National University takes 22nd straight win in UAAP women's basketball

National University extended its dominance in UAAP women's basketball to 22 straight games, manhandling winless University of the Philippines, 80-44, to kick off the quadruple-header at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The ladies of Pat Aquino muzzled leading Lady Maroon Bea Daez with their suffocating defense, limiting her to just one point.

Gemma Miranda led the now 6-0 defending champions with 13 points, while reigning MVP Afril Bernardino added 12 markers.

Janeena Tatel led UP with 12 points.

The University of the East followed up that NU win in the morning with a come-from-behind 75-65 overtime victory over the University of Santo Tomas.

Ruthlaine Tacula took over in the extension, scoring eight of her seventeen points to power the surprising Lady Warriors in the match-up.

Before Tacula's heroics, Eunique Chan and Chery Ano-os powered UE through the comeback. The former finished with a double-double performance (21 and 13 rebounds), while Ano-os ended up with an all-around thirteen-point, eight-rebound, six-assist performance.

Maica Cortes led UST with twelve points and eleven rebounds.

In the first afternoon matchup, La Salle continues to stay one step behind NU with a 75-57 triumph over Adamson.

Camille Claro led the Lady Archers with 17 points, as they pulled away in the second half against the Lady Falcons. The Season 76 champions almost doubled the output of their opponents, 45-26, in the final twenty minutes.

Jamie Alcoy led Adamson with 14 markers.

The final game of the day saw Ateneo escape with a 48-46 squeaker over fellow struggling Far Eastern University.

Hazelle Yam dazzled for the Lady Eagles with sixteen points, while Danica Jose contributed a double-double with seventeen points and eleven rebounds.

Clare Castro led last season's finalists with eighteen points, including a basket that got them to be just down by two points with two minutes remaining.

FEU had one final chance to tie the game, but Angel Arellado turned the ball over as time ran out for the ladies of Bert Flores.

NU (80) - Miranda 13, Bernardino 12, Gupilan 9, Abriam 9, Itesi 6, Riel 6, Animam 5, Antiquera 5, Sison 4, Paig 3, Harada 2, Layug 2, Tongco 1, Reyes 1, Del Carmen 1, Nabalan 1.

UP (44) – Tatel 12, Isip 11, Oliva 10, Medina 4, Esplana 4, Ordoveza 2, Daez 1, Rodas 0, Pesquera 0, Eder 0, Franco 0, Lapid 0, Cruz 0, Tan 0, Erquiaga 0.

Quarterscores: 15-7, 33-16, 60-27, 80-44.

UE (75) - Chan 21, Tacula 8, Ano-os 13, Sto. Domingo 8, Mendina 6, Taguiam 3, Bale 3, Francisco 2, Ramos 2.

UST (65) – Cortes 12, Angeles 8, Larosa 8, Isanan 8, Anies 8, Felisarta 7, Magdaluyo 5, Jerez 4, Pernia 3, Penaflor 2, Brillante 0, Portillo 0, Capilit 0, Gandalla 0, Rivera 0.

Quarterscores: 13-11, 19-28, 44-45, 64-64, 75-65.

La Salle (75) - Claro 17, Castillo 14, Abaca 13, Revillosa 8, Dagdagan 7, Vergara 5, Ong 4, Penaranda 3, Gonzales 2, Roxas 2, Vela 0, Pineda 0, Arciga 0, Oyao 0, Malarde 0.

Adamson (57) – Alcoy 14, Osano 10, Tacitac 10, Araja 8, Lacson 6, De Castro 4, Cochico 3, Ramillano 2, Generoso 0, Ido 0, Pingol 0, Tabanao 0.

Quarterscores: 10-11, 30-31, 57-42, 75-57.

Ateneo (48) - Jose 17, Yam 16, Go 5, Javier 3, Aseron 3, Guytingco 2, Posadas 2, Buendia 0, Nitorreda 0, Moslares 0, Deacon 0, Newsome 0, Tomita 0, Payac 0, Lamar 0.

FEU (46) – Castro 18, Ballecer 10, Adriano 5, Arellado 3, Ventura 2, Hortaleza 2, Quiapo 2, Baldonado 2, Okunlola 2, Abat 0, Mamaril 0, Payadon 0, Capua 0.

Quarterscores: 14-14, 32-23, 44-37, 48-46.

NU continues lead in UAAP HS volleyball eliminations

NU continues to impress in high school volleyball, as it remains atop both the girls and boys divisions in the UAAP High School volleyball tournament, as the second round kicked off during this past long holiday weekend.

The defending champions took out La Salle-Zobel, 25-18 25-21 and 21-15 to share the lead with UST. The Junior Tigresses dismantled UPIS, 25-14 25-10 and 25-15. Both teams tote a 6-1 record.

The Lady Spikers from Alabang did manage to notch a 25-17 25-13 25-21 win over FEU-Diliman to remain in third place at 5-3.

UE is at 4-4 after bowing to Adamson (25-22 25-17 25-15) and keeping UPIS winless (25-11 25-6 and 25-15).

Meanwhile, the Bullpups remained undefeated in the boys' division, after beating FEU-Diliman, 25-21 25-19 21-25 and 25-21.

Chasing them down are the reigning champions UE. The now 6-1 Junior Warriors manhandled UPIS, 25-9 25-13 and 25-13. Behind them are FEU-Diliman at 5-3, who did manage a 25-14 25-17 and 25-19 win over La Salle-Zobel to cancel out the loss to NU.

Season 77 runner-up Ateneo did manage to gain some ground on FEU-Diliman, after beating UST (25-18 18-25 25-20 16-25 and 15-12) and La Salle-Zobel (25-17 26-24 and 25-14). The Blue Eaglets are now tied with the Tiger Cubs in fourth with a 4-4 record.

Recap of September 20 matches in UAAP men's badminton

La Salle posted their second win this season, defeating Adamson, 4-1, in the UAAP men's badminton action at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.

Kenneth Monterubio kicked off the successful Green Shuttlers' campaign with a 21-13 and 21-19 victory over EJ Viloria in the first singles match. But the Falcon Shuttlers managed to equalize c/o Kevin Fabros, defeating Andrew Pineda, 21-18 and 21-17.

But it was in the doubles that La Salle was able to secure the win, as Gerald Sibayan and Anton Cayanan easily beating Viloria and Elben Concha, 21-15 and 21-16, which was followed by Jerickson Obaob and Cayel Pajarillo dominating over Joshua Antonio and Jeffrey Iquina, 21-6 and 21-14.

Capping the win is EJ Boac's triumph over Gerloth Delizo in the final singles, 21-14 and 21-13.

***

Ateneo bounced back from its opening day defeat with a 5-0 beat down of the University of the East.

Kicking off the sweep is Hanz Bernardo's victory over Andre Donesa in the first set of singles, 21-14 and 21-12, while Clarence Filart doubled things up with a 21-17 and 21-7 triumph over King Espiritu.

The doubles portion saw Bernardo and Carlo Remo clinch the win for the Blue Eagles against Arman Manlalangit and Kenneth Cruz, 21-19 and 21-7, while Fidez Bagasbas and Patrick Gecosala survived the Espiritu siblings, 30-28 and 21-13.

Capping the sweep for the Blue Shuttlers is Jan Mangubat's 21-15 and 21-13 result against Angelo David.

***
Also netting a sweep is UP, handily dismantling FEU.

Jon Masongsong beat Joshua Bernardo, 21-17 and 21-8, while Miggy Leonardo also took care of Josh Maquelabit, 21-16 and 21-14.

In the doubles, Joaquin Deato and CK Clemente teamed up to clinch the win for the Maroons, beating Jade Sarmiento and Vince Lagnada, 21-13 and 21-17. Roberto Pineda and Vinci Manuel managed to replicate that feat with a 21-18 and 21-13 triumph over Maquelabit and Rafael Dionisio.

Finishing the sweep off was a 21-17 and 21-19 decision from Jojo Malelang over Jacob Tercias.

***

Meanwhile, defending champions NU remain undefeated after their 4-1 win over UST.

Kevin Ferrer named as the Player of the Week

In spite of being under the weather, Kevin Ferrer stepped and probably played the game of his life for the University of Santo Tomas this past week, earning a ACCEL Quantum / 3XVI UAAP Press Corps Player of the Week, beating out FEU Tamaraws Mac Belo and Mike Tolomia, as well as Gelo Alolino of the defending champions NU for the honor.

In the Growling Tigers' lone game during the period, the Sinag standout poured a career-high 27 points to complement a 68-58 come-from-behind, comeback victory over Ateneo, allowing them to secure their fourth win in five games.

UST head coach Bong dela Cruz lauded Kevin, "This is Kevin Ferrer. You can’t question his heart. He played sick and he fought whatever he was feeling during the game." He added, "We were flat on defense in the first three quarters. Kevin huddled the team. They responded well."

Ferrer acknowledged that the loss to NU helped them. "We relaxed after we went 3-0. After we lost, we talked to each other to talk about what we did wrong. It helped us for this game."

