzer.

Mateo and Jingky Balasta led the Lady Falcons with fourteen points each and a combined total of fifteen rebounds. Adamson led by seven with under three minutes left before UE's comeback.

The Tigresses remained steady as they survived a comeback attempt from the Lady Maroons. Lore Rivera preserved the victory with the steal off Antonia Wong with four seconds remaining. 

Rivera would finish with a game-high thirteen rebounds along with seven points and three steals. Kim Reyes topscored for UST with eleven points, while Maica Cortes provided a double-double with ten points and eleven boards.

Bea Daez led UP with a game-high thirteen markers.

Organizers assure fans of affordable tickets for Iverson charity game

Bookmark August 15 on your calendars.

Organizers of the "All In" charity game have revealed that date as the day for which tickets will be released for the event, which will benefit Gawad Kalinga, and assured that fans will not be priced out from being able to watch the exhibition.


Sitting at the most expensive part of the Mall of Asia Arena and watching Allen Iverson up close as a coach will only cost PhP 6,500, while the cheapest seats are available for PhP 600. Other ticket prices will be at PhP 2,000, PhP 3,000, and PhP 4,500.

TicketNet is handling distribution.

The "All In" charity game will feature a local selection of collegiate standouts and former PBA Legends facing off against members of the streetball group Ball Up, as well a few former NBA players like ertswhile Chicago Bull Eddy Curry.

PCWorx' Michael Angelo Ong Chua expressed that they were "very fortunate" that Iverson partnered with them for this project, knowing that the guard went "All In" during his NBA career.

Chua adds that they "want to give AI's Filipino fans a chance to see him up close," thus the decision to have prices structured the way it is.

Allen Iverson set to visit Manila this November

The Answer is coming.

It took a long while, but retired NBA superstar Allen Iverson will be coming to Manila later this year, with 
agent Sheryl Reyes confirmed that he will be conducting a series of charity events, highlighted by coaching in an exhibition game against a local selection at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Reyes revealed that Iverson will be leading a team bannered by members of the streetball legends Ball Up (more recognizable by its old sponsors' name And-1). She adds that this is what the former 11-time All-Star plans on doing alongside the basketball clinics he is setting up with kids.

As for the local selection, it will be a combination of PBA legends and collegiate standouts. Among those mentioned that could possibly participate include Ateneo's Kiefer Ravena and Arvin Tolentino, La Salle's Jeron Teng and Arnold Van Opstal, San Beda's Javee Mocon, Ola Adeogun and Andre Paras, and San Sebastian's CJ Perez and Bradwyn Guinto.

Gawad Kalinga will be the main beneficiary of the game, entitled "All In."

In an e-mail, Iverson expressed his excitement in coming to Manila. “I’m looking forward to my coming visit to Manila. I’ve heard a lot of good stories about the Philippines, specifically about Filipino basketball fans. See you all real soon,”

Reyes, Moore Management Entertainment, and PcWorx sealed the deal to bring the guard from Georgetown to return to Manila. MME's boss, Gary Moore, spoke to the media via phone and expressed their excitement in having Iverson come over to the country.

UE continues dominance in UAAP HS volleyball

The University of the East continue their dominance in the boys' volleyball portion of UAAP Season 77 with straight set victories this past weekend at the Adamson Gym.

The Junior Warriors first dispatched La Salle-Zobel, 25-12 25-18 and 25-17 on Saturday, before doing the same thing to Far Eastern University-Diliman, 25-17 25-7 and 25-13 on Sunday.

Joining the reigning champions atop the standings are National University. The Bullpups won against UST on Saturday, 24-26 25-16 25-22 and 26-24, then took care of business against UPIS on Sunday, 25-12 25-16 and 25-19.

The Tiger Cubs fell to 2-1 with the loss, and as a result, are now tied with Ateneo. The Eaglets took care of rivals La Salle-Zobel, 25-16 25-16 and 25-21.

On the other hand, the Baby Tamaraws finally secured their first-ever victory in UAAP Juniors volleyball on Saturday against UPIS, winning 25-19 25-22 and 26-24. Win puts them level with La Salle-Zobel at 1-3, with UP at the basement with an 0-4 record.

In the girls side, defending champions UST defeated Adamson, 25-20 25-21 and 25-22 on Saturday for its second straight victory. FEU-Diliman also made it a double celebration for its junior counterparts by winning against UPIS, 25-21 24-26 25-22 and 25-13. Completing the action on Saturday was NU beating UE, 25-17 17-25 25-7 and 25-19.

NU takes out UE in women's basketball

Standings:

La Salle 4-0
NU 4-0
Ateneo 2-2
Adamson 2-2
FEU 2-2
UE 1-3
UST 1-3
UP 0-4

August 3 at the Blue Eagle Gym:

9am - Adamson vs UE
11am - UP vs UST
1pm - Ateneo vs La Salle
3pm - FEU vs NU  

National University joined La Salle on top of the UAAP women's basketball standings on Wednesday, after taking care of business against the University of the East at the Mall of Asia Arena.

A 24-6 second quarter provided NU with the necessary margin needed to cruise their way for the victory, which had been originally scheduled last week but was postponed due to a slippery floor at the Blue Eagle Gym.

Afril Bernardino led the charge for the Lady Bulldogs with 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while Gemma Miranda added twelve and eight to keep themselves undefeated after four games.

The Lady Warriors dropped their third game out of four matches to join idle University of Santo Tomas in sixth place.

Games are to resume this Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym, with both Ateneo and FEU seeking to provide La Salle and NU their first losses of the season. UE seeks to bounce back against Adamson, while UP tries to snatch its first victory of the season against UST.

The UAAP also on Wednesday announced the new scheduled of games that had been postponed due to Glenda.

The women's basketball matches that had been pegged on July 16 will be played on August 6 at the Blue Eagle Gym. (UP vs NU, La Salle vs FEU, UST vs UE, and Ateneo vs Adamson).

Meanwhile, the men's basketball matches that had been pegged on July 16 will take place on August 13 at the Mall of Asia Arena. (EDIT: UAAP has since released a memo noting the venue change to the SMART-Araneta Coliseum) (UST vs UE, and Adamson vs FEU)

The scores:
NU (81) - Bernardino 19, Miranda 12, Nabalan 9, Escoto 8, Gupilan 6, Paig 6, Castro 5, Abriam 4, Layug 3, Tongco 3, Antiquiera 2, Maghibon 2, Seno 2, Sison 0.

UE (59) - Chan 15, Sampaga 13, Ano-os 10, Mendina 7, Sto. Domingo 6, Tacula 4, Bale 2, Degan 2, Gayacao 0, Francisco 0, Llosala 0.

Quarterscores: 15-13, 37-21, 63-36, 81-59