NUNS formalizes Finals clash vs Adamson in HS Basketball

c/o UAAP

Game Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre

4 p.m. – AdU vs NUNS (Finals, Game 1)

NATIONAL University Nazareth School ended Far Eastern University-Diliman's reign with an 80-69 victory Wednesday in the UAAP Season 86 high school boys basketball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

"Happy ako sa kanila at ibinigay nila yung best nila, yung heart nila," said coach Kevin de Castro after the Bullpups avenged their loss to the Baby Tamaraws in the Final Four last year that ended a streak of 10 consecutive championship appearances.

"Finals appearance, hindi pa namin masyadong iniisip kasi hindi pa tapos ang goal namin. Yung main goal namin ay hanggang dulo. Tignan namin, sana maging favored sa amin ang last two games," he added.

Nigerian center Collins Akowe came through with 24 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks, while Klein Tagotongan added 12 points, four boards, and two assists.

NUNS will face top-ranked Adamson University in the best-of-three series starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday at the same San Juan arena. Both schools have also qualified for the Smart-NBTC National Finals in March.

The Bullpups were swept by the Baby Falcons in their elimination round head-to-head.

After FEU-D cut the deficit to five on a Veejay Pre jumper, Tagotongan hit a triple and Akowe scored two free throws to give NUNS a 76-66 buffer with 1:14 remaining.

Pre had a double-double of 23 points and 10 boards while Cabs Cabonilas added 13 points and six rebounds for the Baby Tamaraws.

The Scores:

NUNS (80) – Akowe 24, Tagotongan 12, Usop 10, Alfanta 9, Yusi 7, Nepacena 6, Reroma 4, Palanca 4, Cartel 2, Solomon 2, Barraca 0.

FEU-D (69) – Pre 23, Cabonilas 13, Daa 11, Miller 7, Miranda 6, Burgos 6, De Guzman 2, Godoy 1, Salangsang 0, Herbito 0, Cabigting 0.

Quarterscores: 26-16, 47-40, 61-52, 80-69

Adamson books return trip to HS Basketball finals

c/o UAAP

Adamson pulled off an 80-66 win over University of Santo Tomas to advance to the Finals of the UAAP Season 86 high school boys basketball tournament Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

Vince Reyes logged a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds and had two steals and two blocks, Mark Esperanza had 12 points and eight assists while Justine Garcia was also solid for the Baby Falcons with 11 points, six assists, and four steals.

Adamson coach Mike Fermin wanted his troops to address its first half problems in the championship round.

"Parang naulit yung game namin against NU, nanggigigil noong first half. Sabl ko, hindi naman nating kailangang talunin ng first half because it is a 40-minute game or extra," said Fermin after the San Marcelino-based squad reached the Finals for the second straight year.

"Constant reminders ko sa kanila, stay within the game plan. Noong second half nagising naman sila kaya hats off again sa mga players," he added.

It was the Tiger Cubs who dealt their only loss of the season and Reyes was simply glad that the Baby Falcons hurdled another stumbling block to achieve their ultimate goal.

"Talagang naniwala na lang kami sa mga sarili namin, nagtulungan naman kami," said Reyes, a Grade 12 senior.

Adamson will play the winner of the other Final Four between National University Nazareth School and Far Eastern University-Diliman.

After a scoreless first half, Wacky Ludovice exploded for 19 points but his effort was not enough to extend UST's campaign.

The Tiger Cubs ended their first season under coach Manu Iñigo in fourth place.

The Scores:

AdU (80) – Reyes 23, Esperanza 12, Garcia 11, Medina 11, Bonzalida 6, Abayon 5, Carillo 4, Tumaneng 4, Umali 2, De Jesus 2, Sajili 0.

UST (66) – Ludovice 19, Dungo 17, Buenaflor 8, Ronquillo 7, Manding 6, Bucsit 6, Esteban 3, Lim 0, Verzosa 0, Reyes 0, Velasquez 0, Loreto 0.

Quarterscores: 23-17, 37-27, 61-50, 80-66

Bigger Manila Hustle 3x3 assured in return

Peachy Medina, Erika Dy, and Jude Turcuato with reps from the teams present at the press conference

The second edition of Manila Hustle 3x3 is bigger and better, team organizers promise during the press conference for the competition held at the Mall of Asia branch of Microtel by Wyndham.

Tournament director Peachy Medina shares, "We want everybody to be aware of how women's basketball has developed. We like everyone to see how it has progressed."

The first edition saw twelve teams participate at Robinsons' Magnolia facility last year, with the Lady Macbeth Riots claiming the title over Army Altama in the final.