Dela Cruz admitted that the team is not looking ahead to the Final Four. "It’s still too early. We just want to work hard every practice and every game. We accept whatever is the outcome. We are not a team, we are a family right now."

Gilas Pilipinas set for FIBA-Asia second round

The Philippines is set to kick off its second round campaign this afternoon against Japan in the FIBA-Asia Men's Championships in Changsha.

Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin acknowledged the team's lack of perfection, yet highlights that the team is expected to be able to meet the challenges posed by their respective opposition and go through to the knockout rounds.

Baldwin says, "We came here to make sure we make it to the second round, and we’re in the second round now. We need to do well in the second round to put ourselves in the quarterfinals. It’s all going to be tough games. We’re in a position to play these tough games."

He adds, "If erratic is the form that I was looking for, then we’re pretty well placed right there. But we’ve enough good positive enough to know that we can play well. We have high expectations for the next round and the remaining of the tournament. We got our job cut out for us, for the coaches, fir the players over the next several games. We expect to rise to that challenge."

The Filipinos will be coming in to Group E with a 1-1 record, bouncing back from a shocking 75-73 loss to Palestine with a 101-50 shellacking of Hong Kong. Their 110-64 demolition of Kuwait will not be taken into consideration into the second round, with the Gulf nation being eliminated after the first round of play.

They will play Japan later today at 4:45 pm, then face defending champions Iran tomorrow at 11:45 am. Their final game in the second round will be against India on Tuesday at 2:30 pm.

A top-four finish in Group E guarantees entry in the quarterfinals, wherein they will face a squad from Group F (China, Korea, Jordan, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, and Qatar).

Kiefer Ravena named as the UAAP Press Corps Player of the Week

When the chips are down, the Phenom picks it up.

And Kiefer Ravena showed that he earned that monicker, leading Ateneo to two wins last week to snag the Player of the Week nod from the UAAP Press Corps, beating out Bonbon Batiller and Raymar Jose for the weekly award.

The first win came against National University in dramatic fashion, after the second-generation star converted a game-tying triple with 5.3 seconds in regulation at 57-all, then helped force a second extension with a drive to tie the game at 62. He eventually finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in a hard-fought 74-70 double overtime win.

Ateneo head coach Bo Perasol, who finally managed to snatch his first win against NU in his Ateneo coaching career, admitted that they would not have gotten the victory over the defending champions if not for Kiefer's heroics.

The second win came against a game University of the East, as the Blue Eagles fended off a Warriors comeback in the final period for a 77-72 triumph. He would finish with fifteen points and just one rebound and one assist short of a triple-double.

National University keeps win streak in UAAP women's basketball

UAAP women's basketball standings:

NU 5-0
La Salle 4-1
UST 4-1
Adamson 3-2
UE 2-3
Ateneo 1-4
FEU 1-4
UP 0-5

Scheduled games this Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym:

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

The streak is now twenty-one.

National University extended its winning run in UAAP women's basketball on Wednesday, surviving a pesky University of the East, 66-63 in the opening match of the quadruple-header at the Blue Eagle Gym.

Down by twenty with over eight minutes left in the final quarter, the Lady Warriors rode on Cherry Ano-os, Eunique Chan, and Glozelle Bale to cut that lead to as low as one point, which happened twice in the final minute.

After a Shelley Gupilan free throw with 19 seconds remaining made it 65-63 for the defending champions, Bale missed a lead-changing three-pointer with eleven seconds to go.

UE fouled Jack Animam, who split her charities for the final score of the game.

Reigning MVP Afril Bernardino led NU with thirteen points, eleven rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals, while her fellow national team stalwart Gupilan added twelve markers.

Ano-os and Chan each had 17 points to lead UE.

Chasing the defending champions are both La Salle and UST, both of which eked out close wins to secure their respective fourth wins this season.

The Lady Archers squeaked past Ateneo, 44-43, behind their effective perimeter sniping, particularly from Ana Castillo.

In contrast, the Tigresses rode on a 13-3 run to close out the final five minutes of their 70-67 win over Adamson. Kickstarting the run against the Lady Falcons were Jhenn Angeles and Maica Cortes, with the latter's bucket with 70 seconds left giving the lead back to UST for good, 69-67.

Capping the action in Loyola Heights is Bert Flores' first win as the head coach of FEU with a 46-38 defeat of UP, in a battle of the league's two cellar-dwellers. Precious Arellado's all-around performance of fifteen points, seven rebounds, and five assists led the charge for the Lady Tamaraws over the Lady Maroons.

Games will resume on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym.

NU (66) – Bernardino 13, Gupilan 12, Itesi 9, Animam 9, Nabalan 5, Abriam 4, Sison 4, Del Carmen 4, Antiquera 3, Tongco 2, Riel 1, Paig 0, Miranda 0, Reyes 0, Layug 0, Harada 0.
UE (63) – Ano-os 17, Chan 17, Sto. Domingo 9, Bale 9, Ramos 4, Mendina 3, Tacula 2, Nama 2, Taguiam 0, Francisco 0, Sampaga 0.
Quarterscores: 18-11, 33-19, 50-37, 66-63.

FEU (46) – Arellado 15, Ballecer 12, Ventura 7, Okunlola 5, Castro 2, Abat 2, Mamaril 2, Adriano 1, Quiapo 0, Hortaleza 0, Baldonado 0, Payadon 0, Capua 0.
UP (38) – Tatel 9, Daez 6, Esplana 6, Isip 5, Oliva 5, Medina 4, Rodas 3, Pesquera 0, Ordoveza 0, Franco 0, Eder 0, Lapid 0.
Quarterscores: 8-6, 17-14, 25-26, 46-38.

La Salle (44) – Castillo 11, Claro 8, Dagdagan 6, Penaranda 5, Abaca 4, Vergara 3, Revillosa 3, Ong 2, Roxas 2, Figueroa 0, Gonzales 0, Vela 0.
Ateneo (43) – Jose 14, Yam 9, Javier 5, Buendia 4, Go 3, Aseron 2, Tomita 2, Deacon 2, Guytingco 2, Nitorreda 0, Posadas 0, Payac 0, Moslares 0, Newsome 0.
Quarterscores: 16-10, 27-21, 39-35, 44-43.

UST (70) – Angeles 15, Larosa 14, Cortes 13, Felisarta 8, Penaflor 8, Magdaluyo 5, Anies 5, Jerez 2, Rivera 0, Brillante 0, Isanan 0.
Adamson (67) – Cochico 21, Tacitac 14, Alcoy 9, Osano 8, De Castro 4, Pingol 4, Diaz 2, Lacson 2, Aciro 2, Araja 1, Generoso 0, Ido 0, Tabanao 0, Ramillano, Escalante 0.
Quarters: 17-17, 39-35, 53-50, 70-67. 

UAAP High School Volleyball first round wraps up

National University continues to set the pace in UAAP high school volleyball after first round action at the Adamson Gym, as they share the lead in girls' division and remain undefeated in the boys' division.

Although the Lady Bullpups stumbled against Adamson, 13-25 21-25 25-23 25-12 and 15-11 for their first defeat of the season, they managed to bounce back with an impressive 25-14 25-11 and 25-8 victory over FEU-Diliman to end up with a 5-1 record.

Ending up as co-leaders with NU is UST, which dispatched La Salle-Zobel (25-20 25-18 and 25-14) and UE (25-16 25-22 and 25-11) this past weekend.

The Junior Lady Spikers did manage to secure a win this past weekend with a 25-15 25-19 and 25-20 over the Baby Falcons, allowing them to finish the first round in third place at 4-2. UE is one game back at 3-3, while both Adamson and FEU-Diliman are two games back at 2-4.

On the boys' side, the Bullpups swept the first round after beating Ateneo (25-23 25-14 and 25-16) and UST (19-25 25-18 22-25 25-14 and 15-8).

Just behind them are the multiple-time defending champions UE, with the Junior Warriors wrapping up their 5-1 first round with wins over UST (25-22 25-21 and 25-21) and FEU-Diliman (25-19 25-20 and 25-20).

The Baby Tamaraws are in third place just one game back at 4-2, while the Tiger Cubs are another game further back at 3-3.

Warehouse Sale starting today!

Check this sale out. If you are free, do go.

Recap of September 19 matches in UAAP women's badminton

UP's quest for a back-to-back title in women's badminton opened positively on Saturday afternoon, as they dispatched FEU, 4-1, at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.

The title defense started off on a slow note, as Thea Pomar defeated UP team captain Bea Bernardo, 21-18 and 21-17. The champions did manage to even the score with a 21-11 and 21-16 win for Ann Maranon over Michal Duquilla.

It was in the doubles that UP locked in and secured the victory over the Lady Tamaraws. Reigning MVP Jessie Francisco and top national junior player Lea Inlayo joined forces to beat Pomar and Hannah Tudtud, 21-15 and 21-11, while Maranon and Marina Caculitan sealed the win with a 15-21 24-22 and 21-10 triumph over Duqilla and Maridel Rivera.

Inlayo then put the icing on the cake with a 21-18 and 22-20 over Tudtud in the final singles matchup.

***

Last season's losing finalists La Salle managed to open the season positively with a 4-1 victory over rivals Ateneo.

