NCAA All-Star set this afternoon

Schedule today at the Filoil Flying V Centre:

2pm All-Star Side Events
4pm Heroes vs Saints

With the NCAA in between their rounds, the league will have an All-Star Game kind of set-up this afternoon at the Filoil Flying V Centre, highlighted by the third edition of the NCAA All-Star Game.

The league brought back its Heroes vs Saints format from last year, with incumbent co-Players of the Week Robert Bolick and Bong Quinto joining forces for the Saints fresh from their historical feats.

The former became the player with the second highest output in league history with fifty points, while the latter dropped back-to-back triple doubles to close out Letran's first round.

They will join forces with San Sebastian's Michael Calisaan and Allyn Bulanadi, Letran's JP Calvo, San Beda's Javee Mocon, and CSB's Edward Dixon.

Completing the cast are CSB’s JJ Domingo and Luigi Velasco, Letran’s Christian Fajarito, San Beda’s Ranbill Tongco, San Sebastian’s Alvin Capobres, and Perpetual Help’s Jielo Razon, AJ Coronel and Kim Aurin.

Meanwhile, the Heroes will rely on Twin Magic from the Marcelino twins of Lyceum, as they will team up with fellow gunners Levi dela Cruz and Ian Alban from Arellano and Jed Mendoza of JRU.

Completing the cast are Arellano's Michael Canete, Emilio Aguinaldo’s Jerome Garcia, Enrico Diego and Jesse Bautista, Jr., Mapua’s Warren Bonifacio, Lawrence Victoria and Cedric Pelayo, LPU’s Kim Cinco, and Jose Rizal’s Karl Bordon and Richard David.

With the schools making the nominations on who represents them in the All-Star Game, the game features notable non-inclusions in the likes of Edgar Charcos, Prince Eze, Clement Leutcheu, Donald Tankoua, CJ Perez, and Mike Harry Nzeusseu.

Preceding the game itself are the different side events, starting at 2pm with the Skills Challenge, Three-Point Shootout, Slam Dunk Contest, and the Shooting Stars, which will feature the likes of Jio Jalalon, Rey Nambatac, and John Wilson.

San Beda seeks winning follow-up to Bolick 50

Games today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

10am Perpetual vs Arellano (HS)
12nn San Beda vs JRU (HS)
2pm Perpetual vs Arellano
4pm San Beda vs JRU

How do you top a historic outing?

Robert Bolick and the San Beda Red Lions seek to answer that question this afternoon, as they cap off a quadruple-header at the Filoil Flying V Centre.

Bolick on Friday afternoon torched Arellano for fifty points in their 98-79 victory, which turned out to be the most points scored by a NCAA player since 1974, when Lim Eng Beng set the record with 55 for La Salle against Letran back in the day. Head coach Boyet Fernandez wishes for a repeat occurrence later, as he shared to the media, "Hopefully he can sustain his hot shooting."

The Leyte native knows the Heavy Bombers will make the necessary adjustments to stop him. He says, "I expect that to happen. I just have to be prepared and find ways to hit shots or just help my team get a win."

JRU is looking to keep a good run going after their 57-55 victory over Emilio Aguinaldo College last week.

The other collegiate matchup that afternoon features Perpetual Help against Arellano at 2pm.

With both sides smarting off losses last Friday, the Altas and the Chiefs are seeking to end their first round on a positive note.

Both teams are looking to keep themselves in the running for the postseason, especially for Arellano, who could reduce the gap between them and Perpetual to just a single game.

In high school action, the Junior Altas and the Braves kick off the quadruple header at 10am, with the Light Bombers and the Red Cubs squaring off at noon. The loser of the JRU-San Beda matchup will be in a tie with the winner of the Perpetual-Arellano matchup for fourth place, as the race to the Final Four starts to heat up and teams try to keep pace with last season's finalists La Salle-Greenhills and Mapua/Malayan.

NCAA All-Star participants named

On Friday, the NCAA revealed its participants for the NCAA All-Star Game.

Set to take place on August 31 at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan, it will feature the "Heroes vs Saints" format it introduced last season.

The Saints side of the matchup is stacked, with this season's MVP contenders Robert Bolick of San Beda, last year's All-Star Game MVP Prince Eze of Perpetual, and Bong Quinto of Letran nominated by their respective schools.

The Heroes side of the matchup will attempt to make up their 84-80 defeat last year, but they will have to do it without last season's Most Valuable Player CJ Perez, who was not nominated by Lyceum. In his stead, the Pirates are fielding the Marcelino twins and Ralph Tansingco. In addition, they will rely on the hot shooting of Levi dela Cruz of Arellano and Jed Mendoza of JRU.

Notable absences other than Perez in this All-Star matchup include foreign student-athletes Donald Tankoua, Mike Harry Nzeusseu, Hamadou Laminou, and Clement Leutcheu.

Preceding the event itself are the different side events to showcase the skills of the league's student athletes.

Justin Gutang of CSB leads the aspiring high-flyers in the dunk contest, while noted outside gunners AC Soberano, Allyn Bulanadi, Jerome Garcia, and Rence Alcoriza lead the field in the 3-point shootout.

All eyes on the trio of CJ Cadua, Mark Mallari, and Arjan dela Cruz in the Skills Challenge, while notable alumni Jio Jalalon, John Wilson, and Ronjay Enrile highlight the Shooting Stars which will have the combination of a current HS, collegiate, and alumnus working together as a team.

The complete list of NCAA All-Star participants are as follows:

Slam Dunk: William de Leon (Arellano), Renato Ular (Letran), Juju Bautista (EAC), Enoch Valdez (Lyceum), Arvin Gamboa (Mapua), Eugene Toba (San Beda), Kenneth Villapando (San Sebastian), Lean Martel (Perpetual), Justin Gutang (CSB)

3-Point Shootout: Rence Alcoriza (Arellano), Letran (Nicolo Galvelo), Jerome Garcia (EAC), MJ Dela Virgen (JRU), Ralph Tansingco (Lyceum), Exequiel Biteng (Mapua), AC Soberano (San Beda), Allyn Bulanadi (San Sebastian), Luke Sese (Perpetual), Carlo Young (CSB)

Skills Challenge: Maui Sera Joseph (Arellano), Bonbon Batiller (Letran), CJ Cadua (EAC), Mark Mallari (JRU), Carl Lumbao (Lyceum), Eric Jabel (Mapua), Clint Doliguez (San Beda), Arjan dela Cruz (San Sebastian), Jasper Cuevas (Perpetual), Jimboy Pasturan (CSB)

Shooting Star: John Ronald Barba & Kevin Lacap & Kim Cinco (Lyceum), Yong Garcia & Clint Escamis & Exequiel Biteng (Mapua), Penny Estacio & Calvin Oftana & Marcelo Pascual (San Beda), Milo Janao & Ian Valdez & Papa Jepoy Quiamco (San Sebastian), Jielo Razon & Gerald Dizon & Yuri Kawamura (Perpetual), Marlo Espiritu & Kraniel Viloria & Jio Jalalon (Arellano), Stacey Tibayan & Jerrick Balanza & Ronjay Enrile (Letran), CJ Boado & Maui Cruz & Ferdinand Melocoton (EAC), John Amores & Agem Miranda & John Wilson (JRU), Jimboy Pasturan & RJ Deles & Francis Lopez (CSB)

Saints: (Coach Boyet Fernandez)
CSB - Luigi Velasco, Josh Barnes, Jayjay Domingo
Letran - JP Calvo, Bong Quinto, Christian Fajarito
San Beda - Robert Bolick, Javee Mocon, Ranbill Tongco
San Sebastian - Michael Calisaan, Allyn Bulanadi, Alvin Capobres
Perpetual - Edgar Charcos, AJ Coronel, Prince Eze

Heroes: (Coach Topex Robinson)
Arellano: Levi dela Cruz, Ian Alban, Michael Canete
EAC: Jerome Garcia, Jerico Diego, Juju Bautista
Mapua: Warren Bonifacio, Laurenz Victoria, Cedric Pelayo
Lyceum: Jaycee Marcelino, Jayvee Marcelino, Ralph Tansingco
JRU: Jed Mendoza, Karl Bordon, Richard David

Quinto, Bolick share Player of the Week nod

The NCAA Press Corps had a complication situation in their hands on Friday evening, as they had their deliberations to determine who was the Chooks-to-Go Player of the Week. And in the process of debating and discussing the merits, the group made the decision to have the citation shared by the two players with historic feats this week.

On Tuesday, Bong Quinto pulled off a triple-double against Mapua. He would contribute twelve points, ten rebounds, and eleven assists in under 28 minutes. Then on Friday, he would author another one against Emilio Aguinaldo College, producing eleven points, ten rebounds, and eleven assists. Both times resulted in victories for the Letran Knights, as they picked up the pieces from consecutive defeats against finals contenders San Beda and Lyceum.

Quinto's feat was last seen when current pros Calvin Abueva and Scottie Thompson were still representing San Sebastian and Perpetual, respectively.

According to Letran head coach Jeff Napa, "Bong Quinto is truly our leader. He is setting an example kaya nagiging maganda takbo namin." He adds, "If Bong plays well, everybody plays well. Ang maganda ay in-accept na niya yung pagiging leader ng team."

Then came Robert Bolick's outing against Arellano.

Just days after putting up eighteen points, five rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block in a close loss to Lyceum, The Leyte native then made recent collegiate basketball history with a fifty-point outburst against the Chiefs, which turned out to be the second-highest scoring output in league history.

Only Lim Eng Beng's 55-point explosion from La Salle back when they were still in the NCAA was higher.

Reflecting on Bolick's feat, San Beda head coach Boyet Fernandez shares, "You can't really compare Robert to anyone ‘cause iba-iba sila ng laro but again, nag-iisa lang ang Robert Bolick."

And after a very long deliberation, the Press Corps decided to have the citation shared between the two graduating players, beating out CJ Perez and Justin Gutang for the nod.

Historic NCAA Friday

Games Tuesday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

10am Perpetual vs Arellano (HS)
12nn San Beda vs JRU (HS)
2pm Perpetual vs Arellano
4pm San Beda vs JRU

It was a very historic Friday afternoon at the Filoil Flying V Centre, as all three collegiate games featuring something special.

