Nine Filipinos set for YOG participation

As shared by the POC Media

IT’S on to the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Dakar for nine young athletes aged no older than 17 seeing action in the games’ fourth edition set October 31 to November 13.

“They are the future Olympians, future world champions and the Dakar YOG will provide them the platform to follow the footsteps of the Diazes and Yulos,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, referring to the country’s Olympic gold medalists Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo and Carlos Yulo.

Carrying the country’s colors in Dakar are Pi Durden Wangkay (men’s 200m) and Naomi Marjorie Caesar (women’s 800m) in athletics, Jamesray Mishael Ajido (men’s 100m butterfly) and Riannah Chantelle Coleman (women’s 100m breaststroke) in aquatics, Maritanya Krog (women's road and individual time trial) in cycling, Tchelzy Maayo and Hillarion Palles III in artistic gymnastics, Angel Polo (women's Taijiquan combined) in wushu and Jade Justiniane in windsurfing of sailing.

Philippine Taekwondo Association secretary-general Rocky Samson is the Chef de Mission to the YOG that are also staged every four years (Singapore 2010, Nanjing 2014 and Buenos Aires 2018) line the Summer Olympics—the Dakar edition is the first time that an Olympics event is being held on African soil.

The YOG come off the heels of the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games where the country posted an improved performance with four gold, nine silver and 16 bronze medals, and before the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Riyadh from December 13 to 21.

The Philippines has so far two medals in the YOG—Luis Gabriel Moreno won a gold medal in mixed international team event of archery with China’s Li Jiaman in Nanjing and Christian Tio silver in boys’ twin-tip racing of kiteboarding.

Some 2,700 athletes from more than 200 National Olympic Committees, including a Youth Refugee Olympic Team, are seeing action in 25 competition and 10 engagement sports.

UAAP issues suspension on Paul Du

c/o UAAP Media Team

The UAAP Basketball Commissioner’s Office has suspended National University assistant coach Paul Du from all basketball-related activities (5-on-5 and 3x3 for all divisions) for the remainder of Season 89 following an incident involving University of Santo Tomas assistant coach Arsenio Dysangco.

The suspension stems from an incident during the post-game handshake line after NU’s game against UST on Saturday, October 10, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Du delivered a forceful elbow to Dysangco, causing the UST coach to fall to the floor and require medical attention.

The suspension takes effect immediately and will remain in place until the official end of the season. 

The Commissioner's Office also acknowledges that there may be additional sanctions imposed by the UAAP Board.

National University can appeal the decision.

UE Men's Basketball losing streak now at 26 games

c/o UAAP Media Team

Games on Wednesday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum
10 a.m. – UST vs FEU (Women)
12 p.m. – NU vs UE (Women)
3 p.m. – UST vs FEU (Men)
5:30 p.m. – AdU vs UP (Men)

Adamson University bucked a horrid third quarter to hold off University of the East, 71-64, and extend the Red Warriors’ winless run in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Soaring Falcons, who averaged just 68.75 points in their first four outings, exploded for 54 points in the first half, with Matt Erolon, Ray Allen Torres, and Mathew Montebon all reaching double figures.

However, Adamson went cold in the third period, scoring just three points as UE trimmed what was once a 22-point deficit to eight heading into the fourth quarter, 57-49.

Fortunately for the Soaring Falcons, their offense came alive again in the final frame. They immediately scored six points in the first minute and eight seconds to restore a comfortable 63-49 cushion.

“We weren’t really surprised with how UE played in the second half because I always remind my players that UE is also due for a win. They’ve been playing a lot better the last three games… So I’m really challenging our players to do a lot better,” said Adamson head coach Nash Racela.

“I think we played really really soft in the third… Wala umatras na lang ako. I didn’t coach them in the fourth quarter. Alam naman nila ‘yung dapat gawin and they responded positively,” he added.

The Red Warriors could only get within seven points the rest of the way as they suffered their 26th consecutive defeat dating back to Season 87 in 2024.

Another loss would match the league’s second-longest losing streak of 27 games, set by the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons from Seasons 75 to 77 (2012 to 2014).

Meanwhile, the Soaring Falcons returned to the win column to improve to a 3-2 record.

Torres led Adamson with 17 points, three rebounds, and three assists, while Nigerian big man Precious Jonah added 14 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and one block.

Erolon finished with 12 points, all in the first half, while Earl Medina contributed 11 points on a perfect three-of-three shooting clip from beyond the arc.

The Soaring Falcons face a tough schedule to close out the first round, taking on the finalists from the past three seasons. They will face the UP Fighting Maroons on Wednesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum before battling the De La Salle Green Archers next Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym.

Despite UE’s continued struggles, sophomore Tope Lagat remained impressive, posting 22 points, four rebounds, two steals, and one block in the loss.