The Lady Shuttlers from Taft took advantage of an Trixie Malibiran injury that forced her to retire in the first singles match against Ariane Rivera in the third set, trailing 21-10, 12-21, 7-12.

Bianca Carlos managed to even things up by taking care of matters against Angela Sevilla, 21-10 and 21-14.

With Malibiran unable to continue, the Lady Eagles were forced to forfeit their first doubles match to give La Salle a 2-1 lead. Kristelle Salatan and Alyssa Leonardo sealed the win for the Archers with a 21-19 and 21-13 win over Carlos and Geva de Vera.

Nicole Albo finished things off with a 21-13 16-21 and 21-16 victory over Cassie Lim.

***

UST made an emphatic statement in its matchup against UE, sweeping their Recto-based opposition, 5-0.

Steffi Aquino outlasted Heide Rosal, 18-21 21-15 and 21-15, while Airish Macalinao pounced on Lyra Rosal, 21-13 and 21-5 to put the Tigresses up 2-0 after the first set of singles matches.

Kristine Gaspar and Ann Pimentel assured UST of the win with a 21-10 and 21-12 result over Pamela Fernandez and Erycka Labay, while Aquino and Patricia Barredo overwhelmed the Rosal siblings, 21-11 and 21-14.

Completing the sweep is Barredo's 21-11 and 21-9 mastery of Labay.

***

NU defeated Adamson 4-1 to end a stretch of consecutive losses.

Loverly Magallano opened with a 21-13 and 21-11 victory over Christine Garin, then followed by Marinel Diansay surviving a 14-21 21-19 and 24-22 duel against Mikaela Aquino.

The Lady Falcons managed to get one back as Diansay's fatigue forced her retirement in her doubles match alongside Jiselle Capillo against Garin and Maggie Villacorta. However, the Lady Bulldogs sealed the win with Magallano and Amica Duay's 21-9 and 21-8 result over Aquino and Clydel Pada.

Capping the streak-busting triumph is Capillo's 12-21 21-9 and 21-18's win over Pada.

Gilas set to kick off its 2015 FIBA-Asia campaign

Games today at the Changsha Social Work College’s Gymnasium

9:30 a.m. – Kuwait vs Hong Kong
11:45 a.m. – Philippines vs Palestine
2:30 p.m. – Iran vs Japan
4:45 p.m. – South Korea vs Jordan
7:30 p.m. – Singapore vs China
7:30 p.m. - Malaysia vs India (Central South University of Forestry and Technology Gymnasium)
9:30 p.m. – Taiwan vs Lebanon
9:30 p.m. - Qatar vs Kazakhstan (Central South University of Forestry and Technology Gymnasium)

The quest for the final Olympic autobid will be underway today, as the 2015 FIBA-Asia tournament kicks off in Changsha, China.

Gilas Pilipinas' quest to secure that berth begins at 1145am, as they face tournament debutants Palestine in their opener at the city's Social Work College Gymnasium. The match is to be shown LIVE on BTV and TV5, with online streaming available via Sports5.ph.

For head coach Tab Baldwin, the tournament is the culmination of almost two months of preparation, including tournaments in Estonia, Chinese-Taipei, and in Quezon City, as well as a camp in Cebu before leaving for China on Monday.

The camp in the Queen City of the South, he believes, allowed the team to be better fine-tuned for his system while at the same time be away from the distractions that are present in Manila.

He adds that they will take the three opponents Gilas will be facing in Group B (Palestine, Hong Kong, Kuwait) seriously, with these games setting the table for the upcoming games in the tournament against the top continental contenders.

Palentine secured the chance to play in this competition by finishing 3rd in the West Asian sub-zone behind Jordan and Lebanon. Coached by Jerry Steele, they are led by Sani Sakakini, who averaged a 20 and 10 line as an import in the Lebanese pro league. Notable in his absence is Omar Krayyem, who was the Asian import of Globalport in the PBA.

NU extends women's basketball winning streak to 20

UAAP women's basketball standings:

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

Scheduled games today at the Blue Eagle Gym:

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

The march continues for National University in women's basketball.

The Lady Bulldogs extended their impressive streak last Sunday with a 76-62 victory over then-undefeated Adamson at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The Lady Falcons managed to establish a strong start, relying on Rhea Tacitac, Jonalyn Lacson and Jamie Alcoy to establish an early lead. But the defending champions managed to creep back into the picture, then move ahead at the half, 33-23.

NU then pulled away in the second half, relying on perimeter shooting in the third quarter from Andrea Tongco and Risa Paig, followed by inside forays by their big women in the final period to eventually establish its largest lead in 72-48.

Alcoy would lead all scorers with 21 points, while four NU Lady Bulldogs (Afril Bernardino, Paig, Rheena Itesi, and Jack Danielle Animam) contributed eleven points each.

Another team that thoroughly thrashed its opposition is La Salle. The Lady Archers crushed UP, 76-34 to open the quadruple-header.

A 14-2 run by the Taft-based dribblers to start the game kicked off the eventual rout, led by Ana Castillo's sniping from beyond the arc.

Bea Daez and Lourdes Ordoverza managed to cut the deficit to 21-14 by the end of the first period, but Camille Claro led a second quarter charge that expanded the lead to 40-23 at the half.

They would then break the game open, scoring 25 straight points to end the third and start the fourth to establish a 73-30 lead.

Claro would finish with a team-high thirteen points, while Castillo added eleven markers. Daez topscored for the Lady Maroons with ten.

Joining the Lady Maroons at the basement is FEU, after bowing to UE, 54-38.

The Lady Tamaraws continue their struggles under new head coach Bert Flores, which became more magnified with Clare Castro's ankle injury in the second quarter.

The Lady Warriors flashed their impressive defense, limiting FEU to just three points in the first quarter, eventually erecting a 26-4 lead in the second quarter.

UE would continue to assert its dominance in the second half, as it cruised its way for their second win.

Cherry Ano-os led the Lady Warriors with fifteen points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while Eunique Chan and Ruthlaine Tacula each poured thirteen markers. Elaisa Adriano led the Lady Tamaraws with eleven points.

Completing the results is UST's 58-47 win over Ateneo. The Tigresses pulled away in the fourth quarter after a nip-and-tuck affair against the Lady Eagles.

Games are scheduled to resume on Wednesday at the Blue Eagle Gym.

La Salle (76) - Claro 13, Castillo 11, Arciga 8, Abaca 8, Vergara 6, Penaranda 6, Revillosa 5, Figueroa 5, Roxas 4, Dagdagan 3, Oyao 3, Ong 2, Gonzales 2, Vela 0, Pineda 0, Malarde 0.

UP (34) – Daez 10, Esplana 6, Tatel 4, Pesquera 4, Ordoveza 4, Rodas 2, Tan 2, Medina 1, Lapid 1, Isip 0, Oliva 0, Franco 0, Eder 0, Erquiaga 0, Cruz 0.

Quarterscores: 21-14, 40-23, 57-30, 76-34.

UST (57) - Penaflor 14, Angeles 12, Cortes 10, Magdaluyo 10, Anies 7, Brillante 2, Isanan 2, Felisarta 0, Larosa 0, Pernia 0

Ateneo (48) - Jose 10, Yam 7, Buendia 6, Go 5, Moslares 5, Deacon 4, Nitorreda 3, Aseron 2, Guytingco 2, Lamar 2, Posadas 2, Javier 0, Newsome 0, Tomita 0, Veloso 0

Quarterscores: 11-8, 26-24, 34-33, 57-48

UE (54) – Ano-os 15, Chan 13, Tacula 13, Taguiam 7, Sto. Domingo 6, Francisco 2, Nama 0, Ramos 0, Mendina 0, Antonio 0, Gayacao 0.

FEU (38) – Adriano 11, Arellado 9, Okunlola 5, Mamaril 4, Quiapo 4, Ventura 3, Ballecer 2, Castro 0, Payadon 0, Gerner 0, Abat 0, Hortaleza 0, Baldonado 0, Capua 0.
Quarterscores: 18-3, 29-11, 42-22, 54-38.

NU (76) – Bernardino 11, Paig 11, Itesi 11, Animam 11, Miranda 8, Abriam 6, Nabalan 6, Tongco 5, Gupilan 4, Layug 2, Riel 1, Antiquera 0, Reyes 0, Sison 0, Del Carmen 0, Harada 0.

Adamson (62) – Alcoy 21, Lacson 8, Cochico 6, Tacitac 6, De Castro 5, Osano 5, Pingol 4, Araja 3, Diaz 2, Aciro 0, Ido 0, Generoso 0, Ramillano 0, Tabanao 0.

Quarterscores: 11-13, 33-23, 61-41, 76-62.

Recap of September 19 matches in UAAP men's badminton

National University kicked off its title defense in impressive fashion, easily dispatching Ateneo, 4-1, to open the first set of badminton matches for UAAP Season 78 at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.

The Season 76 protagonists split the opening set of singles, as Keeyan Gabuelo defeated Jan Mangubat, 21-18 and 21-11, while Clarence Filart defeated Roslee Pedrosa, 21-16 12-21 and 21-16.

