Gilas Women seeks strong finish at FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup

The Philippines seeks to secure a strong finish at the 2024 edition of the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup on Sunday inside the Singapore Sports Hub.

Gilas Women has won all five of their assignments so far. They survived qualifying with victories over Tahiti (21-3), Maldives (19-11), and Kazakhstan (21-12) to earn a spot in pool play, where they took care of business against Mongolia and Malaysia.

Jhazmin Joson got hot from deep against the former, finishing up with eleven points anchored on four two-point buckets, in a 19-8 win.

Gilas Women scored the first five points of the match and never looked back, erecting a 10-3 lead with five minutes left, raising it to 17-7 after a Kaye Pingol two-pointer with 126 seconds left. A free throw from Joson capped the score for the Filipinas with thirteen seconds left.

As for the latter, they followed a similar playbook. They racked up a 5-1 lead on their way to a 17-10 triumph. This time, it was a balanced scoring effort. Joson still led the quartet with six points, but both Mikka Cacho and Pingol netted four each, with Clarin scoring the remaining three points. The National University standout also added six rebounds in the effort.

Although they misfired from deep against their ASEAN neighbors with their 1/7 performance behind the arc, Gilas Women made up for it with their effort inside, going 15/26. They also made it difficult for their opposition, forcing thirteen turnovers.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas program chief for 3x3 Eric Altamirano says about Gilas Women's success so far and what lies ahead, "We’re thrilled with our victories against the tough and experienced teams from Mongolia and Malaysia. Now, our focus shifts to Chinese Taipei, who put up a strong fight against China in the main draw. It’s time to maintain our focus and give it our all in the upcoming match in the quarterfinals."

Gilas Women assistant coach Mark Solano shares about the team getting extra motivation in their opening pool play matchup against Mongolia, "When we were preparing for our game vs the Mongolians, the (PH) ladies were all pumped up especially when they learned that there are two Olympians on that team. It added fuel to their fire. Kaya nung pag-check ball pa lang and we blazed into a 5-0 start, the ladies never looked back. Doon nagulat din ang Mongolia with our speed, toughness and yung pagiging pesky natin sa defense. Sobrang big factor din that we are making our 2-pt shots."

Solano adds, "During the Malaysia game, we knew them already kasi we had a lot of tune-ups with them when they went to Manila."

Things will now be different as they enter into the knockout rounds, with Chinese-Taipei as their quarterfinal opponent at 110pm. The team managed to extend China into overtime during pool play, falling short, 9-11, after leading by 8-6 late.

They did manage to earn their spot into the next round with an 18-8 victory over hosts Singapore.

Solano shares about that matchup, "As we prepare for Chinese Taipei, we told the ladies to just stick to what we are doing, the process of what we are doing. We’re going to have some adjustments kaya non-stop scouting kami ng mga coaches."

A chance to play two more games beckons for the winner of the quarterfinals matchup, with the winner of the matchup between Japan and New Zealand waiting in the wings later in the day.

Matches can be streamed through the FIBA 3x3 YouTube account, as well as through Pilipinas Live.

FEU extends winning run to six in UAAP Football

c/o UAAP

Far Eastern University rode on the heroics of Sherwin Basindanan to secure the win against Ateneo de Manila University in the UAAP Season 86 Men's Football Tournament on Sunday night at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.

The veteran winger converted a header five minutes into second half injury time to emerge as winners, bucking a personnel disadvantage in the second half to claim all three points.

In reflecting about the victory, head coach Albert Besa shares, "It came at a crucial time; he’s been very hungry for this goal and it showed. The last one was actually a team goal, it was great that he was able to convert, and it was a glancing header — one of the hardest things to do."

He adds, "The boys had a great performance and we were able to come out with a win. There was a little mishap and we were down ten men but they really showed the attitude that they didn’t want to lose or even lose so they went all out."

The defending champions went ahead first, as Karl Absalon scored his fourth goal of the season after 36 minutes. But the happiness was short-lived as Khent Velasquez's foul just before halftime warranted a straight red card.

Ateneo would eventually find an equalizer in the 77th minute, as Kofi Agyei scored his seventh goal of the season.