Kicking things off was Letran's demolition of Emilio Aguinaldo College, 76-56. The Knights rode on a 29-point second quarter to secure the necessary breathing room to run away with the victory, as they closed out their first round campaign with a 6-3 record.

Bonbon Batiller had his best performance so far in a Knight, as the UE transfer poured in seventeen points, four rebounds, and three assists.

However, it was Bong Quinto who stole the show with ten points, ten rebounds, and eleven assists, allowing him to secure back-to-back triple doubles, a feat last done by Scottie Thompson earlier this decade for Perpetual.

Following that up is an 84-77 victory by the College of Saint Benilde against the Altas.

With NBA legend Tim Hardaway in attendance and assisting in the broadcast, the Blazers rode on the fourth quarter explosion of Jimboy Pasturan to pull away against this season's hosts, as the Adamson transfer scored nine of his eleven points in the final six minutes of the game. That 20-7 run allowed them to establish an 82-70 lead with 73 seconds left. And although the lead was whittled down to just five with 43 seconds to go, Pasturan would convert a couple of free throws to put the game on ice.

Complementing Pasturan are Justin Gutang and Yankie Haruna, who both chipped in twenty points apiece.

Unintentionally aiding matters for CSB was Perpetual's Edgar Charcos suffered a hyperextended right knee. The Altas missed his steadiness and playmaking that led to their three-game winning streak being snapped.

And to cap off an amazing afternoon, it was a game befitting of Kobe Day, with Robert Bolick channeling his inner Mamba Mentality to erupt for fifty points to lead San Beda to a 98-79 victory over Arellano.

Bolick took over in the final two quarters for the Red Lions, as he virtually matches the Chiefs' entire second half output with 37 points. An 18-4 run he virtually single-handedly conducted in the third quarter got the defending champions rolling, enabling them to establish a 68-57 lead with his drives to the basket. And he continued it in the fourth quarter, as he would wax hot from beyond the arc, going 4/6 from deep.

After his final triple that got him to the hallowed half-century mark, Boyet Fernandez took him out of the game, to the applause of the crowd who witnessed such a historic achievement.

The Chiefs would skid to 3-5, while the defending champions move up to 7-1.

The scores:

LETRAN 76 – Batiller 17, Quinto 11, Balanza 9, Calvo 9, Muyang 8, Yu 7, Agbong 5, Fajarito 4, Ambohot 2, Banez 2, Mandreza 2, Balagasay 0, Celis 0, Galvelo 0, Taladua 0.

EAC 56 – Laminou 18, Garcia 11, Tampoc 9, Bautista 6, Cadua 4, Cruz 4, Fujentes 2, Neri 2, Diego 0, Gonzales 0, Maguliano 0, Mendoza 0, Natividad 0.

Quarters: 14-17, 43-29, 57-46, 76-56.

ST. BENILDE 84 -- Gutang 20, Haruna 20, Pasturan 13, Domingo 9, Leutcheu 7, Young 5, Belgica 3, Nayve 3, Carlos 2, Dixon 2, Naboa 0, Velasco 0.

PERPETUAL 77 -- Eze 24, Aurin 23, Razon 13, Charcos 9, Cuevas 4, Peralta 4, Coronel 0, Mangalino 0, Pasia 0.

Quarters: 18-12, 29-29, 53-57, 84-77.

SAN BEDA 98 -- Bolick 50, Mocon 15, Tankoua 13, Canlas 6, Eugene 6, Oftana 4, Abuda 2, Nelle 2, Cabanag 0, Carino 0, Cuntapay 0, Doliguez 0, Soberano 0, Tongco 0.

ARELLANO 79 -- Canete 24, Dela Cruz 16, Dela Torre 9, Alcoriza 8, Concepcion 7, Sera Josef 6, Villoria 6, Alban 2, Segura 1, Bayla 0, Codinera 0, Ongolo Ongolo 0, Sacramento 0, Santos 0.

Quarters: 23-20, 42-40, 69-57, 98-79

San Beda seeks bounce back win

Games today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

8am Letran vs EAC-ICA (HS)
10am Perpetual vs La Salle-Greenhills (HS)
12nn Letran vs EAC
2pm Perpetual vs CSB
4pm Arellano vs San Beda
6pm Arellano vs San Beda (HS)

Fresh from a loss against Lyceum, San Beda seeks to regain their bearings against Arellano in the final part of a collegiate triple-header at the Filoil Flying V Centre.

The 73-66 defeat was their first defeat of the season after winning their first six matches, and the team looks eager to get back onto the court at 4pm to make amends.

According to Boyet Fernandez, "We just have to bounce back from it and try to get as many wins as possible."

They will attempt to do so against the middling Chiefs, who are currently 3-4 and in the middle of the pack this season.

Meanwhile, Letran is looking to improve their postseason position against a hapless Emilio Aguinaldo College at noon. A win would allow them to close the first round on a strong note with back-to-back wins while also solidifying their case for a postseason berth.

Completing the collegiate tripleheader is the matchup between Perpetual Help and College of Saint Benilde at 2pm, with both teams clearly making their case for turnarounds after last season's disappointments.

Meanwhile, the highlight of the high school tripleheader is pace-setting La Salle-Greenhills against the Perpetual Junior Altas at 10am.

NCAA Finals Rematch on tap today

Games today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan:

10am Letran vs Mapua/Malayan (HS)
12nn San Beda vs Lyceum (HS)
2pm Letran vs Mapua
4pm San Beda vs Lyceum

The much-anticipated matchup between last season's finalists will finally take place this afternoon, as San Beda and Lyceum tangle in the final game of the day at 4pm.

Both teams have combined to win fourteen straight games and the winner is set to move up to solo leadership in the standings.

Although the Pirates have beaten the Red Lions in the regular season, they were unable to match that in the finals, putting their historic 18-0 regular season sweep to naught.

With both teams parading virtually the same cast of characters, it is expected to be another humdinger of a matchup, with San Beda head coach Boyet Fernandez sharing to the media, "It will be an exciting game for sure."

Lyceum is looking to conclude their first round on a great note, as the league's best offense attempts to overrun the league's best defense that is being touted by the defending champions.

The other collegiate matchup sees Letran up against Mapua at 2pm. The Knights are seeking to bounce back from consecutive losses against undefeated San Beda and Lyceum, but both matches showed why they are perceived as title contenders, losing in OT to the former and toting an 8-point lead late in the fourth against the latter. A win over the middling Cardinals would put them back in the running for the postseason as it moves them into a tie with idle CSB for fourth in the league.

Tim Hardaway and Brian Scalabrine headline NBA 3X Philippines

Coming next week

One of the most anticipated NBA events this year is the NBA 3X Philippines, and for the 2018 edition, the NBA is bringing over a couple of well known veterans.

NBA Legend Tim Hardaway and noted basketball host and analyst Brian Scalabrine will be making their way to the country for the NBA 3X Philippines finals proper on August 25 and 26 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

Hardaway says, "It’s a great feeling to return to the Philippines and get reacquainted with the passionate Filipino fan base. NBA 3X celebrates the vibrant culture of basketball, which will be in full display for fans to experience throughout the weekend festivities."

Scalabrine adds, "Traveling to the Philippines for the first time is an exciting opportunity to experience how the game is played on this side of the world. As a basketball fan and analyst, I’m looking forward to interacting with the fans and sharing my knowledge with the talented athletes at the NBA 3X event."

Accompanying the duo in the 3-on-3 tournament are the Detroit Pistons Flight Crew, as they are tasked to assist in providing authentic NBA entertainment.

NBA 3X Philippines is the league's foray into the 3x3 scene, which has experienced a boom as of late with the recent emergence of tournaments here in the country. Presented by AXA, the 2018 edition introduced for the first time preliminary tournaments held before the actual finals proper.

Benguet State University held the first set of prelims back on August 11 and 12, followed by prelims yesterday and earlier today at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati.

Six divisions exist for the different age groups: Under-13, Under-16, Under-18, and Open for the boys, and Under-18 and Open for the girls, with a special Celebrity Division and a specific division for AXA employees and distributors.

Serving as sponsors for NBA 3X Philippines are: AXA Philippines (Presenting Partner), CloudFone, Gatorade, Panasonic, Rexona, PLDT, and SMART (Official Partners), SM Mall of Asia, and Spalding (Supporting Partners), ABS-CBN S+A, Basketball TV, NBA Premium TV (Media Partners)

Ayaay named as the NCAA Player of the Week

With Lyceum's 25-game regular season winning streak on the line, MJ Ayaay made sure that it would not just end this past Friday against Letran.

With the Pirates trailing 76-65 with over six minutes remaining, the graduating forward helped steer the way forward, scoring six of his twenty points in the final stretch as he teamed up with CJ Perez to shake off the Knights and secure an 87-82 victory, allowing them to remain undefeated heading into their much-anticipated meeting with San Beda on Tuesday.

His efforts were noticed by the media outlets, as the NCAA Press Corps picked him to be the latest Chooks-to-Go Player of the Week awardee, beating out Kim Aurin, Javee Mocon, Jed Mendoza, and Justin Gutang.

MJ shared to the media that the pressure seemed to have gotten to the team as of late, "Ramdam na ramdam namin yung mga ibang team na gusto kaming talunin... Sabi ko lang sa kanila, enjoy lang. The past few games kami hindi na kami nag-iismile. Feeling namin palagi pagod kami at nakokontento kami. Kailangan lang namin i-enjoy yung laro."

Lyceum maintains undefeated record

Games Tuesday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

10am Letran vs Mapua/Malayan (HS)
12nn San Beda vs Lyceum (HS)
2pm Letran vs Mapua
4pm San Beda vs Lyceum

College of Saint Benilde overcame the absence of Clement Leutcheu as it defeated Arellano, 70-62 last Friday in the opening game of the collegiate portion of their triple header.