However, the Bulldogs snatched the win by controlling the two doubles matches. The tandem of Peter Magnaye and Alvin Morada defeated Patrick Gecosala and Fides Bagasbas, 21-15 and 21-16, then Pedrosa and Paul Gonzales defeated Filart and Hanz Bernardo to seal the win for NU, 21-15 and 21-17.

Magnaye completed the impressive win by downing Carlo Remo, 21-13 and 21-16 in the final match.

***

Season 77 runner-up La Salle defeated UP, 4-1 in its matchup to kick off its campaign on a positive note.

The Green Shuttlers claimed the first set of singles matches, as Kenneth Monterubio defeated Miggy Leonardo, 21-15 and 21-15, then Anton Cayanan dug deep to take care of Jojo Malelang, 13-21 21-19 and 21-18.

The Maroons managed to get a win back in the doubles, as the UP tandem of CK Clemente and Joaquin Deato defeated Monterubio and Gerald Sibayan, 24-22 and 21-17, but La Salle officially claimed the win in the other doubles matchup, as Cayanan and Jerickson Obaob defeated Betong Pineda and Vinci Manuel, 21-11 and 21-28.

Team Skipper EJ Boac sealed the result with a hard-fought 19-21 22-20 and 21-19 victory over Joseph Lopez.

***

UST easily took care of business against their opponents from Recto, as the Golden Shuttlers dispatched UE, 5-0.

John Paul Pantig easily managed a 21-13 and 21-8 win over Angelo David in the first singles match, while Henrick Peralta dominated against Arman Manlalangit, 21-11 and 21-16.

Pantig then joined forces with Edgard Reyes to claim the win for UST in the first doubles, annihilating Clarence Camacho and King Espiritu, 21-6 and 21-3. The second doubles match saw John Mark Sotea and Kristian Barrios outlasting Manlalangit and Kenneth Cruz, 21-17 18-21 and 21-15.

Formalizing the sweep is Alcaed Sabanal, who dispatched Espiritu, 21-8 and 21-16 in the final singles match.

***

The most interesting matchup of the morning saw Adamson come from behind to seal a 3-2 victory over FEU.

The Tamaraws went up 2-0 through the efforts of their players in the first set of singles matches. Josh Maquelabit beat EJ Viloria, 21-14 and 21-18, while Rafael Dionisio dispatched Kevin Fabros, 22-20 and 21-17.

The Soaring Falcons managed to eke themselves out of this deficit with wins in the doubles. Viloria teamed up with Elben Concina to move past Joshua Bernardo and Thirdy Bacalso, 21-10 and 21-12, while Joshua Antonio and Jelo Iquina tied things up with a 26-24 and 21-13 victory over Maquelabit and Dionisio.

It was up to Gerloth Delizo and Bacalso to decide who gets the victory for the school, with the former escaping with the win for Adamson, 21-17 17-21 and 21-19.

NU, Adamson rule roost in UAAP women's basketball

UAAP women's basketball standings:

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

Games scheduled on September 20 at the Blue Eagle Gym:

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

The winning streak of National University has stretched to 19 games, as the defending UAAP champions clobbered the University of Santo Tomas, 71-45, as part of a Thursday quadruple-header at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The Lady Bulldogs relied on a strong surge to open the third and fourth quarters to dispatch the then-undefeated Tigresses.

After allowing a basket from Shanda Anies 33 seconds into the third period, NU would go on an 18-3 run for the next six-plus minutes, erecting an 18-point lead, 43-25. Although UST would trim that lead to just nine at 44-35 by the end of the third period, the ladies of coach Patrick Aquino opened the fourth quarter on a 13-1 run to establish an insurmountable 57-36 lead before cruising to their third straight triumph.

Reigning MVP Afril Bernardino contributed twelve points, twelve rebounds, six assists, a steal, and three blocks, while Trixie Antiquera, Gemma Miranda, and Risa Paig each scored eleven markers.

Misaela Larosa had eleven points and eight rebounds for the Chris Cantonjos-coached Tigresses, while Candice Magdaluyo added ten markers, four rebounds, and six dimes.

Joining NU atop the leaderboard is Adamson, who outlasted UE, 57-49.

The Lady Falcons used a 10-2 run in the fourth quarter to pull away for the victory. The Lady Warriors had kept themselves in the game for the most part with defense and offensive contributions from Cherry Ano-os, Eunique Chan, and Love Joy Sto. Domingo.

Myra Osano and Janille de Castro combined for 22 points to lead Adamson, while Princess Cochico secured a near triple-double with nine points, fourteen rebounds, and eleven assists.

Meanwhile, La Salle tied UST in second place after beating FEU, 54-45.

The Lady Archers rode on the hot shooting of Khate Castillo to secure their second straight victory. The guard scored twelve of her team-high nineteen points in the third quarter, outscoring the Lady Tamaraws by herself in that period.

The first game of the quadruple-header saw Ateneo finally barging into the win column with a 56-43 triumph over UP. The Lady Maroons had no match against Danica Jose's 23 points, 17 rebounds, and two blocks. The second-generation baller matched UP's third quarter output of eight markers.

UAAP women's basketball action resumes this Sunday, with the premier match-up being the unbeaten NU and Adamson squads facing off at 3pm.

Ateneo (56) – Jose 23, Yam 10, Buendia 9, Guytingco 5, Tomita 4, Go 3, Javier 2, Nitorreda 0, Posadas 0, Lamar 0, Veloso 0, Newsome 0, Payac 0, Aseron 0.
UP (43) - Daez 16, Tatel 10, Pesquera 9, Rodas 3, Lapid 2, Esplana 2, Erquiaga 1, Medina 0, Oliva 0, Eder 0, Tan 0, Isip 0, Ordoveza 0.
Quarterscores: 6-15, 19-20, 40-28, 56-43.

La Salle (54) - Castillo 19, Claro 8, Penaranda 7, Roxas 6, Abaca 4, Dagdagan 3, Vergarra 2, Revillosa 2, Vela 2, Ong 1, Gonzales 0.
FEU (45) – Castro 14, Ballecer 8, Mamaril 7, Arellado 6, Baldonado 5, Ventura 2, Okunlola 2, Hortaleza 1, Capua 0, Adriano 0, Abat 0, Quiapo 0.
Quarters: 18-8, 28-21, 45-29, 54-45.

NU (71) – Bernardino 12, Antiquera 11, Miranda 11, Paig 11, Gupilan 9, Itesi 7, Tongco 5, Animam 2, Harada 2, Reyes 1, Sison 0, Abriam 0, Nabalan 0, Riel 0, Layug 0.
UST (45) – Larosa 11, Magdaluyo 10, Cortes 8, Anies 4, Isanan 4, Felisarta 3, Peñaflor 2, Gandalla 2, Angeles 1, Brillante 0, Pernia 0, Capilit 0, Rivera 0, Portillo 0, Jerez 0.
Quarters: 10-7, 25-20, 44-35, 71-45.

Adamson (57) – Osano 12, De Castro 10, Cochico 9, Tacitac 7, Diaz 6, Alcoy 4, Pingol 3, Generoso 2, Aciro 2, Araja 2, Ido 0, Lacson 0, Ramillano 0, Escalante 0, Tabanao 0, Camacho 0
UE (49) – Ano-os 18, Chan 14, Sto. Domingo 8, Tacula 4, Mendina 3, Francisco 2, Ramos 0, Sampaga 0, Taguiam 0, Bale 0, Gayacao 0
Quarters: 14-10, 23-19, 39-31, 57-49. 

UAAP badminton kicks off today

La Salle ace shuttler Gerald Sibayan.
(Photo c/o Angelo Eseo)

It is the turn of the shuttlers to partake of UAAP Season 78, as the league's badminton tournament kicks off this morning at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.

All eight UAAP schools will be fielding teams for both the men and women.

The men will kick off the festivities at 10am, with NU seeking to claim its third championship in four seasons. The Bulldogs will not have two-time MVP Joper Escueta for this particular title defense, but Peter Magnaye, Ross Leeward Pedrosa, and Season 77 Rookie of the Year Alvin Morada will take up the cudgels in his place.

The Bustillos-based shuttlers will have the premier matchup on opening day, as they face their Season 76 Finals opponents Ateneo.

On the other hand, La Salle aims to improve from last season's finals appearance by kicking off their campaign against UP. The Green Shuttlers, led by Gerald Sibayan, believe that they are still a top-three team this season, armed with more maturity and dedication to the quest of securing the championship, says team captain EJ Boac.

The other men's badminton ties slated for that day sees UST vs UE, and Adamson vs FEU.

On the distaff side, UP begins its title defense against FEU at 230pm. These Lady Shuttlers will have the core of the squad back, including MVP Jessie Francisco, that ended a 14-year title drought.

Last season's losing finalists Ateneo, led by former MVP Bianca Carlos, will attempt to reclaim the championship with their opener against La Salle.

The other matchups scheduled that day are UST vs UE and Adamson vs NU.

Loro Football Cup slated in October

The Gatorade-Chelsea FC Blue Pitch in Makati is set to host a football tournament next month.