The Red Warriors will close out the first round against UP on Saturday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The Scores:

AdU 71 — Torres 17, Jonah 14, Erolon 12, Medina 11, Montebon 10, Anabo 6, Cañete 1, Edding 0, Mangaron 0, Pacquiao 0, Tumaneng 0, Demisana 0, Perez 0, Cruz-Dumont 0.

UE 64 — Lagat 22, Robles 12, Jimenez 6, Edoukou 5, Tañedo 4, Vasquez, Cruz-Dumont 4, Dungca 4, Sabroso 2, Javier 2, Carillo 0, Santos 0.

Quarterscores: 24-14, 54-32, 57-49, 71-64.

Back-to-back wins for the Lady Falcons in UAAP Women's Basketball

c/o UAAP Media Team

Games on Wednesday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum
10 a.m. – UST vs FEU (Women)
12 p.m. – NU vs UE (Women)
3 p.m. – UST vs FEU (Men)
5:30 p.m. – AdU vs UE (Men)

Adamson University cruised past the University of the East, 67-50, to notch its second straight win in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

After opening their campaign with losses to Season 88 finalists University of Santo Tomas and National University, the Lady Falcons bounced back with consecutive victories to improve to 2-2. Meanwhile, the Lady Red Warriors remained winless at 0-3.

“Nakukuha na namin ‘yung flow ng offense namin and we are seeing glimpses on how we want to play already, especially ‘nung last game namin,” Adamson second-year head coach Jed Colonia said. “We just wanted to play with our identity, which is the running game and not too much of a half-court game. I think more of a call for consistency for the team kasi it wasn’t the smoothest game for us kaya, we have to do better.”

Holding a slim 13-10 lead, Adamson closed the opening quarter with a 7-2 run, capped by Trix Burgos’ layup to extend its advantage to eight, 20-12.

The Lady Falcons maintained a double-digit lead for much of the second quarter before UE mounted a 10-2 run, punctuated by Sy Oñate’s triple to cut the deficit to five, 35-30. However, Elaine Etang and Kim Limbago responded with timely baskets to restore Adamson’s eight-point cushion at halftime, 38-30.

Adamson tightened its defense in the third quarter, limiting UE to just 11 points to carry a 12-point advantage into the final frame, 53-41.

The Lady Falcons put the game further out of reach in the fourth quarter, unleashing a 10-2 run capped by Etang’s fastbreak layup to stretch the lead to 16, 65-49, with just over two minutes remaining.

Nadine Muñoz then put the finishing touches on the victory, converting a layup off Limbago’s inbound pass to seal Adamson’s second consecutive win.

Adamson dominated the boards, outrebounding UE, 54-35. The Lady Falcons also made the most of their transition offense, scoring 16 fastbreak points compared to just two for the Lady Red Warriors.

“We just took good shots, even if we weren’t making them kaya we got second chance opportunities off from those. We were also making stops from the defensive end, kaya nakukuha namin ‘yung bola,” Colonia said. “‘Yun naman talaga ang bread and butter namin.”

Etang led the Lady Falcons with a game-high 15 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, while Muñoz contributed 12 points and three rebounds.

Nigerian big Kemi Adeshima bounced back from a subpar outing in Adamson's previous game against UP with a double-double of 11 points and 16 rebounds.

For UE, Rachel Lacayanga was the lone double-digit scorer with 12 points and five rebounds, while Moana Vacalares added nine points.

The Lady Falcons will look to extend their winning streak against De La Salle University on Sunday, October 18, at noon at the Blue Eagle Gym. Meanwhile, UE will aim to snap its winless run against National University on Wednesday, October 14, at noon at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

The Scores:

Adamson 67 – Etang 15, Muñoz 12, Adeshima 11, Burgos 8, Apag 6, Limbago 5, Meniano 5, Mazo 3, Medina 2, Bajo 0, Cortez 0, Villaester 0, Carcallas 0, Tano 0.

UE 50 – Lacayanga 12, Vacalares 9, Ronquillo 8, Oñate 6, Dublar 5, Guillim 4, Buscar 3, Lumibao 3, Cruz 0, Sajol 0, Dalguntas 0.

Quarterscores: 20-12, 38-30, 53-41, 67-50.

Ateneo dominates FEU to return to .500 in UAAP Women's Basketball

c/o UAAP Media Team

UAAP Season 89 Women’s Basketball Standings
UST 3-0
NU 2-1
FEU 2-1
Ateneo 2-2
DLSU 1-2
UP 1-2
AdU 1-2
UE 0-2

Games Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena
8 a.m. – NUNS vs UE (16U)
10 a.m. – AdU vs UE (Women)
12 p.m. – UP vs DLSU (Women)
2:30 p.m. – AdU vs UE (Men)
6 p.m. – UP vs DLSU (Men)

Ateneo de Manila University handed Far Eastern University its first loss of the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament, scoring an 88-66 victory on Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

After opening the season with back-to-back defeats, the Blue Eagles have bounced back with two consecutive wins to climb to solo fourth in the standings. The Lady Tamaraws, meanwhile, dropped to a tie for second with National University at 2-1.