Without their African big man, who was ejected in their matchup against Emilio Aguinaldo College earlier in the week for two unsportsmanlike actions, Kendrix Belgica stepped up to the plate for the Blazers. Playing almost 25 minutes and getting the start in place of Leutcheu, he contributed eight points, seven rebounds, and an assist. Yankie Haruna added a near-double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.

Justin Gutang led the way with fifteen points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

Head coach Ty Tang shared to the media after the game, "The team played well, we held our own in defense even without Clement." Tang also managed to snag his first back-to-back victories as CSB's head coach, as it improves their record to 5-3, just a half-game behind Perpetual whom they will face next week.

Rence Alcoriza led Arellano with fourteen points, as the Chiefs drop to 3-4.

The second collegiate game of the afternoon saw Jose Rizal University finally earn their first on-court victory this season, pipping EAC, 57-55.

After the NCAA gifted the Heavy Bombers a win thanks to the San Sebastian forfeiture earlier this week, they then took to the court and stifled the Generals early on, taking a 20-6 lead after one quarter of action. Although they did give that big lead away in the second quarter to make it a 28-23 halftime lead, they kept themselves afloat through Jed Mendoza's 12-point outburst in the third quarter.

EAC still managed to keep themselves within striking distance, managing to reduce the deficit to a solitary point at 56-55 with less than a minute remaining, Agem Miranda denied a triple from Jerome Garcia, and a free throw from Mark Mallari put a bow on the dramatic victory for JRU.

Mendoza finished with eighteen points, four rebounds, five assists, and five steals, while Mallari was the other Heavy Bomber in double figures with twelve points, to go along with his three rebounds, four assists, and a steal.

Big man Jun Silvarez had the unenviable task of trying to limit Hamadou Laminou's production, and while restricting the big man to just ten points, seven rebounds, and a block, he also managed to virtually match that output with eight points, eleven rebounds, and three blocks.

Garcia led EAC with a double-double of nineteen points and ten rebounds.

The final collegiate matchup of the day saw Lyceum keep their record unscathed yet again, as the Pirates pulled off an 87-82 victory over Letran.

The Knights had been up 78-70 almost midway into the fourth quarter, but Lyceum did not give up and closed the game out with a 17-4 run, with six of those points coming from team captain MJ Ayaay. He would finish with a game-high twenty points, as well as four rebounds and a couple of steals.

Mike Harry Nzeusseu contributed a double-double with sixteen points, eleven rebounds, and block, while CJ Perez made 10/15 free throws to finish with sixteen points, seven rebounds, an assist, and four steals.

Lyceum head coach Topex Robinson shared afterwards that the game validated Letran's status as title contender this season.

Bong Quinto fell an assist short of a triple double for Letran, finishing with thirteen points, ten rebounds, and nine assists, as well as a steal. JP Calvo added a team-high eighteen for the Knights, who fell to fifth in the standings with a 4-3 record after back-to-back losses to last season's finalists.

The scores:

College of Saint Benilde 70 – Gutang 15, Carlos 11, Haruna 9, Belgica 8, Domingo 8, Dixon 6, Naboa 6, Young 5, Pasturan 2, Barnes 0, Nayve 0, Velasco 0

Arellano 62 – Alcoriza 14, Sera Josef 11, Villoria 9, Canete 9, Alban 6, Segura 3, Codinera 3, Concepcion 2, Ongolo Ongolo 2, Santos 2, Sacramento 1, Dela Cruz 0, Bayla 0, Dela Torre 0

Quarterscores: 16-11; 32-27; 51-46; 70-62

JRU 57 – Mendoza 18, Mallari 12, Esguerra 8, Silvarez 8, Miranda 7, Padua 2, Santos 2, Bordon 0, Doromal 0

EAC 55 – Garcia 19, Laminou 10, Diego 6, Bautista 6, Maguliano 4, Gonzales 4, Bugarin 4, Natividad 2, Cadua 0, Mendoza 0, Neri 0, Tampoc 0, Robin 0

Quarterscores: 20-6; 28-23; 47-38; 57-55

Lyceum 87 – Ayaay 20, Nzeusseu 16, Perez 16, Marcelino JC 10, Santos 9, Marcelino JV 7, Caduyac 6, Tansingco 2, Yong 1, Ibanez 0, Serrano 0, Pretta 0, Cinco 0, Valdez 0
Letran 82 – Calvo 18, Quinto 13, Muyang 13, Fajarito 12, Ambohot 10, Batiller 10, Balanza 4, Yu 2, Taladua 0, Mandrez 0, Balagasay 0, Agbong 0, Celis 0

Quarterscores: 25-26; 47-39; 58-64; 87-82

Lyceum-Letran highlight Friday NCAA tussle

An intense collegiate triple-header is on tap this afternoon at the Filoil Flying V Centre, highlighted by the clash of two of the top teams this season so far.

Lyceum hopes to extend their winning streak to eight matches later today, but seeking to deny them that feat is the Colegio de San Juan de Letran at 4pm.

The Knights fell short in putting a blemish on San Beda's record this season last week, wilting in overtime after almost snagging the win outright in regulation.

Meanwhile, at noon today is a clash between College of Saint Benilde and Arellano, with both teams seeking to keep themselves within striking distance of the pacesetters in the race to the postseason. The Blazers moved ahead of the Chiefs by half a game, thanks to a technicality as a result of the NCAA awarding a victory via forfeit in the RK Ilagan "ligang labas" incident with San Sebastian.

Completing the collegiate tripleheader is JRU against EAC at 2pm, as both teams aim to keep their seasons afloat.

UAAP reveals Season 81 Opening Weekend

Season 81

The UAAP on Thursday formally revealed its opening set of men's basketball matches to kickstart its 81st season.

Set to take place at the Mall of Asia Arena on September 8, the league will have its Opening Ceremonies starting at noon time, with the first game of the season involving the University of the Philippines and the University of the East at 2pm.

Hosts National University will then face the University of Santo Tomas at 4pm.

The next day at the same venue, Far Eastern University faces La Salle at noon, with defending champions Ateneo going up against Adamson at 4pm. The league has mandated separate ticketing rules akin to Ateneo-La Salle matches for this particular playdate.

Meanwhile, the UAAP later today will have its Last One Standing preseason event at the SM Mall of Asia Atrium. Festivities will commence at 10am, with live streaming c/o ABS-CBN Sports to take place at around 1pm.

There are four events lined up for Last One Standings, a 1-on-1 Competition, a Three-Point Shootout, a Skills Challenge, and a Dunk Contest.

Notable names like Kobe Paras, Jordan Bartlett, Jolo Mendoza, and Miguel Oczon, highlight the men's field, while the women's field includes Nathalia Prado, Camille Claro, Ria Nabalan, and Jhazmin Joson.

San Sebastian docked wins for Ilagan "ligang labas"

San Sebastian was hit with the double whammy on Thursday, as not only did they lose their collegiate assignment to San Beda, but also got hit by the book from the NCAA Management Committee.

The NCAA ManCom handed RK Ilagan a three-game suspension and forfeited two of the Golden Stags' three victories this season.

Ilagan had participated in an unauthorized basketball game or "ligang labas," which warranted the three-match suspension. But since the school handed down their own suspension, the sentence has been officially served.

As a result, San Sebastian's record after their first round concluded on Thursday is now 1-8, moving them to the league cellar behind previously winless Jose Rizal University, which along with the College of Saint Benilde, were gifted victories to move their records to 1-7 and 4-3, respectively.

In a statement, NCAA ManCom chairman Frank Gusi says, "The NCAA’s action on this incident, including the sanctions imposed, is in accordance with the existing NCAA Manual of Operations (MOO) and with the best interest of the league and the discipline of student athletes in mind."

Perpetual, San Beda continue NCAA ascent

Games today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

8am Arellano vs La Salle-Greenhills (HS)
10am JRU vs EAC-ICA (HS)
12nn Arellano vs CSB
2pm JRU vs EAC
4pm Lyceum vs Letran
6pm Lyceum vs Letran (HS)

The University of Perpetual Help System Dalta extended their winning run to three straight games in defeating Mapua, 74-68, in the opening portion of the collegiate doubleheader for the 94th season of the NCAA yesterday afternoon.

Kim Aurin had his career-best performance against the Cardinals, as the JRU transfer contributed 22 points, four rebounds, five assists, and five steals, while Prince Eze bounced back from a relatively subpar performance less than 48 hours earlier with a near 20-20 outing.

The win moves them past Letran to take solo third at 5-2. It also surpasses their total win output from last season (4-14).

A 13-4 run by the Altas allowed them to take the lead at the end of the third quarter, 57-52, with nine of those points coming from Eze. They would then extend that lead to eleven points in the fourth quarter, 66-55. Although Mapua would be able to cut the deficit to as low as two points, 66-64, with just over three minutes remaining, Aurin converted a couple of baskets to provide the necessary cushion in order to hold on to the victory.

True freshman Warren Bonifacio led Mapua with thirteen points and twelve rebounds, while Cedric Pelayo and Denniel Aguirre each added ten markers.

In the other collegiate matchup yesterday, San Beda kept their record unblemished as they dispatched San Sebastian, 65-54.

Javee Mocon and James Canlas Kwekuteye took over in the fourth quarter for the Red Lions, as they each outscored the Golden Stags by themselves with ten points apiece. They also helped anchor a defense that limited San Sebastian to a field goal in the final 6:16. Mocon would finish with a double-double with sixteen points and eleven rebounds, while Canlas contributed a career-best twelve off the bench. Donald Tankoua was his reliable self for the defending champions with a double-double himself of twelve points and ten rebounds.

Allyn Bulanadi's twenty points led San Sebastian, as they concluded their first round campaign

In high school action, Mapua/Malayan beat Perpetual, 89-65, while San Sebastian pipped San Beda, 52-51.