But FEU found a way to steal all three points thanks to Basindanan's clutch performance, extending their winning streak to six matches and a +11 goal difference. They will be back in action on April 11, as they face Adamson at 4pm at the same venue.

Ateneo remains in third place with fourteen points, but their goal difference drops to +8 due to their second defeat of the campaign. They resume action at the same date against the University of Santo Tomas at 6pm.

UST nips La Salle in UAAP Men's Football

c/o UAAP

University of Santo Tomas kicked off its second round campaign in the UAAP Season 86 Men's Football Tournament with a 2-1 victory over La Salle on Sunday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.

The Golden Booters scored in each half to secure the victory over the Green Booters, with Justine Marquez scored the opening goal in the 44th minute.

Kyler Escobar then doubled the advantage in the 69th minute, thanks to a long diagonal assist from Archie Beluga.

La Salle managed to cut the deficit to a single goal after Paolo Go converted a free kick into a goal in the 81st minute, but they were never able to find the equalizer.

The closest that they could muster was during injury time, but Christian Penalosa's free kick attempt went in vain.

Head coach Marjo Allado shared afterwards, "Yung first game namin sa UAAP is must win. If La Salle kase manalo maiiwan kami so sa start nami ng first round diba talo so gusto namin umpisahan na ung second round na manalo ung team namin."

He adds, "Kahit mga 1st year rookies’ kayo pero sa abilities ninyo kaya nyo ung mga team eh, it’s a matter of confidence. Good game for us, maganda siya kase La Salle pa tinalo. Ung performance nila nag improve from the first round."

The victory puts UST into fourth place with ten points and a +3 goal difference, dropping their victims to fifth with nine points and a negligible GD.

Both teams will be back in action when the league resumes play after the Holy Week break at the UP Diliman Football Stadium on April 4.

UST faces UE at 4pm, followed by DLSU against Adamson at 6pm.

Ateneo repeats over UP in UAAP women's volleyball

c/o UAAP

Katipunan remains blue in women's volleyball.

Ateneo de Manila University bested their neighbors the University of the Philippines, 25-14 25-20 25-15 to bolster their hopes of a strong stretch run in the UAAP Season 86 Women's Volleyball Tournament on Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Lasting just 84 minutes, it was a stark contrast to their first round meeting, where the Blue Eagles came back from losing the opening two sets to emerge as 22-25 20-25 25-22 25-17 15-9 winners.

Head coach Sergio Veloso shared to the media afterwards, "I'm so happy! These past two weeks were so challenging; we played four times, but most importantly, our performance remained at the same level. In all these matches, the players played very well."

Team skipper Roma Mae Doromal adds, "I’m very happy sa performance ng team and hopefully sa susunod na games namin mas maging aggressive pa kami and i-embrace pa namin yung system ni Coach Sergio, and hopefully makuha talaga namin yung Final Four."

After falling short against the University of Santo Tomas, where they managed to take the Tigresses to the limit, Ateneo was able to sustain their high level of play against the Maroons, managing to start the third set with a 14-6 lead after taking the first couple of sets.

Geezel Tsunashima led the way with sixteen points off 13/27 attacks and three blocks. She also added six digs.

Providing additional offense is Sobe Buena with ten points, while AC Miner and Lyann de Guzman each contributed eight markers.

Doromal chipped in with thirteen receptions and eight digs for the Blue Eagles, who move up to solo fifth place at 3-6, a game and a half behind 4-4 Far Eastern University, who happens to be their next opponent on April 4.

Steph Bustrillo led UP with eight points as they drop to 1-8. The Maroons will try to bounce back as they face La Salle also on that same date.

NU ends 12-year baseball Final Four wait

c/o UAAP

The drought is over for National University.

The Bulldogs emphatically ended a twelve-year drought with a 10-0 shutout against the University of Santo Tomas on Sunday at the UAAP Season 86 Baseball Tournament.

Starter Amiel de Guzman unleashed a three-hit shutout in a complete game effort, allowing hits to Justine Rosales in the opening inning, John Raymond Vargas in the sixth, and Mark Joseph Cabase in the eighth.

A five-run fourth inning broke the game open for the Bulldogs, highlighted by a combination of four hits, including a Nigel Paule triple to right-center, as well as Golden Sox errors.