“Well, ‘yung main priority ko after ‘yung 0-2 start namin was their confidence. I kept reminding them na start pa lang ng season and we had top teams in front of us in our first two games,” said Ateneo head coach PJ Navarro. “Kailangan na ‘yung mindset namin next couple of games is mas focused kami.”

Ateneo seized control early, outscoring FEU, 25-16, in the opening quarter to establish a nine-point lead.

The Blue Eagles continued to dictate the pace in the second period, stretching their advantage to as many as 12 points as the Lady Tamaraws struggled to find their shooting touch. FEU converted just one of its 15 attempts from beyond the arc in the first half.

Ateneo maintained its momentum after the break, extending its lead to 19 points heading into the final quarter.

FEU's struggles continued in the fourth, with Victoria Pasilang fouling out with less than four minutes remaining as the Blue Eagles built a commanding 85-60 advantage.

“Nagagawa ni Kacey [Dela Rosa] ‘yung part niya. Para mas lumakas kami, siguro gagawin rin namin ‘yung role namin as players para mas lumakas ‘yung team,” said Seng Calago, who recorded a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Dela Rosa led all scorers with 25 points and 16 rebounds, adding six steals and two blocks for another dominant all-around performance. Alyssa Rodriguez chipped in 10 points.

The Blue Eagles held FEU to just one three-pointer on 29 attempts. Despite committing 31 turnovers, Ateneo also dominated the boards, outrebounding the Lady Tamaraws, 54-33.

Ateneo will next face defending champion University of Santo Tomas at the Quadricentennial Pavilion on Saturday, October 17.

Meanwhile, Amyah Espanol and Victoria Pasilang, Dela Rosa's teammates in the 3x3 tournament of the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where Gilas Pilipinas captured the silver medal, led FEU with 19 and 14 points, respectively. Shane Salvani added 11.

The Lady Tamaraws will look to bounce back against the undefeated Growling Tigresses at the SMART Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, October 14.

The Scores:

Ateneo 88 - Dela Rosa 25, Calago 11, Rodriguez 10, De Luna 9, Oani 9, Makanjuola 8, Cancio 7, H. Lopez 6, Cruza 3, Subejano 0, L. Lopez 0, Udal 0, Hagedorn 0.

FEU 66 - Espanol 19, Pasilang 14, Salvani 11, Patio 6, Lopez 4, Manguiat 4, Dela Torre 2, Kant 2, Melvida 2, Gavaran 2, Agcambot 0.

Quarterscores: 25-16, 45-38, 71-52, 88-66.

UST remains undefeated after blowout of women's basketball rival NU

c/o UAAP Media Team

 

Games Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena
8 a.m. – NUNS vs UE (16U Boys)
10 a.m. – AdU vs UE (Women)
12 p.m. – UP vs DLSU (Women)
2:30 p.m. – AdU vs UE (Men)
6 p.m. – UP vs DLSU (Men)

Defending champion University of Santo Tomas made quick work of National University, 90-66, to remain unbeaten in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

The Growling Tigresses continued where they left off in the Season 88 Finals, when they reclaimed the crown from the Lady Bulldogs in a three-game series.

UST and NU have faced each other in each of the last three finals series of the women’s basketball tournament.

The reigning champions improved to 3-0 in the standings, handing the Lady Bulldogs their first loss of the season.

“I think in this first test, na-prove naman nila,” said UST assistant coach Jude Anthony Paulite.

“If it’s to speak of the effort of the girls, their effort started five days ago when we started preparing for this game. Today, they gave their almost perfect effort and I think it showed on the scoreboard,” he added.

The Growling Tigresses closed the first half with a 15-4 run to build a 17-point lead, with Oma Onianwa already recording a double-double before the break.

UST maintained its double-digit advantage entering the final period, as its towering frontline limited the Lady Bulldogs’ production in the paint.

The Growling Tigresses continued to pull away in the fourth quarter, stretching their lead to as many as 27 points to seal the victory.

“I’m grateful to my coaches and my teammates because I didn’t do this alone. Past games, I didn’t perform well, and then they reminded me of who I am and what I’m supposed to do,” said Onianwa, who finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks.

Five Growling Tigresses scored in double figures, with Karylle Sierba matching Onianwa’s 17-point output while adding four rebounds and two steals.

Agatha Bron chipped in 14 points, while Coi Danganan and Erinn McAlary contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively.