The scores:

Perpetual Help 74 – Aurin 22, Eze 19, Coronel 14, Razon 5, Charcos 5, Peralta 4, Cuevas 3, Mangalino 2, Sese 0

Mapua 68 – Bonifacio 13, Pelayo 10, Aguirre 10, Lugo 7, Biteng 7, Jabel 6, Salenga 6, Gamboa 5, Bunag 2, Serrano 2, Garcia 0, Pajarillo 0

Quarterscores: 22-22; 34-33; 57-52; 74-68

Second Game

San Beda 65 – Mocon 16, Tankoua 12, Canlas 12, Bolick 6, Doliguez 5, Eugene 4, Presbitero 3, Tongco 3, Oftana 2, Carino 2, Abuda 0, Soberano 0, Cuntapay 0, Nelle 0, Cabanag 0

San Sebastian 54 – Bulanadi 20, Calisaan 15, Calma 6, Capobres 4, Dela Cruz 4, Baytan 2, Villapando 2, Are 1, Sumoda 0, Valdez 0, Isidro 0, Desoyo 0

Quarterscores: 18-18; 29-31; 45-46; 65-54 

2018 WFL-Elite men's football league kicks off

WFL Elite team representatives and organizers meeting

The Weekend Futbol League is set to commence with its Elite League.

Considered as the top tier in their football pyramid, the WFL Elite will have six teams (UAAP teams Adamson and Ateneo, former United Football League sides Green Archers United, Army, Navy-Fleet Marine, and Philippines Football League side Stallion Laguna, who is fielding their B-team) facing off in a "home-and-away" format, with the home side set to arrange for the field and the referees.

The first match is scheduled tonight, as La Salle-Zobel hosts Adamson against Green Archers United at 7pm, with Navy visiting Stallion at Binan at noontime on August 18 and Ateneo visiting Army at ASCOM on August 19 at 1pm.

The Elite Division has been part of the WFL for the past few editions, with the NCR Football Association designating it as its Division 1 competition.

Green Archers United chairman Monchu Garcia shares, "We are excited for this league and we think it really fills a gap for teams between the PFL and the collegiate leagues." The WFL Elite believes that is a training ground for players who have aspirations of making the pro ranks.

Updates from the WFL Elite can be seen from their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Weekend.Futbol/)

San Beda, Perpetual seek to close in on Lyceum

Games today at the Filoil Flying V Centre:

10am Mapua/Malayan vs Perpetual (HS)
12nn San Sebastian vs San Beda (HS)
2pm Mapua vs Perpetual
4pm San Sebastian vs San Beda

The 94th season of the NCAA resumes with its basketball action today with a pair of doubleheaders, with the collegiate doubleheader seeing San Beda and Perpetual looking to consolidate their hold in the top half of the standings.

The Red Lions are seeking their sixth straight victory to kick off their campaign, as they face San Sebastian in the final scheduled game of the day at 4pm, while the Altas face Mapua just before that at 2pm.

San Beda is fresh from a scintillating 80-76 overtime victory against traditional rivals Letran last week, while the Golden Stags seek to end their first round on a positive note after a tumultuous stretch that included losing RK Ilagan for the past few matches.

As for Perpetual, they are fresh from fending off a potential upset bid from Jose Rizal University less than 48 hours ago, needing Jielo Razon's clutch three-pointers to join the Knights at 4-2 with a 78-72 win. A win today would move them into solo third place, and according to head coach Frankie Lim, he believes that his offense will be key in securing the win later.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals are looking to address their tailspin and are hoping to get their postseason hopes back on track with a victory this afternoon.

In the high school ranks, a potential Final Four preview could be in store with Mapua/Malayan facing Perpetual at 10am. The Red Robins are in solo second at 5-2, while the Junior Altas are half-a-game behind at 4-2. Following that juicy matchup is San Beda looking to extend their current winning streak to five matches as they go up against San Sebastian at noon.

SBP and NBA co-written statement on the Asian Games

After issuing their own respective statements today, both the NBA and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas released their own co-written statement.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) jointly issued the following statement regarding the participation of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson in the 2018 Asian Games:

“After continued communication between the SBP and the NBA over the past few days, we were able to come together to pave the way for Jordan Clarkson to represent the Philippines in the 2018 Asian Games. The SBP and the NBA have a longstanding relationship of working together to grow the game of basketball in the Philippines, and we share in the excitement of fans across the country and wish Gilas Pilipinas the very best in Indonesia.”

The Philippines is set to kick off its Asian Games campaign tomorrow morning against Kazakhstan at 11am (Manila time).

SBP statement on the Asian Games

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas released this statement in line with the recent announcement by the NBA about the Asian Games.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) would like first to thank the NBA for allowing Jordan Clarkson to play for the Philippines in the 2018 Asian Games. This action of the NBA will no doubt cheer the hearts of Filipinos here and all over the world, as we warmly welcome Jordan into the Gilas Pilipinas team.

SBP would also like to thank all those who worked hard with us in putting together this arrangement with the NBA, leading to Jordan’s participation in the Asiad 2018.

LABAN PILIPINAS! PUSO!

NBA statement re: Asian Games Participation

The NBA released this statement in line with upcoming Asian Games, whose basketball tournament includes players with contracts in the league. Full statement below.

The National Basketball Association today announced that it has granted a special exception for NBA players to play in the 2018 Asian Games, permitting Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jordan Clarkson, Houston Rockets center Zhou Qi and Dallas Mavericks forward Ding Yanyuhang to represent their respective countries in this year’s event.

The NBA’s agreement with FIBA stipulates that NBA players can participate in the Olympics, the FIBA Basketball World Cup, Continental Cup competitions and associated qualifying tournaments. Because the Asian Games are not one of those competitions, NBA players under contract are unable to participate. However, due to a lack of clear communication of that agreement between the NBA and the Chinese and Philippines Basketball Federations, and after further discussions with both Federations, the NBA has agreed to provide this one-time exception.

CSB, Perpetual snap up victories

In the first part of the collegiate doubleheader, JJ Domingo stepped to the plate for the College of Saint Benilde as the Blazers bucked the ejection of Clement Leutcheu with an 84-71 victory over Emilio Aguinaldo College.

Averaging 2.2 points coming into the match, the former FEU-Diliman standout sizzled with 22 points as he helped end a two-game skid. Eight of those came in the fourth quarter as the Blazers fended off the Generals' repeated comeback attempts.

When asked about the JJ's performance, head coach Ty Tang shares, "We know he can score and it's just a matter of patience. I hope he continues to dish out these kind of games.

Tang adds, "We were alive again and we hope this win gives us momentum entering our final two first round games."

Leutcheu was ejected for incurring two unsportsmanlike acts, the first one during the first half as he was battling against his counterpart Hamadou Laminou, while the second came in the fourth quarter after a perceived kick while on the floor to Laminou, which Juju Bautista did not take kindly to.'

Ejections in the NCAA have an automatic one-game suspension, so Leutcheu will miss the game against Arellano later this week.

In the other collegiate matchup, Perpetual help relied on the shooting of AJ Coronel and Jielo Razon late to fend off winless Jose Rizal University, 78-72.

Coronel and Razon nailed three straight triples after Jed Mendoza and Jun Silvarez conspired to give the Heavy Bombers a 72-69 lead in the fourth quarter.

The Altas move themselves into a share of third place with the Letran Knights with a 4-2 record.

The scores:

CSB 84 – Domingo 22, Haruna 11, Leutcheu 9, Gutang 9, Naboa 6, Dixon 6, Nayve 5, Begica 4, Pasturan 4, Young 3, Velasco 2, Barnes 2

EAC 71 – Bautista 17, Laminou 13, Tampoc 10, Garcia 9, Diego 5, Mendoza 5, Bugarin 5, Maguliano 4, Gonzales 2, Cadua 1, Natividad 0, Robin 0, Neri 0

Quarterscores: 18-20; 44-31; 61-49; 84-71

Second Game
Perpetual Help 78 – Charcos 25, Razon 18, Coronel 16, Eze 7, Aurin 5, Peralta 5, Mangalino 2, Pasia 0, Cuevas 0, Sese 0, Tamayo 0

JRU 72 – Mendoza 21, Bordon 10, Silvarez 9, Estrella 8, Padua 6, Mallari 5, Dela Virgen 5, Esguerra 4, Santos 2, Aguilar 0, Miranda 0
Quarterscores: 18-13; 34-30; 55-46; 78-72

Telus International Philippines claims badminton title at BPO Olympics

TELUS' champion netters: From left to right: Xyza De Guzman (Technical Support Representative), Cherrylyn Diaz (Work Force Management Team Leader), Kathleen May Ponciano (Customer Service Representative), Ma.Camille Mascariña (Customer Service Representative), Jill Castillo (Customer Service Representative), Hazel Lynn Sanchez-Enriquez (Work Force Management Team Leader)

Telus International Philippines continues its recent dominance in badminton at the recently held 2018 BPO Olympics, securing the women's doubles championship to add to their trophy case.

The duo of Ma. Camille Mascarina and Jill Castillo dispatched their counterparts from Cognizant in three sets to secure the championship, a matchup that entertained spectators with as they chased shots, went through furious rallies and defended numerous smashes.

Telus adds this championship with their men's table tennis individual championship they won already.

The BPO Olympics brings together 28 companies in sporting competition among those within the business process outsourcing industry. Aside from the two aforementioned sports, they also have events for basketball, volleyball, airsoft, billiards, darts, cheerdance, football, and the marathon for participants.

Martin Nguyen ends ONE Championship bantamweight bid

Two-division champion Martin Nguyen is not planning to be a three-division champ anytime soon

After a couple of tries, current Featherweight and Lightweight world champion Martin Nguyen is ending his bid at the ONE Championship Bantamweight division.

The Situ-Asian suffered back-to-back losses in title fights attempting to snag said championship, first losing via split decision to current champion Bibiano Fernandes at ONE: Iron Will in Bangkok back in March, then lost to Kevin Belingon for the interim title a few weeks ago during ONE: Reign of Kings.

Nguyen felt naive thinking that the weight cut to make bantamweight was not going to be an issue. He says that "it played out in the fight," adding "I did not feel tired – I could have gone another five rounds, but with my toe, it just came to a point where my reactions were off, and Kevin’s speed was impeccable. I could not adjust, and everything just came into play."

He adds, "It was a good learning curve, and a good experience overall, but I will stick to my roots where my body feels stronger and more comfortable."