Slated to take place this Saturday and Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall, sixteen teams comprise the field, led a Gilas Women side seeking to build a core for the coming year in 3x3 basketball.

Present in the presser are a couple of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas officials in Executive Director Erika Dy and 3x3 program director Eric Altamirano. The NSA serves as the tournament's official technical partner.

Altamirano shares about the team's participation, "We wanted to use this tournament to evaluate the players in the pool and this gives us a chance to identify who can play in FIBA Asia Cup 3x3."

Dy, a noted advocate for women's basketball. adds about the tournament, "It's really when stakeholders come up with tournaments like this that contributes to the industry and that really elevates the game."

Aside from the SBP, serving as additional partners to the tournament presented by Uratex and SMART are Seiko Prospex as the official timekeeper, and B'lue for official hydration. Acting as sponsors are Titan, Wilson, Green Cross, Secret Fresh, BDO, Laurin CocoMCT, Peloton Workforce, Senka, Pinesbel Manufacturing, Tsubaki, IFern, Evercool Radiator, Home Suite Furniture, and Quality Corrugated Box Manufacturing, and Aquaflask.

Leading the local cast are losing finalists Army Altama, and Uratex, who has two teams in the field with the Kaye Pingol-led Dream and Afril Bernardino-led Tibay.

Nine teams from across the continent have confirmed participation, including Dinoman Hansol, who made it the semifinals. Japanese .EXE teams Tokyo Dime and Owls, as well as Zoos Tokyo are also seeking to spoil the local party as well.

Set to make their debuts are Unicle (Korea), Royals Basketball (Australia) and Shiv Nadar School (India), while representing ASEAN pride are Shoot It Dragons (Thailand) and Jumpshot (Singapore).

Fans interested to watch can do so through the SMART Livestream app, as well as through the Puso Pilipinas page on Facebook, with the latter and SMART Sports being Manila Hustle's media partners. Those watching at the venue can also partake of the fan zone set to be in place for the two-day tournament.

All-Star 2024 uniforms unveiled

NBA All-Star kits

What our NBA All-Stars will be strutting in Indianapolis is now officially available locally.

Outfitted by Jordan Brand for the seventh straight season, 2024 NBA-All Star Game uniforms highlight the great basketball history of the state of Indiana while also returning to nostalgic feels with the red and blue uniforms, while also featuring Nike's Dri-FIT ADV technology.

The addition of pinstripes is inspired by the previous Pacers uniforms in the late 90s until early 00s, which saw them become Eastern Conference champions and make the NBA Finals.

Other features in the kits include:

• This season's NBA All-Star logo being featured prominently in front, which weaves in racing stripes to pay homage to Indianapolis. It is also on the side of the shorts, with a large circle around it, as a way of honoring the city's Monument Circle, which surrounds the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at the city center.
• Surrounding the All-Star logo on the shorts are six stars, which represents the twelve All-Stars on each roster.
• Five stars on the side of the jersey represents the five players on the court for one team.
• Just above the black jock tag is "73rd Annual," serving as an anthem graphic.
• The "ASG" ligature mark located on the belt buckle is inspired by the graphical origins of basketball.

Complementing the uniforms are old-school, Hoosier-inspired warm-ups.

Make sure to check these out at both physical NBA Stores in SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia, as well as through NBAStore.com.ph.

You can watch the 73rd NBA All-Star Weekend next week across One Sports, NBA TV Philippines, and Pilipinas Live, and on NBA League Pass.

POC recognizes Padel Pilipinas

Padel Pilipinas President Pia Cayetano with coach Bryan Casao

Earlier this week, the Philippine Olympic Committee gave its blessing on Padel Pilipinas as the official padel federation in the Philippines.

In a letter addressed to the International Padel Federation, POC president Bambol Tolentino writes, "Padel Pilipinas has been actively conducting clinics and trainings all over the country. Likewise, the construction of public courts to ensure accessibility to all are underway. I am confident that through the consistent efforts and unwavering dedication of Padel Pilipinas, padel will continue to grow in our country, one locality at a time."

In securing the recognition, Padel Pilipinas Secretary-General Duane Santos shares, "We are happy to receive the trust and support of the POC, the governing body of all National Sports Associations (NSAs) in the Philippines."

He adds, "Under Senator Pia Cayetano's leadership and our team of Filipino coaches, we are committed to prioritizing a grassroots padel program in the country. We will continue to bring the sport closer to more Filipinos."

Santos highlights their talent identification program as a means of finding outstanding players. He notes, "Padel Pilipinas will nurture athletes’ potential and field the very best Filipino athletes in international competitions. The federation will also continue to forge international partnerships to learn from them and to elevate the game of padel in the country. We truly believe that anyone can play padel - from a beginner with zero experience to a pro athlete who wants to compete internationally."