Additional runs in the fifth and eighth innings provided the ninth and tenth runs for the Bustillos-based side, which invokes the mercy-rule.

The win moves NU into a tie with La Salle atop the league at 6-3, while UST drops back under .500 at 4-5 with their third straight defeat. It is the first time that they have returned to the postseason since Season 74, when they won the championship. It also happened to be the last season the UAAP had a Final Four postseason format.

Head coach Romar Landicho shares afterwards, "Pasalamat rin ako sa boys, sa mga coaches ko, at sa management na talagang inattain namin magkaroon ng goal, which is pumasok muna sa Final Four; at nakuha naman namin."

NU will conclude its elimination round against Adamson at 8am, while UST faces La Salle at 3pm.

The Lines:

NU   2 1 0 5 1 0 0 1 x - 10 8 0

UST 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 x - 0 3 6

La Salle secures Final Four in UAAP baseball

c/o UAAP

La Salle pipped archrivals Ateneo on Sunday morning, 6-5, to kick off the tripleheader scheduled at the UP Baseball Field for the UAAP Season 86 Baseball tournament inside the Diliman campus.

JR Samuel netted a two-RBI single at the top of the eighth inning to overcome a 4-5 deficit.

Ateneo relief pitcher Gab Francisco hit a couple of La Salle players, forcing the coaches to yank him to Joshua de Juras, who then intentionally walked Lord Aragorn de Vera to load the bases.

De Juras would force an out from Shinji Kajihara, but Samuel's heroics reflect the final tally.

DLSU head coach Joseph Orillana shares, "Sabi ko strong start tayo, ganun naman nangyari, pero sumunod na-hold na kami ng pitcher."

He adds, "Sabi ko lang rin, tiyagain natin, pitch by pitch at hintayin natin manghina 'yung pitcher. 'Yun nga nangyari, sunud-sunod 'yung hit by pitch niya at nung napalitan siya, ginawan lang namin ng paraan."

The defending champions got off to a strong start, taking advantage of Manuel Senador's struggles with the strike zone to score four runs.

But the Blue Eagles would find their footing by scoring five runs in the next couple of innings to move ahead, 5-4 after three innings, thanks to Joaquin Mendoza and Ethan Mitschiener.

Both teams then shut down each other until the eighth inning.

La Salle's win moves them up to 6-3, becoming the first team this season to book a spot in the postseason.

Ateneo drops down to 5-4, with their three-game winning streak snapped.

The Lines:

La Salle 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 - 6 4 3

Ateneo   0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 5 11 3

Adamson punches ticket to softball Finals

c/o UAAP

Adamson solidified its quest for an eleventh straight UAAP title in softball after a 5-0 shutout victory over La Salle at the UP Baseball Field inside the Diliman campus, anchoring their performance with a couple of home runs.

Khrisha Cantor legged out a solo inside-the-park homer in the second inning, while pinch-hitter Mary Jane Libaton contributed hers in the sixth inning.

Angelu Gabriel and Alaiza Talisik each netted hits for the Lady Falcons, while also managing to eventually touch home.

Even with the victory, their sixteenth straight dating back to last season, head coach Ana Santiago still thinks there is room for improvement.

She says, "Medyo mababa 'yung opensa namin ngayon but a win is a win."

When about about their final match of the eliminations against UST, Santiago notes, "Let's see kung paano kami maglalaro against (University of Santo Tomas) kasi no-bearing na sa 'min. Pero kahit no-bearing na, we'll treat it like any other game, kasi ang preparation namin is for the Finals na. Kung paano kami maglalaro against UST will show how we'll play sa Finals."

The Green Archers finish their season with a 1-7 record, but their gallant stand made it difficult for the Lady Falcons to manufacture runs.

In the other matchup, the University of the Philippines rode on a three-run fifth inning to secure a 4-1 victory over UST.

Generose Torremocha and Danica Aquino's hits got them on base, with a couple of errors eventually getting them home. powered those runs to break the game open, with Ricca Vispo adding the other run to erect a 4-0 lead.

This was a half-inning after the Fighting Maroons got consecutive fly ball outs to hold off the Tiger Softbelles, who had Jojielyn Lim and Shyla Celis in scoring position to potentially tie the game or even snatch the lead.