Now that he has shifted his focus back at defending his two belts, there are a plethora of challengers looking to take their chance at plucking either title out of his grasp.

The lightweight division has former champions Shinya Aoki and Eduard Folayang, with solid contenders Ev Ting, Timofey Nastyukhin, and Honorio Banario.

Aoki, in particular, has intrigued Nguyen as a potential opponent for the lightweight title, which he has yet to defend since defeating Folayang back in November to become the champion. Martin notes, "he has taken out his last two opponents devastatingly with first-round finishes. He is not riding decisions like Eduard and Ev. Yeah, they put up good fights, and they have fought good opponents, but Shinya has fought good opponents, too, and he put them away in the first round."

Aoki needed just 5:31 to take care of his last two opponents, forcing Rasul Yakhyaev to tap after just over three minutes in Singapore, then taking just over a couple of minutes to defeat Shannon Wiratchai in Manila.

As for the other lightweight contenders, Nguyen thinks that Nastyukhin seems to be one who is not as busy as one wants to be in seeking a title shot, while Banario has Amir Khan in his sights in Shanghai. If Honorio beats Amir, he adds, "we will see if he jumps ahead."

With regards to the featherweight division, of which he has had one title defense, a split decision victory over Christian Lee back in May in Singapore, Martin sees former champion Narantungalag Jadambaa as a viable challenger, acknowledging "Tungaa" as "the ex-king," "a legend," and as someone "who has been in this sport forever." The Mongolian is 4-1 in his last five matches, with back-to-back victories over Kazuki Tokudome and Edward Kelly.

In addition, a title rematch against Marat Gafurov could potentially be in the cards, which sets up a trilogy between the two fighters, as they have split their previous two meetings. Nguyen though believes that "The Cobra" should have at least two more fights before getting a title rematch.

For the latest ONE Championship updates, one can check out www.onefc.com.

Six emerge from NBA 3X Philippines North Luzon Qualifiers

A couple of teams from the Women's Open Category of the NBA 3X Philippines North Luzon Qualifiers

The 2018 edition of NBA 3X Philippines kicked off its campaign with a new wrinkle this past weekend, as it conducted its first-ever North Luzon qualifiers at Benguet State University last August 11-12.

A hundred participating teams from across the region, including entries from Caloocan that made the trip up north, with six teams getting berths to the NBA 3X Playoffs scheduled on August 25-26 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall. There was also a Celebrity Division with the various media outlets in the City of Pines serving as its participants.

The six teams that have secured spots for the NBA 3X Philippines playoff proper are the following:

U13 Boys: Team Greyhounds (Rieken Espinosa, Dreyxius Castillo, Kyle Patrick Margarata, Adam Floyd Darden)

U16 Boys: Team SLU-A (Jaudenes Parone, Dennis de Vera, Manson Lee Carantes, Francis Almazan)

U18 Boys: Team Caloocan Supremos-C (Ryan Ricasio, Raphael Jerhold Flores, Mark Francois Sapla, Jino Lacsa)

Open Boys: Team UL-Dagupan City-A (Mario Angelito Torio, Reynald Ballesteros, Robert Caasi, Jr., Julius Tiburcio)

U18 Girls: Team Balon Dagupan (Regimay Castres, Rosemarie delos Santos, Jane de Vera, Fionna Kixsha Camangeg)

Open Girls: Team Pudtol Apayao (Ruthlaine Chlaire Tacula, Raechelle Ann Sao, Ryzelle Ann Limet, Love Joy Sto. Domingo)

Qualifiers are set to resume this weekend at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati.

The current edition of the NBA 3X Philippines is presented by AXA Philippines, with CloudFone, Gatorade, Panasonic, Rexona, PLDT, and SMART serving as official partners, while the SM Mall of Asia and Spalding act as official partners. ABS-CBN S+A, Basketball TV, and NBA Premium TV are the official media partners.

More details about the NBA 3X Philippines can be seen on their website (www.nba3x.com/philippines).

Perpetual seeks third in NCAA Season 94 action

Prince Eze: NCAA Press Corps Player of the Week

Games Today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan:

10am La Salle-Greenhills vs EAC-ICA (HS)
12nn Perpetual vs JRU (HS)
2pm CSB vs EAC
4pm Perpetual vs JRU

The 94th season of the NCAA resumes this afternoon with a couple of doubleheaders at the Filoil Flying V Centre.

Kicking off the collegiate portion of the four-game bill is a matchup of 2-4 teams in Emilio Aguinaldo College and College of Saint Benilde at 2pm.

The Generals are fresh from back-to-back victories and as what their head coach Ariel Sison shared to media last week, are seeking to "sustain their momentum."

EAC rode on Hamadou Laminou's double-double effort of seventeen points, twelve rebounds, and six blocks to fend off Mapua, 89-85.

In contrast, CSB is smarting from a 77-65 loss to Lyceum and another loss will put the bench further behind in the race for the postseason.

The final game of the afternoon sees the winless Jose Rizal University against Perpetual Help System Dalta at 4pm.

The Heavy Bombers have yet to pick up a win this season, while the Altas can be on level terms with idle Letran at third place with a victory.

Perpetual rode of the latest NCAA Press Corps Player of the Week Prince Eze in their last outing, a 76-74 win over San Sebastian. The Nigerian contributed with a near 20-20 output against the Golden Stags, including the game-winning tip-in with half a second remaining.

Frankie Lim shared after the game, "We need him to come up big for us every game and help open up a bit for the other guys." Eze is currently leading the NCAA in rebounds and blocked shots, while being just outside the top five in scoring.

In the high school division, it's top meeting bottom, as La Salle-Greenhills attempts to maintain their hold atop the league against cellar-dwelling EAC-ICA at 10am, with Perpetual seeking to remain within striking distance against JRU at noontime.

Prince Eze claims Player of the Week nod

With the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta down by as much as 21 points against San Sebastian College-Recoletos in their home gym, Prince Eze made sure their home fans will not go home disappointed.

The Nigerian student-athlete led the comeback charge in the second half, reducing the lead to single digits by the end of the third quarter, then got themselves the chance to snatch the victory in their final offensive possession.

After Arjan dela Cruz tied the game with his triple 3.3 seconds remaining, Frankie Lim used his final timeout to move the ball to halfcourt and diagram a play, which turned out to be AJ Coronel lobbing it for Eze to then tip in the game-winner with half a second remaining.

When asked about that sequence, Prince shares, "I don't want to lose whatever it takes... I know if I tap the ball, I'm still gonna catch it back. So I went inside." He adds, "I mean, a win is a win. And we have to live with that," as he finished with 22 points, eighteen rebounds, and six blocks.

Such an effort did not go unnoticed with the NCAA Press Corps, who rewarded his feat with the latest Chooks-to-Go Player of the Week nod, beating out CJ Perez, Robert Bolick, Bong Quinto, and Alvin Capobres for the honor.

Lim admitted after the game, "At halftime, I got mad actually... I told them, guys, it's not about the Xs and Os. It's about your desire to win."

EAC snatches back-to-back, San Beda keeps streak

Standings as of Friday night

Games Tuesday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

10am La Salle-Greenhills vs EAC-ICA (HS)
12nn Perpetual vs JRU (HS)
2pm CSB vs EAC
4pm Perpetual vs JRU

Emilio Aguinaldo College rode on foul shots down the stretch to secure an 89-85 victory over Mapua in Friday basketball action during the 94th Season of the NCAA tournament at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Free throws in the last two minutes from Jerome Garcia, Sean Neri, and Renz Gonzales helped clinch back-to-back victories for the Generals after suffering four straight losses to kick off the season.

Head coach Ariel Sison highlighted their efforts in improving their shooting from the line, appreciating the effort the team put in after their disappointing 17/46 against Arellano back in July, netting a 20/28 against Mapua.

Hamadou Laminou led the charge with seventeen points, twelve rebounds, and six blocks.

The Cardinals had a chance to retake the lead with 13.5 seconds left, as CJ Cadua was hit with an unsportsmanlike foul on Denniel Aguirre, but Aguirre missed both his free throws.

Noah Lugo led Mapua with a game-high 24 points as they fell to 2-5.

In the second collegiate matchup of the day, Maui Sera Josef's breakout performance allowed Arellano to keep Jose Rizal University winless this season with a 79-70 victory.

The Las Vegas native scored a career-high seventeen points, while adding nine rebounds, a steal, and a block to lead the Chiefs.

Arellano had to withstand Jed Mendoza's outburst from the Heavy Bombers, as the guard scored fifteen points in the final period, but Jed had little support from his teammates, who could only muster just five other points. The Chiefs canceled out Jed's output with Michael Canete and Levi dela Cruz combining to score twenty points in the period.

Head coach Jerry Codinera still thinks they have a long way to go for contention, admitting to the media after the game, "Medyo ang tagal bago naming makuha yung combination sa offense and defense namin so talagang malayo pa kami."

The final collegiate game of the day was a dazzling display of the historic rivalry between San Beda and Letran.

The Red Lions needed a superb performance from AC Soberano and Robert Bolick in overtime in order to fend off the Knights, 80-76.

Soberano nailed a couple of triples during the extra five minutes, and with Letran unable to muster any offense in the final 2:16, Bolick's three free throws sandwiched around a Donald Tankoua undergoal stab in the final minute proved to be the difference for the defending champions as they extended their winning run to five straight matches.

Letran would have secured their first victory against San Beda since defeating them for the championship if not for Javee Mocon's assist to Tankoua to tie things up at 69 and force overtime.

Bolick finished with a team-high twenty points, eleven rebounds, six assists, and a couple of steals, with Tankoua contributing eleven points and thirteen rebounds.

Bong Quinto led Letran with a game-high 21 points, while also adding eleven rebounds and four assists. Fellow veteran JP Calvo added fourteen points, four rebounds, six assists, and three steals.

In spite of the loss, the Knights still retain third place with a 4-2 record, with a half-game lead over Perpetual.