Cayetano, who serves as the president of the organization, says, "I’ve always been a believer that sports is the great equalizer. Through sports, deserving kids can get a good education through scholarships. They get to meet, train with and compete against equally determined and talented individuals outside of their schools and hometowns. Sometimes they’ll win, sometimes they’ll lose. But as long as they get up, they’ll keep getting better. This builds character. It's part of nation-building."

In building up the sport further, Padel Pilipinas has taken the route of having partnerships with local government units to get more people to take up padel.

Bryan Casao, who has a certification from Spain-based PadelMBA, specifically notes that the group has visited Tarlac, Pampanga, Laguna, Batangas, Bataan, and Aurora.

SBP encouraging Basketball for Good applications

As FIBA unveils its Propose a Project program, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is encouraging basketball enthusiasts nationwide to participate.

Through FIBA Foundation, whose ethos is "that basketball can serve as a catalyst to empower, educate, and inspire youth through the implementation of Basketball For Good projects all over the world," establishing said program allows it to put that into practice.

For 2023, 42 projects from 35 countries got greenlit, and for this coming year, interested parties have until March 31 to send their applications, which has to fit any of these five categories: Basketball for Health and Wellbeing, for Equality and Inclusion, for Culture and Education, for Peace and Conflict Resolution, or for Climate and Environment.

Upon approval, these supported projects will receive financial, equipment, and/or mentoring support, while also joining the Basketball For Good community where there are additional opportunities for exchange, mentoring and support can be obtained.

In sharing this development, SBP Executive Director Erika Dy says, "We at the SBP would like to encourage all basketball stakeholders in the Philippines to apply for the grant. We are aware that many Filipinos are already using basketball for good and we would like them to tap into FIBA Foundation’s resources to push their projects forward and maximize the impact in their respective communities."

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is calling on basketball enthusiasts all over the country to apply for FIBA Foundation’s “Propose a Project” program.

Interested parties can check out the guidelines on this link. It also requires a letter of support from the SBP, which you can reach by emailing info@sbp.ph.

Dela Rosa spearheads Gilas Women at WPBA 3x3

Kacey dela Rosa

Gilas Women will have two teams at the upcoming Invitational WPBA 3x3, which kicks off on Monday.

About their participation in this competition, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas program director for 3x3 Eric Altamirano shares, "We’re grateful for the PBA for giving us this chance to evaluate our talent pool as we plot a new start for the 3x3 program in the country."

Leading the cast in Gilas A is Kacey dela Rosa, recently named as the UAAP Most Valuable Player this past season in 5x5, and is perceived as potentially a foundational piece for the national team in both disciplines.

Joining her there are fellow Ateneans Trina Guytingco and Hazelle Yam, with National University standouts Mikka Cacho and Kristine Cayabyab completing the squad.

Jhazmin Joson, Kacey's teammate in both Ateneo and Gilas Women, leads Gilas B, which is comprised of Monique del Carmen, Snow Penaranda, Luisa San Juan, and April Tano.

Serving as opposition in this six-team field are Uratex Dream, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy, and Angelis Resort in this six-team field.

The tournament begins on Jan. 22-23 at Ayala Malls Circuit Makati, on Jan. 29-30 at Ayala Malls Market! Market!, and on Feb. 5-6 at Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

The top four teams from the three legs will advance to the knockout playoffs, set to take place on Feb. 19 at Ayala Malls Glorietta.

Uratex ready for WPBA 3x3

Uratex Dream

With the PBA reviving its women's program through the Invitational WPBA 3x3, it marks a new field to conquer for Uratex.

The firm is fielding one of its teams for the upcoming competition, which is comprised of three legs integrated into the league's ongoing 3x3 campaign.

Team owner Peachy Medina shares, "It’s a longtime coming and we’re happy to be part of the rise of women’s 3x3 basketball on the local front. We’re just happy to compete and we’ll make sure to give it our all in the WPBA 3x3."

Uratex Dream is led by Kaye Pingol, who is the fifth-ranked Filipina 3x3 player in the country, complemented by Sam Harada, Eunique Chan, Shanda Anies, Cecilia Junsay, and April Siat.

Serving as the main foil for the Dream are the Gilas Women, which will field a couple of teams. Completing the field are Angelis Resort, the Philippine Air Force, and the Philippine Navy.

The first leg of the Invitational WPBA 3x3 will take place on January 22-23 at the Ayala Malls Circuit Makati, followed by the second leg on January 29-30 at Ayala Malls Market! Market!. The final leg is scheduled on February 5-6 at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

The top four teams will advance to the knockout playoffs scheduled on February 19 at Ayala Malls Glorietta.