Entitled the Loro Football Cup, this 7-a-side tournament will have ten divisions for men and women spanning two days.

On October 10, the competition will feature these divisions:

Born 2009-10
Born 2007-08
Born 2005-06
Born 2003-04
Born 2001-02 (for Girls and for Boys)

On October 11, the competition will feature these divisions:

Born 1999-2000 (for Girls and for Boys)
Open (for Men in Div II & III and Women)

For more details about participating in this tournament, you may contact Franky Rivilla at 09278892667 / franky@mac2groupmanila.com

NU maintains lead in UAAP HS volleyball

National University maintains its current dominance in UAAP high school volleyball, keeping its record spotless this past weekend at the Adamson Gym.

The Lady Bullpups defeated UST, 23-25 25-20 25-22 and 25-23, preventing the Junior Tigresses from having revenge after being dethroned in last season's finals in girls volleyball.

Both squads came into their match with a victory in their pocket (NU over UPIS: 25-20 25-12 25-12, UST over FEU-Diliman: 25-12 25-18 25-18), but the defending champions maintained their form and raised its record to 4-0.

UST falls to 3-1, tied with La Salle-Zobel in second place. The Junior Lady Spikers survived a five-setter against UE, 25-23 21-25 18-25 25-16 15-11 on Saturday before easily getting by UPIS on Sunday, 25-13 25-9 25-11.

UE is now in fourth place with a 2-2 record, while FEU-Diliman is a half-game back at 2-3.

Meanwhile, the same scenario is taking place on the boys' division, with the Bullpups easing past La Salle-Zobel (25-18 29-27 25-19) and UPIS (25-5 25-13 25-19) to take their record to 4-0.

Defending champions UE is tied alongside UST in second place with a 3-1 record. The Junior Warriors took care of business against UPIS (25-11 25-5 25-10) and Ateneo (25-20 25-18 25-13), while the Tiger Cubs bowed to FEU-Diliman, 25-23 25-23 25-23, ending their three-game unbeaten run.

NU, Adamson, UST take early lead in UAAP women's basketball

Standings:

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

Scheduled games on September 17:

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

National University extended its winning run to 18 straight games, shellacking Ateneo, 70-36, in the final game of the UAAP women's basketball quadruple-header last Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The Lady Eagles had no answer for the Lady Bulldogs, as the defending champions opened the game on a 36-5 run and never looked back, eventually erecting a lead as large as 36 points in the fourth quarter.

National team stalwarts Afril Bernardino and Shelley Gupilan combined for 33 points to lead NU, while Danica Jose and Jolina Go each netted twelve markers to lead Ateneo.

Joining NU atop the league in the early going are UST and Adamson. Both teams reached their second wins in as many outings on Sunday morning.

With much of the nation's attention gazed towards the "Separation of Church and State" game scheduled in that afternoon, The lady ballers from UST and UP actually faced off in the opening match of the day, with the Tigresses fending off the Lady Maroons, 58-52.

Candice Magdaluyo and Sofia Felisarta's heroics in the final few minutes preserved the win for coach (and UST legend) Chris Cantonjos, as the latter's free throws broke the final deadlock of the game at the 2:40 mark, with the former converting a huge triple with 94 seconds to go. She also iced the game with six seconds remaining, converting two free throws after getting fouled immediately after she stole the ball off Therese Medina.

Magdaluyo would finish with a five assists and a team-high twelve points, with Maica Cortes and Shanda Anies contributing ten markers. UPFront at the UAAP host Bea Daez led the winless Lady Maroons with  20 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.

Adamson needed overtime to dispatch Far Eastern University, 69-64, completing the troika of unbeaten teams.

Princess Cochico might have had the line of the day with a game-high seventeen points, eight rebounds, nine assists, and two steals for the Lady Falcons, with the duo of Myra Osano and Jamie Alcoy combining for 29 markers.

The Lady Tamaraws could not buy a bucket in the extra five minutes, missing all nine of their attempts from the field in the extension. Isabel Ballecer led last season's losing finalists with 14 points and 15 rebounds.

The other game saw La Salle give Cholo Villanueva his first win as head coach with a 63-59 triumph over UE.

The Lady Archers bucked the absence of Camille Claro (DNP-knee), relying on Snow Penaranda and Ana Castillo down the stretch to secure the win in this close encounter.

Penaranda scored nine of her fifteen points in the final quarter, while Castillo scored five of her nine in that same stretch, including a couple free throws that gave La Salle the lead for good with 107 seconds remaining.

The next set of women's basketball matches will take place on Thursday, with another quadruple header at the Blue Eagle Gym. The highlight of the day will be the NU-UST clash of undefeated teams at 1pm, while the Battle of Katipunan at 9am sees one team finally getting on the board for Season 78.

Box Scores:


UST (58) – Magdaluyo 12, Anies 10, Cortes 10, Penaflor 9, Angeles 6, Felisarta 5, Brillante 2, Isanan 1, Larosa 1, Capilit 1, Portillo 0, Pernia 0.

UP (52) – Daez 20, Tatel 11, Oliva 8, Pesquera 5, Rodas 3, Lapid 2, Ordoveza 2, Esplana 1, Medina 0, Tan 0, Isip 0, Aliermo 0.

Quarters: 13-10, 17-22, 38-33, 58-52.

Adamson (69) – Cochico 17, Osano 15, Alcoy 14, De Castro 7, Lacson 6, Tacitac 4, Ido 2, Diaz 2, Pingol 2, Araja 0, Generoso 0, Tabanao 0, Aciro 0, Ramillano 0.

FEU (64) – Ballecer 14, Ventura 10, Castro 9, Arellado 8, Adriano 7, Okunlola 5, Baldonado 4, Abat 3, Hortaleza 2, Quiapo 2, Mamaril 0, Payadon 0, Capua 0.

Quarterscores: 17-13, 29-35, 46-47, 61-61, 69-64.

La Salle (63) - Penaranda 15, Abaca 11, Castillo 9, Dagdagan 8, Ong 8, Vergarra 3, Figueroa 2, Gonzales 2, Revillosa 2, Roxas 2, Vela 1

UE (59) - Chan 18, Tacula 18, Ano-os 10, Sto. Domingo 7, Sampaga 4, Francisco 2, Gayacao 0, Mendina 0, Nama 0, Ramos 0, Taguiam 0

Quarterscores: 14-12, 26-30, 45-41, 63-59

NU (70) – Bernardino 17, Gupilan 14, Itesi 10, Miranda 7, Riel 5, Antiquera 3, Animam 2, Abriam 2, Tongco 2, Paig 2, Reyes 2, Layug 2, Sison 1, Harada 1, Nabalan 0, Del Carmen 0.

Ateneo (36) – Jose 12, Go 12, Tomita 4, Yam 4, Buendia 4, Aseron 0, Javier 0, Nitorreda 0, Payac 0, Newsome 0, Posadas 0, Guytingco 0, Moslares 0.

Quarters: 25-5, 43-14, 59-27, 70-36.

Ed Daquioag named as first UAAP Season 78 Press Corps Player of the Week

For UST's Ed Daquioag, his acceptance of a new and more offensive-oriented role has yielded immediate benefits. One of which is to be the first winner of the ACCEL Quantum/3XVI-UAAP Press Corps Player of the Week.

Daquioag beat out teammate Kevin Ferrer, Mike Tolomia and Mac Belo of FEU, as well as Paul Desiderio and Jett Manuel of UP for the nod, which is given out weekly by the sports (print and online) media.

The 6-foot guard has been a major factor in all of the Growling Tigers' three wins in this early stages of the UAAP's 78th season, giving the Espana-based side its best start this century.

On opening day, he torched the Adamson Soaring Falcons with a career-high 28 points. He then followed it up with 18 against last season's losing finalists Far Eastern University on Wednesday. And then on Sunday, with the attention of the nation on the so-called "Separation of Church and State" game against then-fellow undefeated University of the Philippines, he poured in 27 points against the Fighting Maroons.

The 24-year old native of Dingras, Ilocos Norte explained his new role to the media, noting that "... we need to have some scorers, so I grabbed the opportunity given to me by Coach (Bong dela Cruz)." He also acknowledged that he is still adjusting to having this kind of responsibility. In fact, he did not participate in the last PBA D-League conference (he previously had been playing with Breadstory) to focus on the team during the UAAP offseason.

For dela Cruz, the second-year head coach was impressed with Ed's performance, saying that his "confidence is very high and he's enjoying the game." He added that with Ed and Kevin serving as the team's leaders, they should "lead by example."