The scores:

EAC 89 – Laminou 17, Garcia 14, Bautista 13, Natividad 12, Cadua 10, Tampoc 7, Neri 5, Gonzales 4, Diego 3, Mendoza 2, Robin 2, Maguliano 0, Bugarin 0

Mapua 85 – Lugo 24, Bonifacio 15, Victoria 11, Pelayo 11, Gamboa 8, Jabel 8, Biteng 4, Aguirre 2, Bunag 2, Serrano 0, Garcia 0

Quarterscores: 18-16; 33-39; 60-63; 89-85

Arellano 79 – Sera Josef 17, Canete 15, Alban 14, Dela Cruz 14, Segura 10, Concepcion 6, Alcoriza 3, Bayla 0, Codinera 0, Dela Torre 0, Ongolo Ongolo 0, Sacramento 0, Santos 0, Villoria 0.

JRU 70 – Mendoza 23, David 9, Estrella 7, Bordon 6, Dela Virgen 6, Mallari 6, Esguerra 5, Silvarez 4, Miranda 2, Santos 2, Ramos 0.

Quarterscores: 12-16; 34-36; 54-50; 79-70

San Beda 80 -- Bolick 20, Doliguez 11, Tankoua 11, Mocon 7, Oftana 6, Soberano 6, Canlas 4, Nelle 4, Presbitero 4, Tongco 3, Abuda 2, Carino 2, Cuntapay 0.

Letran 76 -- Quinto 21, Calvo 14, Ambohot 13, Balanza 11, Fajarito 10, Muyang 5, Taladua 2, Agbong 0, Balagasay 0, Batiller 0, Mandreza 0, Yu 0.

Quarters: 17-14; 35-29; 53-44; 69-69; (OT) 80-76.

Last One Standing skills tourney to highlight lead-up to UAAP Season 81

With less than a month away before the 81st Season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines commences, hosts National University is set for something special just weeks before the actual festivities.

In coordination with the SM Supermalls, NU will be introducing a pre-season event called the Last One Standing 1-on-1 Hoop Challenge.

Set to take place at the SM Mall of Asia Atrium on Friday, August 17, Last One Standing will showcase UAAP school standouts and guest athletes against each other in one-on-one action, as they upstage each other with their basketball skills.

The action in this one-day-only tournament begins as early as at 10am, with side competitions like the Dunk Contest, a 3-point Shootout, and a Skills Challenge. Fans can check it out for free.

According to Event Director Eric Altamirano, "Last One Standing is going to be a fun and exciting event to watch. The one-on-one is the best showcase for a player’s skills and basketball smarts. This is the real test of an athlete’s individual prowess that may also reveal any weakness he may have. Everything’s on show, you can’t hide anything here."

The actual season opener will not be until September 8 at the Mall of Asia Arena. This season's theme is "It All Begins Here."

Perpetual caps off NCAA on Tour with dramatic ending

Games today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

8am EAC-ICA vs Mapua/Malayan (HS)
10am JRU vs Arellano (HS)
12nn EAC vs Mapua
2pm JRU vs Arellano
4pm San Beda vs Letran
6pm San Beda vs Letran (HS)

The final playdate of the second edition of the NCAA on Tour provided some dramatic closure, as Perpetual Help System Dalta completed the doubleheader sweep against San Sebastian last Thursday afternoon.

In the first part of the doubleheader, the Junior Altas needed overtime to dispatch the Golden Staglets, 70-64.

Joshua Gallano's triple in the extra session kickstarted an 8-2 run that provided the necessary cushion for the Junior Altas to escape with the win. He would finish with twenty points, fourteen rebounds, a couple of assists, a couple of steals, and three blocks.

Complementing Joshua was Emman Galman's double-double with eighteen points and ten rebounds.

The win allowed Perpetual to join idle Arellano in second place at 4-1, just a half-game behind La Salle-Greenhills and half-a-game ahead of Mapua/Malayan.

Kean Baclaan and Milo Janao combined to score 32 points for San Sebastian, as they fell further to the middle of the pack at 3-5.

The second half of the doubleheader saw the Altas pip the Golden Stags, 78-76 to make it a happy homecoming for the Perpetual community.

Fresh from a timeout with 3.3 seconds remaining, true freshman Jielo Razon acted as the inbounder, passing it to AJ Coronel, who feigned taking the shot from the baseline and instead set up Prince Eze for the game-winning tip-in, with half a second left to snatch the victory for the home crowd and complete a comeback from 21 points down in the first half.

They managed to whittle the deficit down to a two-possession game by the end of the third quarter by relying on Rey Peralta and Edgar Charcos, as they combined for seventeen points in the period. Perpetual also summoned their defense from what was a first half slumber, limiting San Sebastian to eleven points. They then rode on the offense of Coronel, Charcos, and Eze in the final period, with each player scoring nine points.

Eze would finish with 22 points, eighteen rebounds, and six blocks, while Charcos adding eighteen points, five rebounds, a couple of assists, a block, and three steals. Peralta and Coronel combined for twenty points.

Without a timeout, San Sebastian had only a minute chance of getting an attempt in their final possession from the backcourt, but Michael Are's desperation attempt from three hit the rim.

Allyn Bulanadi led the Golden Stags with a double-double performance of 21 points and twelve rebounds, while Alvin Capobres followed-up his career-high performance in the last game with nineteen points. Arjan dela Cruz, whose triple with 3.3 seconds remaining tied the game at 76 and set up Perpetual's late-game heroics, added eleven markers, as they fell to 3-5 for the season.

In the six-game bill today, the premier matchup sees undefeated San Beda face current third places Letran in the resumption of their decades-long rivalry at 4pm. Jose Rizal University attempts to end their skid against Arellano at 2pm, while EAC and Mapua face off at noon to kick off the televised matchups for the day.

The scores:

Perpetual Help 70 – Gallano 20, Galman 18, Galoy 7, Barcuma 5, Nunez 4, Orgo 4, Kawamura 4, Duka 2, Defante 2, Dela Cruz 2, Romilla 2, Coloma 0, Oguinsanya 0

San Sebastian 64 – Baclaan 17, Janao 15, Bonalos 9, Are 7, Pinero 6, Suico 4, Timbancaya 2, Perez 2, Austria 2, Balo 0, Loristo 0

Quarterscores: 10-17, 24-30, 50-44, 60-60, 70-64 (OT)

Perpetual Help 78 – Eze 22, Charcos 18, Peralta 11, Coronel 9, Mangalino 5, Aurin 4, Razon 3, Gallardo 2, Cuevas 2, Sese 2, Tamayo 0, Pasia 0

San Sebastian 76 – Bulanadi 21, Capobres 19, Dela Cruz 11, Calma 8, Are 6, Calisaan 5, Desoyo 2, Isidro 2, Villapando 2, Valdez 0, Sumoda 0

Quarterscores: 12-20; 27-46; 51-57; 78-76

Book characterizing Xavier School sports set for 2019 release

Xavier School alumni Isaac Go ('14) and Tyler Tio ('16) with the people behind the Golden: A Celebration of Xavier Golden Stallions" book.

Earlier this week, Xavier School, through its alumni via the Alumni Association of Xavier School, unveiled a project that aims to highlight and illustrate the Jesuit school's sports program.

Called "Golden: A Celebration of Xavier Golden Stallions," it is a 250-page coffee table book set to chronicle the storied history of the Xavier Sports Program.

The idea of the book came about when Rick Olivares broached the notion to ABS-CBN S+A Sales Head Kenneth Ti a year and a half ago, considering the recent emergence of Xavier student-athletes in Philippine sports, from the likes of Chris Tiu, Jeric and Jeron Teng, Jett Manuel, and Gab Banal in basketball to Axel Ngui in swimming, and Kennevic Asuncion in badminton among others. Ken noted that this is a opportunity for people to get a clearer picture of what Xavier sports is not only just the last twenty years, but also extends to the 1960s.

According to Olivares, this is the first book of its kind in the Philippines, with the editorial team is currently attempting to gather as much information available. The plan is to release the book by the Chinese New Year next year. With the use of reflections from students, alumni, coaches, and the Xavier student-athletes themselves, it traces the history of the school's sports. The end goal is to have it serve as an inspiration for future student-athletes.

Xavier School officials lent their presence to highlight the occasion, including the head of their basketball program Dr. John Edwin L. Sy to Athletics Head Larry De Las Penas, Swimming Program Head and Conditioning Director Jasper Laguitao, former AAXS President Art Dy, and Mighty Sports Corporation's Angelo Wongchuking, Jr., with High School Assistant Principal Alvin Ang and Assistant Principal for Formation and concurrent School Chaplain Fr. Art Borja, SJ representing the school administration.

Notable student-athlete alumni Kennevic Asuncion, Gue David, Isaac Go, and Tyler Tio were also present during the announcement. Go and Tio both are honored to be part of the development of the book, with the latter noting the potential for inspiring future student-athletes. They also credited their formation at Xavier at a young age as what helped them shape their current path.

NCAA on Tour heads to Perpetual for final stop

Games today at the Perpetual Help System Dalta Gym in Las Pinas vs San Sebastian

2pm HS
4pm College

The final doubleheader to complete the Season 94 edition of the NCAA on Tour is set later this afternoon, as the league heads to Las Pinas.

Hosts Perpetual Help System Dalta looks to keep themselves in pace with the league leaders as they face San Sebastian in the lone collegiate matchup at 4pm.

At 2-2 and placeholders of the fourth and final postseason spot, the Altas are the only .500 team in the league and a win keeps them a game behind idle Letran and moves their lead over Arellano to a full game. They are looking to bounce back after smarting from a 91-77 defeat to Lyceum last Friday.

Head coach Frankie Lim is seeking more consistent play from his side in order to get back onto the winning groove. He shared to the media after the game, "We had mental lapses. We can’t play like that and expect to win."

Meanwhile, the Golden Stags routed Mapua last Tuesday, 94-70, to improve their record to 3-4. A win would move them into solo fourth and drop Perpetual into a tie with Arellano at 2-3.

With RK Ilagan forcibly sidelined due to a team-imposed suspension, San Sebastian rode on career-best performances from Alvin Capobres and Alex Desoyo against the Cardinals. Capobres contributed 21 points, with seventeen coming in the second half, while Desoyo scored all twelve of his points in the second half.