Manila Hustle set for second season

Back for a second try

Manila Hustle is back for a second season, as the purely women's 3x3 competition is set to take place next month.

Teams from all over the Asia-Pacific region are set to flock over to the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall this coming February 3-4, with $3,000 cash prize awaiting the champion of this invitational presented by Uratex and SMART.

Uratex once again will field two teams (Dream and Tibay) in the competition, while Gilas Pilipinas Women highlights the local field. The team helmed by Patrick Aquino is expected to have the core of inaugural champions Macbeth on its call.

The Lady Riots defeated Army Altama in the final, 21-11, behind the efforts of eventual Most Valuable Player Kacey dela Rosa.

Aside from these four teams, comprising the local contingent are Titans, Discovery Perlas, and Bluefire LPG.

Providing some international flavor are returnees Dinoman Hansol of Korea, Owls.EXE and Zoos Tokyo of Japan, Shoot It Dragons of Thailand, and Jumpshot of Singapore.

Completing the sixteen-team field are Tokyo Dime of Japan, Unicle of Korea, Royals Basketball of Australia, and Shiv Nadar School of India.

Serving as Manila Hustle 3x3 sponsors are Titan, Wilson, Green Cross, Secret Fresh, Aquaflask, Laurin CocoMCT, Peloton Workforce, Senka, Pinesbel Manufacturing, Tsubaki, IFern, Evercool Radiator, Home Suite Furniture, and Quality Corrugated Box Manufacturing. The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas acts as its official technical partner, with Seiko as the official timekeeper and B'lue as the official hydration partner.

NBTC Coaches Convention set for return

coming back

With things stabilizing post-pandemic, the National Basketball Training Center is set to revive its Coaching Convention later this year.

Established in 2011, Filipino tacticians worldwide will be headed to both the SM Mall of Asia Arena and the CCF Center on March 21-23, coinciding with the SMART-NBTC National Finals. They will have the chance to pick the brains and build networks of their peers and fellow instructors.

For this upcoming iteration of one of the NBTC's foremost projects, it is in collaboration with Coaches Academy of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, which under the mentorship of Jong Uichico. Having the organization enables the convention to secure a wider reach, extending towards the provinces and getting those mentors equipped with the tools necessary to develop the next generation of Filipinos everywhere.

In revealing this partnership, NBTC program director Eric Altamirano shares, "It’s an honor for the NBTC to partner with the SBP Coaches Academy in this noble endeavor. We’re happy for the return of the NBTC Coaches Convention since the pandemic happened and it’s part of our vision to not only focus on the youth, but also the coaches who are their stewards as we hope to mold future leaders through the sport of basketball."

Last held in 2019, over a thousand coaches were involved, with former NBA player Metta World Peace, as well as top-caliber coaches Tab Baldwin and Rob Beveridge sharing their insights.

Erika Dy named as SBP Executive Director

From L-R: Vice President Ricky Vargas, Executive Director Erika Dy, President Al Panlilio (c/o SBP)

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Monday officially appointed Erika Dy as its Executive Director by holding a ceremonial signing alongside President Al Panlilio and Vice President Ricky Vargas.

Fresh from her Deputy Director responsibilities at the FIBA World Cup, Dy will now serve as lead implementor of the SBP's programs and oversee its strategic planning, all of which will be in line with FIBA's continued push to grow the sport.

This is in conjunction with her recently-appointed role in FIBA as its chair of the Legal Commission.

Panlilio says about Dy, "We’re very excited to work with Erika as she brings new energy into the federation. We worked closely with her during the FIBA Basketball World Cup and saw up close what she brought to the table. With her experience as a basketball player, a coach, a sports advocate, and one of the primary implementers of the World Cup, we know she is capable of broadening the imprint of the SBP."

On her part, Erika says, "It’s an honor to be entrusted by the SBP with this role. Basketball has been a huge part of my life and I’m thankful to be given the opportunity to give back to the sport and the basketball community. The SBP has done so much since its founding led by Chairman Emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan and it is exciting to join the federation at such a pivotal time."

Prior to her FIBA World Cup commitments, Dy represented Ateneo in the UAAP as a member of the Board of Managing Directors, which included her role as chair of the league's Licensing Committee. She was a former player and head coach for the Blue Eagles in women's basketball and served the school in an administrative capacity as its Assistant Athletic Director.

In addition, she also has a Master's Degree in Sports Management from Columbia University and is a California-licensed attorney.