UST will look to preserve its unbeaten record when it takes on Far Eastern University on Wednesday, October 14, at the same venue.

Ann Pingol led the Lady Bulldogs with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Marga Villanueva paced the team in scoring with 12 points.

Cielo Pagdulagan added 11 points, while Aloha Betanio contributed 10.

NU, meanwhile, will aim to bounce back when it faces the University of the East next Wednesday.

The Scores:

UST 90 – Onianwa 17, Sierba 17, Bron 14, C. Danganan 13, McAlary 11, Santos 6, Ambos 5, Relliquette 3, Maglupay 2, Dajao 2, Boteros 0, Pescador 0, K. Danganan 0, Wenceslao 0, Tate 0.

NU 66 – Villanueva 12, Pingol 11, Pagdulagan 11, Betanio 10, Cayabyab 6, Lapasaran 5, Rosano 4, Solis 4, Garcia 2, Alba 1, Alterado 0.

Quarterscores: 21-14, 47-30, 69-50, 90-66

FEU-DIliman kickstarts UAAP U16 second round with nail-biter over La Salle-Zobel

c/o UAAP Media Team

UAAP Season 89 Junior High School Boys’ Basketball Standings
NUNS 7-0
FEU-D 6-2
UE 5-2
DLSZ 5-3
UST 3-4
UPIS 2-5
AdU 1-6
Ateneo 0-7

Games Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena
8 a.m. – NUNS vs UE (16U)
10 a.m. – AdU vs UE (Women)
12 p.m. – UP vs DLSU (Women)
2:30 p.m. – AdU vs UE (Men)
6 p.m. – UP vs DLSU (Men)

Far Eastern University-Diliman asserted its dominance over De La Salle Zobel, 82-76, to claim its third straight win in the UAAP Season 89 16-and-under boys' basketball tournament on Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

With the victory, the Baby Tamaraws moved to solo second in the standings with a 6-2 record to open the second round, extending their winning streak to three games — the second-longest active streak in the tournament.

FEU-D had previously defeated DLSZ, 86-76, in the first round.

“Actually, very happy we’re in the number two spot right now. But we need to be better, and we need to increase our defensive stamina kasi mediyo nagco-collapse kami kapag nalalamangan kami,” said FEU-D head coach Muriel Garcia.

“Sabi ko sa mga player ko, keep your composure. Masyado kasing mainit yung Rye Villaruz at Enzo Purugganan. Gradually, na-adjust namin ‘yung defensive scheme namin, pero ready naman kami doon,” he added.

Nicus Calma spearheaded the Baby Tamaraws' early surge, putting the Junior Archers in a 20-15 hole before DLSZ mounted a late second-quarter comeback.

With two minutes left in the first half, Enzo Purugganan took charge of a 12-2 run that erased a 10-point deficit and sent the Junior Archers into the break tied with the Baby Tamaraws.

Both teams continued to trade baskets in a tightly contested third quarter, with FEU-D holding a two-point lead in the closing seconds. Purugganan then drained a triple to swing the lead in La Salle's favor, 61-60, heading into the final frame.

FEU-D refused to back down, however, as Andres Cruz's layup with 1:46 remaining put the Baby Tamaraws back on top, 74-73.

The Baby Tams then closed the game with a decisive 10-0 run, holding the Junior Archers scoreless until Fonzie Mercado knocked down a triple with one second left as FEU-D sealed the 82-76 victory.

“Para sakin, pinractice naman namin ‘yun. Palagi naman sa isip ko. Lagi ko po yun ineensayo para sa laro, pagdating sa shooting, parang basic na lang,” said Calma, who shot 50 percent from the field in the win.

Calma led the Baby Tamaraws with 16 points, while Griffin Barlan posted a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Bernard Alsola added 11 points, including the dagger three-pointer that put the game away with 42 seconds remaining.

Cruz chipped in 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists.

FEU-Diliman will look to extend its winning streak when it faces Ateneo de Manila University next Thursday, October 15, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Junior Archers, who had previously won three straight games, dropped to fourth place with a 5-3 record.

Villaruz paced La Salle Zobel with a game-high 22 points and six rebounds, while Purugganan contributed 13 points and Mercado added 11.

The Junior Archers will seek their first win of the second round when they face the University of the Philippines Integrated School, also next Thursday.

The Scores:

FEU–D 82 - Calma 16, Barlan 13, Alsola 11, Cruz 10, Ira 8, Mampao 7, Samonte 6, Maghinay 5, Isip 3, Garcia 2, Madrigal 1.

DLSZ 76 - Villaruz 22, E. Purugganan 13, Mercado 11, Dizon 6, Quillo 6, Santiago 6, I. Purugganan 4, Enriquez 4, Paceno 2, Noel 2, Francisco 0.

Quarterscores: 20-15, 41-41, 60-61, 82-76.