Opening the doubleheader is the high school match-up between the two schools, with the Junior Altas seeking to solidify their standing nearly atop the division against the Golden Staglets.

Perpetual is currently 4-1, just a game behind pace-setting La Salle-Greenhills, while San Sebastian is at 3-4, a game and a half behind idle Mapua/Malayan for the fourth and final playoff slot.

Lyceum, Letran maintain winning pace

San Sebastian did not let the RK Ilagan investigation bother them one bit in their matchup against Mapua, kicking off Tuesday's collegiate tripleheader, 94-70.

The school had suspended Ilagan for the remainder of the first round, pending the result of a league investigation in the player's participation in a "ligang labas" before the season started.

In his absence, a couple of Golden Stags ably stepped up to fill the gap, as Alvin Capobres and Alex Desoyo took over in the second half against the Cardinals.

Capobres matched Mapua's entire third quarter with thirteen points, anchoring a 14-2 run to break the game open. The second-generation swingman finished with a career-high 21 points. Desoyo scored all twelve of his points in the second half, with ten of them coming in the final period.

Allyn Bulanadi was a steady presence for San Sebastian with fourteen points, six rebounds, five assists, and a steal, while JM Calma completed the cast of double figure scorers with eleven points.

Cedric Pelayo led Mapua with fifteen points, while Laurenz Victoria added thirteen points.

Lyceum remained undefeated in NCAA Season 94, defeating College of Saint Benilde, 77-65 to extend their winning streak to seven matches.

Reigning league Most Valuable Player CJ Perez scored eight points in a 13-0 run late in the third quarter to allow the Pirates to break away from the Blazers. He would finish with a game-high 22 points, while also padding the stat sheet with twelve rebounds and five steals.

Mike Harry Nzeusseu added sixteen points, thirteen rebounds, an assist and five blocks, while Jaycee Marcelino and MJ Ayaay combined for 25 points off the bench.

After CSB gave them fits early on, head coach Topex Robinson shared to the media after the game, "There’s always going to be a challenge. There’s always going to come a time where we have to push ourselves to the limit and do our best and I’m glad my boys didn’t give up on this one."

Justin Gutang and Edward Dixon led CSB with thirteen points each, while Yankie Haruna added twelve markers. They drop to 2-4 this season.

Completing the collegiate tripleheader was Letran's 88-70 victory over Arellano. Seven Knights combined to score all but four of their points against the Chiefs, as they once again rode on their inside dominance to secure their fourth straight victory.

Anchoring their assault in the paint is Larry Muyang, who led Letran with sixteen points and ten rebounds, while Christian Fajarito, Bong Quinto, and Jeo Ambohot combined for thirty points and 23 rebounds. Jerrick Balanza scored eight of his fourteen points in the third quarter to anchor their breakaway, while JP Calvo netted thirteen points, four rebounds, and six assists.

Michael Canete scored a game-high 23 points to lead Arellano in the loss, dropping them to 2-3.

The scores:

San Sebastian 94 – Capobres 21, Bulanadi 14, Desoyo 12, Calma 11, Valdez 9, Calisaan 8, Isidro 7, Dela Cruz 7, Sumoda 4, Arciaga 1, Villapando 0, Are 0, Baytan 0

Mapua 70 – Pelayo 15, Victoria 13, Bunag 8, Bonifacio 7, Jabel 7, Lugo 7, Gamboa 7, Biteng 3, Carandang 3, Aguirre 0, Serrano 0, Garcia 0, Salenga 0, Bautista 0

Quarterscores: 24-16, 41-40, 70-53, 94-70

Lyceum 77 – Perez 22, Nzeusseu 16, Marcelino JC 14, Ayaay 11, Caduyac 6, Marcelino JV 5, Pretta 3, Tansingco 0, Serrano 0, Ibanez 0, Cinco 0, Santos 0, Valdez 0, Yong 0
CSB 65 – Gutang 13, Dixon 13, Haruna 12, Leutcheu 8, Pasturan 8, Young 7, Carlos 4, Naboa 0, Velasco 0, Domingo 0, Belgica 0

Quarterscores: 20-21, 34-31, 56-51, 77-65

Letran 88 – Muyang 16, Balanza 14, Calvo 13, Quinto 11, Fajarito 11, Batiller 11, Ambohot 8, Mandreza 2, Agbong 2, Balagasay 0, Taladua 0, Yu 0, Celis 0

Arellano 70 – Canete 23, Alcoriza 13, Dela Cruz 11, Alban 8, Villoria 7, Concepcion 6, Dela Torre 2, Sera Josef 0, Ongolo Ongolo 0, Santos 0, Bayla 0, Sacramento 0, Codinera 0, Segura 0

Quarterscores: 16-17; 37-36; 66-55; 88-70

ASEAN Zonal Champs to be determined today

Curt Dizon

The AFC Cup ASEAN Zonal Champions will be determined tonight at the Jalan Besar Stadium, as Ceres-Negros FC travel to the Singapore to face Home United for the second leg of their final.

It was only a week ago that Isaka Cernak's 23rd minute header cancelled out Blake Powell's penalty conversion at Pana-ad Park and Stadium in Bacolod, with the Singapore Premier League side happily taking their away goal advantage back home for the return fixture.

Even with the away goal disadvantage, the Busmen are unfazed, noting that they managed a 1-1 draw against them in their last meeting at JBS back in February.  They also managed to bounce back from a first leg defeat to this same team last year, before defeating them 3-2 on aggregate.

The game will be shown LIVE on Fox Sports 1 with pregame discussion just before the 730pm kickoff.

The winner will be set to travel to Pyongyang to face 4.25 in the Inter-Zonal Semifinal.

JP Maguliano snaps up Player of the Week nod

In need of a spark, Ariel Sison dug deep into his bench that could lead to their breakthrough win in NCAA Season 94, and Emilio Aguinaldo College luckily found a diamond in the rough.

JP Maguliano showed out for the Generals last week in their 79-77 overtime win over San Sebastian, just days after being benched against San Beda earlier this week.

The Adamson transfer poured thirty points and seventeen rebounds in the victory, which netted him the Chooks-to-Go NCAA Press Corps Player of the Week nod, beating out CJ Perez, Bong Quinto, Javee Mocon and Robert Bolick.

The 19-year old Isabela native was a walk-on transfer, after he struggled balancing the student-athlete life with the Soaring Falcons. His path to find himself led him to nearby Emilio Aguinaldo College.

He shared to the media after the game, "Nawawalan na ako ng pag-asa kasi magtthird year nap o ako sa Adamson nun, nagkakabagsak pa ako. Parang wala ng patutunguhan." He adds, "Sabi ko, mag-tryout ako sa EAC. Pag pinalad, magffocus na ako dito.”

Maguliano hopes that this breakout performance is the start of a blossoming career in San Marcelino with EAC.

Lyceum, Letran seek to distance from the NCAA pack

Lyceum is set on extending their winning run to seven matches in the NCAA as they face off against the College of Saint Benilde later this afternoon.

The Pirates are fresh from defeating Perpetual Help last Friday, and are looking to extend the struggles of the Blazers at 2pm. They have literally run rougshod across their opposition, scoring a league-high 91 points per game while just allowing 76 points, which is good enough for fourth in the league.

The latter is something head coach Topex Robinson has been making an emphasis on this season, noting that "We'd like to press the energy out of every team we face."

Meanwhile, CSB is fresh from a painful defeat against Letran last Thursday, and another loss would put them further behind the pack in the league.

Speaking of the Knights, they face off against Arellano at 4pm, with the Jeff Napa-coached side seeking to solidify their hold on third place with a win.

Buoyed by an inspired performance at their home gym last Thursday, Letran will look to continue using their playbook of imposing their height advantage.

As for the Chiefs, a victory later puts them on level terms with the Knights in third place.

The other collegiate matchup is a noontime clash between Mapua and San Sebastian, with both sides smarting off losses last Friday and are also looking to keep themselves treading above water this season.

San Beda, Lyceum remain unscathed

The NCAA Season 94 collegiate tripleheader that took place last Friday at the Filoil Flying V Centre was mainly highlighted by San Beda and Lyceum maintaining their unblemished records this season.

The Red Lions secured their fourth straight win by defeating Mapua, 88-70, as Javee Mocon emerged from his slump to pound the Cardinals with 22 points and sixteen rebounds, as well as four assists and three steals. He took over in the third quarter, nearly matching Mapua's output in the period in allowing the defending champions to pull away and secure the win.

Donald Tankoua added seventeen points and seven rebounds, while Robert Bolick contributed eleven points and eight assists.

The loss spoiled true freshman Warren Bonifacio's best offensive outing, as the former Red Robin scored nineteen points.

Later that afternoon, Lyceum extended their winning streak to six games, dispatching Perpetual Help, 91-77.

Last season's Most Valuable Player CJ Perez dominated the Altas, scoring 26 points and grabbing ten rebounds, as he and Jaycee Marcelino took over the final quarter to hold on to the victory after the lead was reduced to three early on in the period.

Prince Eze led Perpetual with twenty points and 18 rebounds, while true freshman Jielo Razon added nineteen markers.

Sandwiched between the two games, Emilio Aguinaldo College finally got into the win column, as they needed five more minutes to dispatch San Sebastian, 79-77.

Adamson transfer JP Maguliano stepped up for the Generals with thirty points and seventeen rebounds. His putback kickstarted a 6-0 run to close out the game, and snatch the victory away from the Golden Stags.