That mantra of "leadership by example" is best illustrated by his fourth quarter performances:

Against Adamson: 9 minutes 12 points (6/10 FG) 1 rebound 1 steal
Against FEU: 10 minutes 12 points (6/9 FG) 4 rebounds 1 steal
Against UP: 9.67 mins 17 pts (5/7 FG 1/1 3pt 6/8 FT) 2 rebounds 1 assist

SPIA Asia - Sports Industry Awards final nominees

SPORT & RECREATION FACILITY OF THE YEAR

• Central Park Sports Complex (Cambodia)
• Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club (Hong Kong)
• Mall of Asia Arena (Philippines)
• Philippine Arena (Philippines)
• Philippine Sports Stadium (Philippines)
• Thanyapura (Thailand)
• The Empire (Brunei)
• Saujana Golf & Country Club (Malaysia)

BEST SPORTS MARKETING CAMPAIGN

• #mygirls by Adidas & Iprospect (Philippines)
• Color Manila by Brother International (Philippines)
• DC Shoes by Primer Group (Philippines)
• Gilas FIBA World Cup by Smart Communication (Philippines)
• Isang Bayan Para Kay Pacman by ABS-CBN (Philippines)
• KSWISS at the IPTL by KSWISS Global Brands (Hong Kong)
• Manila Mavericks at the ITPL by SM Lifestyle Ent. (Philippines)
• My First LFC Game by Liverpool Football Club (Indonesia)
• One Championship by Group One Holdings (Singapore)
• Philippine Basketball Association (Philippines)
• Puso the Max by Max Restaurants & Carat (Philippines)
• UFC Manila by SM Lifestyle Ent. (Philippines)

BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN SPORT

• #MyFirstLFCGame by Liverpool Football Club (Indonesia)
• adidas BOOST by Adidas & Iprospect (Philippines)
• A Hawk Run by Lucrativ Group (Malaysia)
• AFF Suzuki Cup by World Sport Group (Singapore/Vietnam)
• Bicycles United by Velotique United (Thailand)
• Bubble Sports (Malaysia)
• Flying Trapeze by Trapeze Inc. (Philippines)
• Formula E (Malaysia)
• Fox Sports Asia by Fox Sports Asia & We are Social (Singapore)
• Philippine Basketball Association (Philippines)
• Roxy by Primer Group (Philippines)
• Standard Chartered Marathon by Spectrum Worldwide (Singapore)

BEST SPORTS YOUTH PROGRAM

• Cebuana Lhuillier Tennis (Philippines) by PJ Lhuillier Group
• Football For All Vietnam by Football Association Norway (Vietnam)
• National Basketball Training Center (Philippines)
• National Cheerleading Championship (Philippines)
• National Football Development Program by Sportswork (Malaysia)
• NBA Asia (Philippines)
• Nutrition Action Champion by Alaska Milk Corporation (Philippines)
• Philippine Table Tennis Academy (Philippines)
• Queens Park Ranges Coaching Clinic by Air Asia (Malaysia)
• Shaheen Development by Shaheen Sports (Hong Kong)
• Siagon Sports Academy by XLE Group (Vietnam)
• Speedo G-League by Philippine Swimming Inc. (Philippines)
• Sport Cares Foundation (Singapore)
• Head Junior Satellite Circuit by Dynamic Sports Corp (Philippines)
• WTA Future Stars Clinic by Fast Track (Singapore)

BEST SPORT EVENT (Amateur)

• 24Sevens Football Series by AMC Experience (Singapore)
• Cold Storage Kids Run (Singapore) by ESG Endurance Sport Pte
• Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes (Thailand)
• Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines by Sunrise Events (Philippines)
• Football For All Vietnam by Football Association Norway (Vietnam)
• Girls Got Game Camp by Girls Got Game Inc. (Philippines)
• Hanoi Vertical Run by Sporting Republic (Vietnam)
• Hello Kitty Run Singapore by Pink Apple (Philippines)
• Slam Rising Stars Classic by SLAM Philippines (Philippines)
• SM Bowling Millionaires Cup by SM Lifestyle Ent. (Philippines)
• Standard Chartered Marathon by Spectrum Worldwide (Singapore)
• Vietnam University Games by XLE Group (Vietnam)
• WTA Future Stars Tournament by World Sports Group (Singapore)

BEST LIVE EXPERIENCE AT A PRO SPORTS EVENT

• AFF Suzuki Cup by WSG (Singapore/Vietnam)
• BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore by WGG (Singapore)
• Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines by Sunrise Events (Philippines)
• EurAsia Cup (Malaysia)
• Extreme Sailing Series by OC Sport (Singapore)
• Hong Kong Rugby 7s (Hong Kong)
• IPTL - Manila Mavericks by SM Lifestyle Ent. (Philippines)
• Malaysian Open- Kuala Lumpur by IMG (Malaysia)
• Philippine Basketball Association (Philippines)
• Saigon Heat Games Vietnam by XLE Group (Vietnam)

BEST SPORTS CSR INITIATIVE

• Bike Doctors by Primer Group (Philippines)
• Get into Rugby by Philippines Rugby Football Union (Philippines)
• Hope for Change by Michael's Badminton Academy (Malaysia)
• Humanitarian Project by Sunrise Events (Philippines)
• Queens Park Ranges Coaching Clinic by Air Asia (Malaysia)
• Hari Sukan Negara by Sportswork (Malaysia)
• Team Possible by Primer Group (Philippines)
• The AFC Village by Asian Football Confederation (Malaysia)
• The AGW Walk by CFC ANCOP Global Foundation (Philippines)
• Toby's Youth Sports Foundation by Toby’s Sports (Philippines)
• Yuthakun Khom by Selpak (Cambodia)

SPORTS DIGITAL PLATFORM OF THE YEAR

• Action Sports Asia (Thailand)
• Faber Audio Visual (Singapore & Philippines)
• Golf Citizen (Laos & Thailand)
• Isang Bayan Para Kay Pacman by ABS-CBN (Philippines)
• Passport Asia (Singapore)
• Philippine Basketball Association (Philippines)
• Playpal (Singapore)
• Sports Flow by Samsung (Singapore)

SPORTS RETAIL CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

• Asia Pacific WWE (Singapore)
• Chris Sports (Philippines)
• Columbia Sportswear (Philippines)
• Decathlon (Singapore)
• NBA (Philippines)
• Recreational Outdoor Exchange (Philippines)
• SuperSports (Thailand)
• The Athletes Foot (Indonesia)

 SPORT ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR

• Gymnastic Association of the Philippines (Philippines)
• Hong Kong Ultra Marathon Association Limited (Hong Kong)
• Pertubuhan Seni Gayung Fatani (Malaysia)
• Primer Group – DC (Philippines)
• Sporting Republic (Singapore)
• Sunrise Events (Philippines)
• Wrestling Association of the Philippines (Philippines)
• XLE Group (Vietnam)

SPIA Asia Announces the Awards Shortlist Finalists

(L-R): Sport360 Director Mark Jan Kar, New World Makati Hotel GM Fari Schoucair, Philippine Sports Commission Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr., Philippine Olympic Committee Sec-Gen Steve Hontiveros, and MMC Sportz CEO Eric Gottschalk

168 entries from ten countries were shortlisted for the ten categories in the inaugural SPIA Asia - Sports Industry Awards & Conference, revealing them on Wednesday at the New World Hotel in Makati.

These entries came from a variety of rights holders, marketing agencies, sports brands, events, organizations, and venue operators from all across the region. They would then undergo rigid and transparent scrutiny and judging from sixteen industry experts from the region, with the selected winners to be revealed during the the awards proper scheduled for October 2.

The Awards aim to reward the leading rights holders, marketing agencies, sports brands, events, organizations, and venue operators that aided in the development of sport. First developed in the Middle East, this is the first time something of this nature will be done in this part of the continent.

Handling the activities relating to the awards are MMC Sportz and Sport360, with both the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee providing sanction over the event.

Quotes:

Philippine Sports Commission Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr

SPIA will help elevate the awareness in the sport industry and recognize their contributions to the development of sports. The PSC is very thankful for bringing SPIA to the Philippines when its organizers could have brought it to another SEA country instead. This will be the first time the Philippines hold this kind of event. I would like to extend our thanks and congratulations to the organizers.

Philippine Olympic Committee Secretary-General Stephen Hontiveros:

Bringing SPIA to the Philippines is a great endeavor. The sport industry plays a major role in the development of our sports here in the Philippines, and through SPIA, the efforts of the National Federations will be recognized for their contribution. On behalf of the POC, we would like to congratulate the organizers and are proud to host such an event in the Philippines for the first time.

Sport360 Publisher and Deputy CEO Didier Brun:

The Sports Industry Awards are a unique and powerful platform to reflect, showcase and reward the ambitions and achievements of the sports industry in the region. The growth and success of the sports industry in Asia is well documented now and it contributes massively to enhancing the overall lifestyle and experience of the many fans of the game living here, as well as to the overall economic and tourism development. We are very excited to now also present the Sports Industry Awards in Asia.

MMC Sportz CEO Eric Gottschalk:

One of the objectives of bringing SPIA Asia to the Philippines is to highlight the tremendous developments within sports which are currently taking place in the Philippines and which might not be known to many outside of the country. The awards and conference are the perfect networking opportunity for the industry in a new and developing market and we are happy to have received the support of the local governing bodies for our initiative.

New World Makati Hotel General Manager Farid Schoucair:

We believe this event will become the summit for sport industry influencers and facilitators in the region. We are delighted that Manila and in particular the New World Makati Hotel has been selected to host the inaugural 2015 event.