Dy has already hit the ground running with her new responsibilities, being present at the recent turnover ceremony for one of the FIBA World Cup courts to the Philippine Sports Commission, as well as collaborating with key basketball officials under its umbrella, including Jong Uichico (Coaches Academy), Norman Black (Grassroots), Eric Altamirano (3x3), and Anton Gonzales (Institutional Support).

Akowe leads HS Boys MVP race

c/o UAAP

Standings W L

Adamson 7 0

NUNS 5 2

UST 4 3

FEU-D 4 3

UE 3 4

Ateneo 3 4

DLS-Z 2 5

UPIS 0 7

Games Sunday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre

9 a.m. - DLSZ vs UE

11 a.m. - UPIS vs Ateneo

1 p.m. - NUNS vs FEU-D

3 p.m. - Adamson vs UST

After one round of the UAAP Season 86 High School Boys Basketball Tournament, foreign student-athlete Collins Akowe has been far and away the most outstanding one of the bunch.

The eighteen-year-old Grade 11 big man of NU-Nazareth School has averaged 17.71 points, 21.86 rebounds, 1.86 assists, and three blocks so far this season, yielding a league-leading 101.0 statistical points.

His efforts has helped the Bullpups to solo second with a 5-2 record, a couple of games behind undefeated Adamson.

Gilas Youth call-up Kieffer Alas is a far second behind the Nigerian with his 91.0 SPs.

The Grade 10 standout from La Salle-Zobel is following up his mythical team nod from the FIBA Under-16 Asian Championships with a sterling 21.43 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.86 assists, and 1.29 steals after one round.

In third place is Kristian Porter of Ateneo with 89.857, just nipping Daryl Valdeavilla of UPIS and his 89.714. The Blue Eaglet is netting a double-double with 17.71 points and 16.14 rebounds, while also adding 1.57 assists and 2.57 steals, while the Junior Maroon has been stacking up 26.14 points, 5.71 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.0 steals. The two will be facing off to help kick off the second round on Sunday morning at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

Completing the top five is Andrei Dungo of the University of Santo Tomas with 70.571 SPs. The transfer from San Beda is anchoring the Tiger Cubs' offense with 11.14 points, 8.29 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.14 steals.

The highlight of the Sunday slate sees the Bullpups face off against the defending champions FEU-Diliman at 1pm. At 4-3, the Baby Tamaraws are hoping to pull themselves in level terms with a victory.

Also notable is the final match scheduled at 3pm, with the undefeated Baby Falcons going up against UST, with the latter also seeking to be in contention for the twice-to-beat advantage.

Kicking off the quadruple-header is La Salle-Zobel against UE at 9am, with all four matches set to be broadcast via Pilipinas Live.

Second round HS volleyball action set to kick off 2024 for the UAAP

c/o UAAP

Standings

Boys

UE 7 0

NUNS 6 1

FEU-D 5 2

Adamson 4 3

UST 3 4

DLS-Z 2 5

UPIS 1 6

Ateneo 0 7

Girls

Adamson 6 0

FEU-D 5 1

UST 4 2

NUNS 3 3

DLS-Z 2 4

Ateneo 1 5

UPIS 0 6

Games Saturday at the Adamson Gym

10 a.m. – UPIS vs DLS-Z (Girls)

12 noon – UPIS vs UST (Boys)

2 p.m. – UE vs FEU-D (Boys)

4 p.m. – Adamson vs UST (Girls)

Undefeated teams UE and Adamson seek to extend their winning runs on Saturday, with the start of the second round of UAAP Season 86 High School Volleyball tournament at the Adamson Gym.

The Baby Falcons caps off the scheduled quadruple header against the University of Santo Tomas at 4pm, hoping that their form extends into the new year after a three-week holiday break.

The Junior Tigresses are hoping to move up in the girls' standings, with their 4-2 record in third place.

As for the other girls' matchup, La Salle-Zobel hopes to get themselves into the postseason chase against UPIS at 10am, kickstarting the year off for the league.

With the Junior Warriors, they hope to put some distance against the rest of the field as they go up against defending champions FEU-Diliman at 2pm. 

Completing the Saturday slate is UST against UPIS at noon, with the Junior Tiger Spikers also seeking to improve their postseason positioning at the expense of the Junior Maroons.

Meanwhile, a tripleheader comprises the Sunday slate at the same venue, highlighted by defending champions NU-Nazareth going up against FEU-Diliman in the lone girls matchup at noon.

As for the boys, kicking off the action is La Salle-Zobel against winless Ateneo at 10am, with NUNS capping off the day against hosts Adamson at 2pm.

Matches are expected to be shown on Pilipinas Live for both days.