Ron Pagkaliwagan shared afterwards, "Sinabi ko lang sa kanila na maniwala sila sa sarili nila na kaya nila. Kahit pa national team 'yung kalaban, kaya naman naming lumaban. Ito nga 'yung resulta."

The win moves UP to a game back of UST heading into the final round of the eliminations on April 3.

The Maroons will need to win their match against Ateneo at 3pm, then hope that Adamson defeats UST at 5pm to force a playoff for the second finals spot.

The Lines:

La Salle   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 1 4

Adamson 0 1 2 0 0 2 x - 5 5 3

UP   1 0 0 0 3 0 0 - 4 5 4

UST 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 1 3 5

FEU survives DLSU in men's volleyball marathon

c/o UAAP

Men

NU 7 1

FEU 7 1

DLSU 5 3

Ateneo 4 4

UST 4 4

AdU 4 4

UE 1 7

UP 0 8

Games Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum

10 a.m. – UP vs Ateneo (Men)

12 noon – UST vs NU (Men)

2 p.m. – UP vs Ateneo (Women)

4 p.m. – UST vs NU (Women)

Dryx Saavedra and Martin Bugaoan linked up in the fifth set to push Far Eastern University over De La Salle University in a lengthy battle, 16-25, 25-21, 34-32, 20-25, 15-8, in the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Volleyball Tournament at the SMART Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.

Saavedra delivered three while Bugaoan had two in the Tamaraws’ 8-2 start in the deciding frame on their way to the hard-earned victory in two hours and 22 minutes.

Saavedra and Bugaoan finished with 20 points apiece for the 7-1 FEU, still tied with National University atop the standings at 7-1.

“Grabe yung ginawa ng La Salle, yung game na ‘yun nobody’s game kahit sinong manalo well-deserved,” said Tamaraws head coach Eddieson Orcullo. “Salamat sa La Salle na ganon yung ginawa nilang laban sa amin nakita namin kung hanggang saan yung capacity ng bawat isa sa amin.”

Vince Maglinao, who ended up with 19 points and 11 receptions, willed the Green Spikers to a fifth set, leading them early in the fourth en route to the 25-20 win.

La Salle slid down to 5-3, still at solo third and a game above Ateneo de Manila University, University of Santo Tomas, and Adamson University all at 4-4.

Jayjay Javelona top-scored for the Tamaraws with 21 points on 15 spikes, three blocks, and three aces, while Andrei Delicana, who nailed the game-clinching hit, added 13 points.

Ariel Cacao was also solid for the Tamaraws by tossing in 24 excellent sets.

FEU’s next game will be on April 4 against Ateneo at the SM Mall of Asia Arena at 12 p.m.

JM Ronquillo dropped 20 points for La Salle, which will be going up against University of the Philippines on April 4 as well at 10 a.m.

Noel Kampton supplied 19 points while Billie Anima had 13.

La Salle pounds Adamson in UAAP baseball

c/o UAAP

La Salle unleashed a nine-run fifth inning on their way to a 13-4 victory against Adamson to cap off the Thursday triple-header in the UAAP Season 86 Baseball Tournament at the UP Baseball Field inside the Diliman campus.

With the match level at four runs apiece, Pio Villamiel led things off with a double to left-center, followed up by a JR Samuel single.

A throwing error by the Soaring Falcons allowed both Villamiel and Samuel to score, retaking the lead for the Green Batters. Both batters managed to get another at-bat during the inning, in the process seeing the defending champions score seven more runs.

Samuel would finish with a hit on each of his four at-bats, while also putting a bow to the victory through a pitching appearance to close out the match.

Reigning Finals MVP Joshua Pineda contributed to the victory with a no-hit, eight-strikeout performance in four and two-third innings pitched.

Head coach Joseph Orillana shared post-game, "After nung talo namin sa NU, ang sabi ko lang sa kanila, yung last three games namin, must win. Hindi na pwedeng loss ulit kasi 'yan ang pwedeng maglagay sa 'min sa alanganin sa top four."

He adds, "So ang gameplan namin is to win every game. As much as possible, 'yung last three games namin maipanalo namin kung gusto naming ma-secure 'yung top four, or even top two."

Thanks to this victory, La Salle moves into a tie atop the standings with Ateneo and NU at 5-3. They will face the Blue Eagles on Sunday morning with the winner clinching a postseason berth.