SPIA Asia is organized by MMC Sportz and Sport 360 in partnership with the Philippines Sport Commission and the Philippines Olympic Committee and supported by New World Makati Hotel, Philippine Airlines, Fox Sports, International New York Times, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Global Sports Business and Asian Sponsorship News.

Statement from Jordan Clarkson re: Gilas

With the roster for the upcoming FIBA-Asia Championships being released, Jordan Clarkson released this statement, through the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas:

Upon my return from supporting Gilas in The Jones Cup, I had a great talk with my dad. I told him of my experiences with the team and how passionate I was about representing an entire country. My Dad told me to follow my heart."

I spoke to Lakers General Manager, Mitch Kupchak, and he shared the same sentiments about representing an entire country and supported my decision either way.

The Filipino Fans are some of the most passionate in the world and many of them are Laker's supporters. I want to sincerely thank all of the fans who sent me letters of encouragement during these last three months about Gilas.

I trust my team of advisors as they all worked very hard to get terms prepared that would afford me the opportunity to be part of Gilas, if approved. I'd like to say "thank you" for all the people that worked diligently in an attempt to make a dream become reality. SBP Management led by MVP and Mr. Ricky Vargas and Mr. Gregorio, Maria Espaldon of East-West Private, and TEAMCLARKSON.

I'm very disappointed I won't be able to play with the Gilas National Team during the FIBA Asia Championships from September 23 to October 3. We can all agree, the 12 men selected to represent the Philippines in this 2015 FIBA Asia Championship have earned the right and any continued efforts on my part would not be fair to the team. I will cheer them onto Gold.

Let's Get To Rio!

Important to note that Clarkson is on the last year of his rookie deal with the Lakers, and as noted on another post here, Lakers training camp begins during the FIBA-Asia Championships, specifically the second round.

SBP names FIBA-Asia roster for the Philippines

The second part of the statement released by the SBP denotes the twelve that will play for the Philippines in the FIBA-Asia Championships that will take place in China later this month.

As quoted from the statement:

Coach Tab Baldwin has chosen the following basketball heroes to play and fight for glory on our road to Rio, namely:

1.    Abueva, Calvin
2.    Blatche, Andray
3.    De Ocampo, Ranidel
4.    Ganuelas, Matthew Allen
5.    Hontiveros, Donaldo
6.    Intal, John Christopher
7.    Norwood Gabriel Daniel
8.    Pingris, Jean Marc Jr.
9.    Romeo, Terrence Bill
10. Taulava, Pauliasi
11. Thoss, Joachim Gunther
12. William, Jayson

Left off the roster from the 24-man final pool aside from Jordan Clarkson are: Jimmy Alapag, Aldrech Ramos, Troy Rosario, Gary David, Moala Tautuaa, June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, Paul Lee, Kiefer Ravena, LA Tenorio, and Ray Parks.

The team is currently having practices, with the Master Gameface MVP Cup set to take place this weekend.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas statement re: Jordan Clarkson

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas released a two-pronged statement on Tuesday. The first part of the statement delves into the Jordan Clarkson situation, as noted in full below:

The vision of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is to form a national team that will be able to qualify for the 2016 Olympic games in Rio. That goal is fueled by the incomparable and inspiring love for basketball Filipinos have. We have always wanted to give our team the best possible chance, thereby instilling national pride in the hearts of our basketball crazy fans.

We did all that we could to have Jordan Clarkson join Gilas for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship but we are saddened to report that we are not able to beat the deadline to secure the necessary clearances on time.

Although we pushed the boundaries whenever possible, this process cannot be rushed if it were to be done properly. But we respectfully adhere to the schedules set by the Los Angeles Lakers whom SBP officials Ricky Vargas and Pato Gregorio met with to try to exhaust all possible options. SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios was also in Geneva to personally attend to the guidelines set by FIBA which also required more time.

The interest and passion of Jordan Clarkson himself with the full support of his family, to don the Gilas jersey serves as a reason for SBP to be hopeful. Though the doors on the 2015 FIBA Asia meet have been closed, the future of the national team program is encouraging with Clarkson’s desire to represent flag and country.

Finalizing the lineup for FIBA Asia was a challenge for Coach Tab Baldwin with the question on the availability of Jordan Clarkson looming. But now, the team shall move forward and put together a squad that will go into battle for national pride.

Jordan Clarkson himself realizes that his inclusion to the Philippine Team at this late hour may possibly distract the focus of the team.

The Los Angeles Lakers Management has allowed Jordan Clarkson to play for the Gilas Pilipinas Team as long as it will not conflict with the schedule of the NBA. Unfortunately, under this limitation, Jordan Clarkson can only participate in the elimination phase of the tournament. This scheduling issue is distinct only to the FIBA Asia Zone, and it does not occur in the other FIBA zones. By this token, we will ask FIBA Asia to consider holding the tournament in the same manner as FIBA Americas, Europe, Oceania and Africa do, that is avoiding scheduling conflict with the calendar of the NBA.

The Lakers open their training camp at the end of September, which falls into the second round of play of FIBA-Asia.

National University thrashes La Salle to kick off its UAAP women's basketball title defense

Defending champions National University opened its title retention campaign in impressive fashion on Tuesday morning, defeating La Salle, 90-78 at the lone UAAP game scheduled that day at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Lady Archers managed to keep themselves within striking distance of the Lady Bulldogs, using their full court press to prevent themselves from being blown out.

However, the ladies of head coach Patrick Aquino uncorked a 17-4 run in the second period to erect an 41-25 lead, with reigning MVP Afril Bernardino scoring almost half of those points. Although La Salle whittled the lead down to single digits heading into the halftime break, Shelly Gupilan caught fire in the third period. The national team stalwart converted three triples to push the lead to twenty, 56-36.

Aquino's shock troopers would then pad the lead to 72-46 after three quarters, before letting off the gas in the final period for the winning margin.

Bernardino finished with fifteen points to lead the Lady Bulldogs in scoring. Gupilan ended up with 11 markers, while contributing four rebounds and six assists.

Khaye Castillo led the Lady Archers with fifteen points, six rebounds, and five assists. Alyanna Vergara contributed 14 markers, with Camille Claro and Snow Peñaranda each netting 13.

Although Aquino wasn't with the team due to his commitments with the national team, he acknowledged that he was keeping tabs on them even if he was preparing for Perlas' eventual promotion to Level I in FIBA-Asia.

The next set of women's basketball games will take place on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym, with a quadruple-header spanning the entire day.

NU (90) - Bernardino 15, Nabalan 12, Gupilan 11, Abriam 9, Paig 9, Tongco 7, Itesi 6, Antiquera 5, Animam 5, Miranda 4, Sison 3, Reyes 2, Harada 2, Riel 0, Del Carmen 0, Layug 0.

La Salle (78) - Castillo 15, Vergarra 14, Claro 13, Penaranda 13, Ong 9, Abaca 7, Roxas 5, Vela 2, Dagdagan 0, Gonzales 0, Oyao 0.

Quarterscores: 23-17, 41-32, 72-46, 90-78.

UAAP Season 78 women's basketball tourney underway

Women's basketball commenced last Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym, with Adamson, UE, and UST coming out winners in the scheduled triple-header.

The Lady Falcons survived a second half burst in scoring from Bea Daez to hold on to a 62-53 win over UP in the opener, relying on Myra Osano's 7 points in the final period. Princess Cochico led Adamson with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.

Daez ended up with 18 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists to lead the Lady Maroons.

UE provided the biggest shock of the day, stunning Ateneo, 43-29 in the second game. The Lady Warriors used a zone defense to counter the Lady Eagles' height advantage, stifling their offensive groove in the process.

Ateneo managed to get themselves going in the third quarter after just scoring 7 points in the first half. Behind the heroics of Janina Go, they managed to cut the deficit down to 30-19, but the Lady Warriors responded with 9 points to give themselves the necessary cushion to pull off the upset.

Ruthlaine Tacula and Eunique Chan each had 11 for UE, while Go finished up with 14 points for Ateneo. Recent national team call-up Danica Jose was limited to just 3 points in the defeat.

The final game of the afternoon saw the Growling Tigresses rely on a team effort to ruin the debut of Bert Flores as the new head coach of the Lady Tamaraws.

Overcoming the departure of Lore Rivera, the trio of Candice Magdaluyo, Jhenn Angeles, and Shanda Anies stepped up to fill the shoes of last year's leading scorer, combining to score 49 points.

The perennial title contenders did manage to keep themselves close against the Espana-based dribbles, managing to be down just 4, 57-53, before an Angeles jumper provided the necessary space to seal the win.

Angel Arellado led FEU with 16 points, while Loraine Venutra finished with a near double-double of 9 points and 10 rebounds.

La Salle and NU, both of whom have yet to play their opening matches, will do so on Tuesday morning, 8am, at the Mall of Asia Arena.