The scores:

San Beda 88 – Mocon 22, Tankoua 17, Bolick 11, Oftana 10, Canlas 9, Doliguez 6, Tongco 6, Nelle 5, Eugene 2, Carino 0, Cuntapay 0

Mapua 70 – Bonifacio 19, Pelayo 15, Lugo 8, Serrano 7, Gamboa 6, Victoria 5, Jabel 5, Bunag 2, Aguirre 2, Salenga 1, Biteng 0, Pajarillo 0, Carandang 0

Quarterscores: 30-17; 46-42; 68-58; 88-70

EAC 79 – Magullano 30, Laminou 13, Garcia 13, Gonzales 7, Mendoza 4, Bugarin 4, Bautista 2, Cruz 2, Diego 2, Robin 2, Tampoc 0, Natividad 0

San Sebastian 77 – Calisaan 23, Bulanadi 14, Capobres 13, Dela Cruz 8, Villapando 7, Calma 7, Sumoda 4, Valdez 1, Are 0, Baytan 0, Desoyo 0, Arciaga 0

Quarterscores: 12-19; 28-37; 48-55; 69-69; 79-77 (OT)

Lyceum 91 -- Perez 26, Jc. Marcelino 20, Pretta 9, Caduyac 8, Ayaay 6, Santos 6, Jv. Marcelino 4, Nzeusseu 4, Tansingco 4, Ibanez 2, Valdez 2, Serrano 0, Yong 0.

Perpetual Help 77 -- Eze 20, Razon 19, Charcos 16, Aurin 12, Peralta 7, Mangalino 3, Coronel 0, Cuevas 0, Pasia 0.

Quarters: 21-18, 48-38, 68-59, 91-77.

Miras named as Azkals Advertising Manager

Jun Miras, the new Advertising Manager
for the Philippine Azkals

The Azkals, in its continued bid to maintain a high profile in the sporting landscape here in the country, has tapped Melchor Miras, Jr. as their Advertising Manager.

As the Advertising Manager, Miras is tasked with the further marketing and promotion of Senior Men's National Football Team, in coordination with team management's other partners, whether current or in the pipeline. Jun will be working directly with team management on this aspect. He also will work with the Azkals' social media team in helping the team become more visible to even more people across the country, whether online or on the road.

Miras is currently the Chairman of one of the largest advertising companies in the Philippines, Media Puzzle Inc. (MPI). MPI specializes in Out-Of-Home media, and one of their portfolios is being the sole advertising manager alongside the entire MRT-3 route along EDSA.

When asked about the hire, Azkals Team Manager Dan Palami shares, "Jun is a great addition to our team,” Team Manager Dan Palami said. “We want the Azkals to be around and in people’s consciousness even when there are no immediate matches. Of course, the funds we can generate through advertising will also be very important for our campaigns in the Suzuki Cup, Asian Cup, and beyond.

Butcher steps down from Azkals coaching duties

The Azkals' preparations for their two major competitions hit a snag early Friday morning, as Terry Butcher's tenure as the team's head coach ends before it can really begin.

The former England international relayed his decision to step down in a statement handed to the Press Association Sport.

You can read the complete statement from this post by Press Association's Simon Peach.

Terry Butcher's explanation as to why he will not be taking up his first role in international management with the Philippines 🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/vLWbF2G0EL

— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) August 2, 2018

The Philippine Football Federation has yet to comment on this matter, but Team Manager Dan Palami shared his sentiments to the Philippine Daily Inquirer's Cedelf Tupas.

@TheAzkalsPH manager @dscpalami on Terry Butcher's withdrawal from Azkals head coaching job. Former Thai Premier League champion coach Scott Cooper to handle the team for the meantime. Next Azkals camp will be in Bahrain starting Sept. 3. pic.twitter.com/Iz3au2Z2oZ

— Cedelf P. Tupas (@cedelfptINQ) August 2, 2018

It was only fifty days ago when the team management officially unveiled the hiring of Butcher as the head coach, doing so hours before the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The announcement was made alongside their decision to also name Scott Cooper as a senior football adviser.

As noted from Palami, Cooper now takes over the program as they continue preparations for the AFF Suzuki Cup in November and the AFC Asian Cup in January. They are expected to have a camp in Bahrain exactly a month from now

San Beda, Lyceum winning streaks on the line

Games today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

8am: San Beda vs Mapua/Malayan (HS)
10am: San Sebastian vs EAC-ICA (HS)
12nn San Beda vs Mapua
2pm San Sebastian vs EAC
4pm Lyceum vs Perpetual
6pm Lyceum vs Perpetual (HS)

Current pacesetters San Beda and Lyceum seek to retain their spotless records against separate opposition in two of the six matches set to take place today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

The defending champions kick off the collegiate tripleheader at noon today against Mapua, with the Cardinals seeking to snap the Red Lions' three game winning run.

As for the Pirates, serving as the obstacle in their attempt to extend their winning streak to six matches is Perpetual Help, with the Altas seeking to join the Knights with potentially their third win in four matches.

Sandwiched between the two games is the matchup between San Sebastian and Emilio Aguinaldo College at  2pm. The Generals have yet to secure a victory this season, but all four of their losses were of the close variety

In the high school division, kicking off their tripleheader sees the Red Cubs attempt to break into .500 with a win over the Red Robins at 8am, followed by the Staglets against the Brigadiers of EAC-ICA at 10am.

Capping off the six-game aggregate bill is the matchup between the Junior Pirates and the Junior Altas at 6pm.

Letran secures NCAA on Tour split

#NCAASeason94 Standings

Games today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

8am: San Beda vs Mapua/Malayan (HS)
10am: San Sebastian vs EAC-ICA (HS)
12nn San Beda vs Mapua
2pm San Sebastian vs EAC
4pm Lyceum vs Perpetual
6pm Lyceum vs Perpetual (HS)

Playing in their home gym, Colegio de San Juan de Letran made sure that things are better the second time around, as they stymied College of Saint Benilde, 64-60, in the fourth stop of the NCAA on Tour this season yesterday afternoon.

The Knights rode on their defense late in the fourth quarter, as they held the Blazers scoreless in the final 3:27 of the game, completing the comeback from a three-point deficit to snatch a four-point victory by scoring the final seven points.

Bonbon Batiller tied things up at 60-all after converting what turned out to be Letran's only successful three-pointer with 2:57 remaining. Bong Quinto, who along with Larry Muyang carried the Knights in the first half, would score his only points in the final period off a fadeaway jumper with 82 seconds left on the clock, giving Letran the lead for good.

The Blazers had their chances to even things up or go ahead, but they botched an attempted fastbreak immediately after the Quinto basket three seconds later. After a Quinto miss, Unique Naboa misses a three-pointer with 47 seconds remaining. They also were unable to secure the rebound after two JP Calvo misses from the free throws line with 32 seconds left, as Calvo himself would be able to secure the offensive rebound and pass it to Jerrick Balanza with 27 seconds left.

Balanza would make the foul shots to make it a two-possession game.

After a timeout, Letran's defense forces CSB to take too much time off the clock, as the Blazers muffed three-point attempts from Edward Dixon and Carlo Young before time expired.

Quinto finished with a game-high seventeen points, while adding six rebounds and an assist. Larry Muyang added ten points, four rebounds, a steal, and a couple of assists, while CSB transfer Christian Fajarito overcame first half foul trouble to contribute a double-double with ten points and eleven rebounds.

Yankie Haruna came off the bench to lead CSB in scoring with thirteen points, five rebounds, and an assist. Clement Leutcheu added ten points, seven rebounds, five assists, and a steal for the Blazers.

Letran now totes a 3-1 record, good for solo third place. CSB drops into a tie with San Sebastian at 2-3.

In the first part of the doubleheader, defending champions La Salle-Greenhills spoiled Letran's homecoming, 82-66.

Sydney Mosqueda led the Greenies with a game-high nineteen points, five rebounds and three assists, while Joshua David and Joel Cagulangan combined for 25 points as LSGH takes the roost atop the High School division with their fourth win in five games.

Shawn Umali was the only Squire to score in double figures with eleven points, seven rebounds, and a couple of assists. Letran drops to the cellar alongside EAC-ICA at 1-3.

The scores:

La Salle-Greenhills 82 – Mosqueda 19, David 14, Cagulangan 11, Calimag 8, Cortez 8, Sangco 6, Fornilos 6, Palencia 4, Lao 3, Lopez 2, Morales 1, Natividad 0, Arciaga 0, Valenzuela 0, Lepalam 0

Letran 66 – Umali 11, Culanay 9, Saure 8, Tabajen 8, Miranda 6, Tolentino 5, Romenez 4, Guarino 4, Argente 3, Santiago 3, Yanes 2, Omega 2, Lontok 1, Tibayan 0, Caugiran 0

Quarterscores: 15-11, 31-35, 60-47, 82-66

Letran 64 – Quinto 17, Muyang 10, Fajarito 10, Batiller 8, Calvo 6, Yu 4, Balanza 2, Ambohot 2, Taladua 2, Mandreza 2, Celis 1, Balagasay 0, Agbong 0

CSB 60 – Haruna 13, Leutcheu 10, Gutang 8, Dixon 8, Naboa 5, Velasco 5, Young 4, Domingo 3, Pasturan 2, Carlos 2

Quarterscores: 13-17; 25-31; 43-44; 64-60

NCAA on Tour heads to Letran

Games this afternoon against College of Saint Benilde inside the Letran Gym in Intramuros

2pm HS vs La Salle-Greenhills
4pm College

The NCAA on Tour heads to its fourth of five stops this season, with an afternoon doubleheader at Muralla in Intramuros, as the College of Saint Benilde visits Letran.

Both teams are fresh from grounding Jose Rizal University, with the Knights pounding them last Friday, 74-58, and the Blazers last Tuesday, 81-66.

For the hosts, this is a chance to keep themselves within close distance from pace-setting Lyceum and San Beda, who are still undefeated.

Head coach Jeff Napa hopes that the team can continue to impose their size against the Blazers, who can keep them in check thanks to Clement Leutcheu.

The big man from Cameroon is fresh from pasting the Heavy Bombers with twenty points and fourteen rebounds.

Ty Tang thinks that the outcome will be much different this time, after these two clashed in last year's edition at the same venue for the initial run of the NCAA on Tour. A win for the visitors would allow them to break a three-way tie with Arellano and forge a virtual tie for third place alongside idle Perpetual.

To kick things off in the afternoon doubleheader, La Salle-Greenhills seek to secure solo leadership in the High School tournament as they face the Squires at 2pm. A win for the defending champions will move them past Arellano and Mapua/Malayan atop the standings. All three teams tote a 3-1 record.

The Squires, on the other hand, have a chance to move back up to .500 if they can pull off the upset at home.