The scores:


First Game (Women)
AdU (62) - Cochico 13, De Castro 10, Osano 9, Lacson 6, Alcoy 5, Araja 5, Aciro 5, Tacitac 4, Pingol 2, Diaz 2, Ido 0, Tabanao 0, Generoso 0, Camacho 0, Ramillano 0, Escalante 0.
UP (53) - Daez 18, Isip 10, Tatel 7, Rodas 4, Tan 4, Pesquera 4, Medina 2, Oliva 2, Franco 2, Ordoveza 0.
Quarterscores: 15-7, 30-21, 44-38, 62-53

Second Game (Women)

UE (43) - Tacula 11, Chan 11, Ano-os 5, Sto. Domingo 5, Sampaga 4, Francisco 2, Ramos 0, Gayacao 0, Mendina 0, Bale 0, Nama 0.
ADMU (29) - Go 14, Tomita 6, Aseron 4, Jose 3, Guytinco 2, Javier 0.
Quarterscores: 8-5, 21-7, 30-19, 43-29

Third Game (Women)
UST (65) - Magdaluyo 17, Angeles 16, Anies 16, Cortes 8, Felisarta 4, Larosa 2, Isanan 1, Portillo 1, Brillante 0, Penaflor 0, Capilit 0, Pernia 0, Jerez 0.
FEU (58) - Arellado 16, Ventura 9, Hortaleza 9, Ballecer 8, Castro 7, Okunlola 5, Abat 4, Baldonado 0, Adriano 0, Capua 0, Quiapo 0, Payadon 0.
Quarterscores: 19-9, 35-26, 51-39, 65-58

UST setting pace in UAAP Season 78 high school volleyball

The reigning champions of both the boys and girls division of UAAP high school volleyball had contrasting outcomes this past weekend at the Adamson Gym.

The Lady Bullpups of National University opened their title retention with a 25-21 19-25 25-10 and 25-13 victory over La Salle-Zobel last Saturday, then dispatching UE the next day, 25-21 16-25 25-10 and 25-20.

Joining NU atop the girls division is UST, as the Junior Tigresses defeated Adamson on Sunday, 25-18 25-20 and 25-17. Just behind the two is UE, with the Junior Lady Warriors managing to also defeat Adamson, 25-20 25-11 and 25-15 before their defeat to NU.

In the boys' division, the quest to secure twelve straight championships for UE opened on a disappointing note, with the Junior Warriors bowing to NU, 19-25 25-23 23-25 25-23 and 12-15 on Saturday. They did bounce back from that setback with a 25-17 25-22 and 25-20 win over La Salle-Zobel.

Like their female counterparts, UST is also undefeated so far in the early portion of the season, with wins over UPIS (25-8 25-22 and 26-24) and Ateneo (25-22 25-21 and 25-16) for a 3-0 record.

Blackwater-Perlas back home

MEMBERS of Perlas Pilipinas, headed by coach Patrick Aquino, and team manager Wilbert Loa of Blackwater, get a rousing welcome on their return home from the 2015 FIBA Asia Women’s Championship in Wuhan, China where they made history by qualifying to the elite level 1 for the first time in Philippine women's basketball. Heading the PH delegation is Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas deputy executive director Bernie Atienza, 6th left. (SBP Images)

The Philippines' senior women's national basketball team arrived in Manila on Monday, after a successful FIBA-Asia campaign in Wuhan.

Slotted in Level II, the squad better known as Blackwater-Perlas topped the group with a 4-1 record, then defeated India in the playoff to earn a promotion to Level I, which allows for the chance to compete in the upcoming FIBA World Cup for Women in 2018.

Congratulations are in order for these players, as well as the coaching staff that is led by Patrick Aquino:

Chovi Borja, Shelly Anne Gupilan, Camille Sambile, Marizze Andrea Tongco, Jack Danielle Animam, Cindy Resultay, Raiza Rose Dy, Gemma Miranda, Afril Bernardino, Allan May Lim, Sofia Isabella Roman, Merenciana Arayi

UAAP Season 78 Women's Basketball kicks off

Games today:

9am Adamson vs UP

11am Ateneo vs UE

1pm UST vs FEU

Season 78 for UAAP women's basketball kicks off at the Blue Eagle Gym, with a triple-header in tow.

Last season's finalists Far Eastern University aim to rebound from losing to NU with a match against UST to cap the day's festivities.

The Lady Tamaraws will have a new head coach, as Bert Flores is now tasked to command the Lady Tamaraws.

Hosts UP, with newly-minted Upfront host Bea Daez, will open this season against Adamson, while in between Adamson-UP and FEU-UST is Ateneo going up against UE.

Defending champion National University will open their campaign against La Salle on Wednesday morning at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The Lady Bulldogs, bannered by the Blackwater-Perlas head coach Patrick Aquino and his stalwarts Afril Bernardino and Shelly Gupilan, will face a Lady Archers side that has a new head coach in Cholo Villanueva.

Consolidated UAAP 1st round collegiate basketball schedule

All women's basketball games (which are marked in italics) will take place at the Blue Eagle Gym, unless otherwise stated. 

September 5 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum

12nn Opening Ceremony
2pm UE vs UP
4pm UST vs Adamson

September 6 at the Mall of Asia Arena

9am Adamson vs UP 
11am Ateneo vs UE
12nn La Salle vs NU
1pm UST vs FEU
4pm FEU vs Ateneo

September 8

8am NU vs La Salle at Mall of Asia Arena

September 9 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum


2pm La Salle vs UP
4pm UST vs FEU

September 12 at the Mall of Asia Arena

2pm Adamson vs Ateneo
4pm UE vs NU

September 13 at the Mall of Asia Arena

9am UST vs UP
11am Adamson vs FEU
1pm UE vs La Salle
2pm UST vs UP
3pm Ateneo vs NU
4pm La Salle vs FEU

September 16 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum

2pm UE vs Adamson
4pm NU vs Ateneo

September 17

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

September 19 at the Mall of Asia Arena

2pm Ateneo vs UE
4pm NU vs UST

September 20 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum

9am La Salle vs UP
11am UST vs Ateneo
1pm FEU vs UE
2pm Adamson vs La Salle
3pm NU vs Adamson
4pm UP vs FEU

September 23 at the Mall of Asia Arena

9am UE vs NU
11am UP vs FEU
1pm Ateneo vs La Salle
2pm FEU vs UE
3pm Adamson vs UST
4pm NU vs Adamson

September 26 at the Mall of Asia Arena

2pm UP vs NU
4pm Ateneo vs UST

September 27 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum

9am NU vs UP
11am UST vs UE
1pm Adamson vs La Salle
2pm La Salle vs UE
3pm FEU vs Ateneo
4pm Adamson vs FEU

September 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena

2pm Ateneo vs UP
4pm UST vs La Salle

October 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena

2pm Cheerdance Competition

October 4 at the Mall of Asia Arena

9am UP vs UE
11am La Salle vs UST
11am UP vs Adamson
1pm Ateneo vs Adamson
3pm FEU vs NU
4pm La Salle vs Ateneo

October 7 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum

2pm UE vs UST
4pm NU vs FEU

HS Volleyball kicks off UAAP Season 78

The 78th season of the UAAP officially opens on Saturday, but the first set of games already took place last weekend.

The Adamson Gym played host to the first set of high school volleyball games for UAAP S78 last week, and will once again be its home for this season.

UST, led by its returning veteran Eya Laure, kicked off its campaign in the girls' division with a 25-15 23-25 25-7 and 25-11 victory over UPIS. These Junior Tigresses are seeking to reclaim the championship they lost to National University a season ago.

The remaining games for girls' volleyball saw La Salle-Zobel survive FEU-Diliman, 25-17 21-25 25-21 24-26 and 15-13, while UE took care of Adamson, 25-20 25-17 24-26 25-22.

The Lady Bullpups drew a bye and did not play last Saturday. They will open their title defense against La Salle-Zobel tomorrow morning, 11am. They won't have Rica Diolan and Jasmine Nabor to defend the championship, as they both graduated and are now in NU for college, but they will have S77 MVP Faith Nisperos to rely on for the shot at a repeat.

On the boys' side, Ateneo defeated UPIS, 25-14 25-19 and 25-15; NU took care of business against FEU-Diliman, 27-25 25-21 and 25-20; and UST pipped La Salle-Zobel, 22-25 26-24 25-13 and 25-23.

All these teams are attempting to deny UE a shot at their 12th straight crown in this division. The Junior Warriors will begin their title defense against NU tomorrow, 330pm

Seven teams for ABL's Sixth Season

The ASEAN Basketball League press conference

Season Six for the ASEAN Basketball League is set to commence on October 2015, with seven teams from five nations set to participate in the lone regional basketball league in Southeast Asia.

Reigning champions Hi-Tech Bangkok City is set on making a successful ABL title defense, with last season's finalists Westports Malaysia Dragons leading the charge among the squads seeking to dethrone them.

The league will have three new teams for the upcoming season, including a couple from the returning Philippines.

Representing Mindanao in the ABL is the Pacquiao Powervit Pilipinas Aguilas, while Racal Motors- Alibaba will have its matches in Malolos, Bulacan. Completing the trio of newcomers is the Mono Vampire Basketball Club from Thailand.

The other two sides participating in the league are the Saigon Heat and the Singapore Slingers.

For more details on the ASEAN Basketball League, check the website.