Adamson drops to 2-6 with the defeat and are set to face the University of the Philippines that same night.

The Lines:

DLSU   0 4 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 - 13 12 5 

AdU   1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 -  4  6  4

NU claims share of UAAP baseball lead

c/o UAAP

NATIONAL University asserted its mastery over the University of the Philippines, securing an 8-4 victory for its second consecutive win and fifth overall in the UAAP Season 86 Baseball tournament on Thursday at the latter's home field in Diliman, Quezon City.

The Bulldogs, who rose to a share of the lead at 5-3 with the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, sent the Fighting Maroons to a 3-5 win-loss record, placing them in fifth place.

The Bustillos-based squad needed to fight after falling behind early.

"I just told the boys that this is a nine-inning game, so even if we're behind, we keep fighting every inning. That's the mentality of the boys now," said NU head coach Romar Landicho.

The never-give-up mentality from the Bulldogs was evident after they faced 0-2 and 2-3 deficits heading into the fifth inning, as they took charge against the Fighting Maroons in that frame.

NU tied the game under the easiest of circumstances, as a passed ball followed by a throwing error from UP catcher Eman Javier allowed John Kiel Olazo, who had previously hit a base hit, to score freely.

From there, the Bulldogs capitalized on hits from Nigel Paule, Julius Cesar Soriano, and Kenneth Maulit, and took advantage of another miscue—this time from shortstop Aaron Nicha—to gather three more runs for a 6-3 lead.

The Fighting Maroons, playing as the visitors on their home field, managed to score one run in the seventh inning, with captain Ian Mercado crossing the plate off a sacrifice fly to center field from Mark Liwanagan.

However, another fielding error in their defensive side of the same frame handed back the three-point lead to NU at 7-4.

Bulldog Jherick Timban continued the momentum on the mound where MJ Carolino left off, retiring all four batters he faced -- two of them via strikeouts.

Carolino limited UP to six hits and a single earned run after the latter had produced 14 against UST in the previous outing.

The Lines:

UP   0 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 - 4 6 7

NU  0 0 1 1 4 0 1 1 x - 8 8 4

Ateneo upends UST in battle of baseball co-leaders

c/o UAAP

Ateneo de Manila University got themselves a hot streak going, securing a 10-8 victory against co-leaders University of Santo Tomas in second round action of the UAAP Season 86 Baseball tournament on Thursday at the UP Baseball Field.

Head coach Bocc Bernardo shares, "What's been working is that these guys are playing as a team. Our rotations are working, even our bench is working, everybody is contributing to the team. We know UST is a very tough team and we know we need to win this game to secure our Final Four slot or even make it safer for us."

Enzo Montemayor went 4/6 to lead the offensive for the Blue Eagles, with all but a couple of batters managing to get a hit against the Golden Sox.

With Ateneo trailing after five innings, 3-4, Luis Capati kickstarted a three-run sixth inning that allowed the Blue Eagles to retake the lead for good. Magsadia then hits a triple to score Capati, while a ground rule double allows Magsadia to touch home.

A successful attempt from Ethan Mitschiener to steal second base allowed Casanova to score to make it 6-4.

On the mound, Joshua de Juras fanned seven batters en route to a complete game on the mound, managing to hold UST to a single earned run in the first eight innings, including just a couple of hits between the fourth and eighth innings.

Ateneo provided de Juras with insurance run support, as they scored at least a run in the subsequent three innings. 

With the victory, Ateneo moved into the provisional lead at 5-3, while UST drops down to 4-4 as they lose back-to-back matches.

The Lines:

Ateneo  3 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 1 - 10 12 4

UST      0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 -   8  8  6

Adamson creeps closer to Finals berth in softball

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 86 Softball Standings

AdU 6-0

UST 5-1

UP 3-3

DLSU 1-6

Ateneo 1-6

Baseball Games Thursday at the UP Baseball Field)

7:30 a.m. - UST vs Ateneo

3 p.m. - NU vs UP

6 p.m. - AdU vs DLSU

Adamson remained undefeated in softball to six games so far with a dominant 10-0 shutout of Ateneo in one of the two scheduled matches at the UAAP Season 86 tournament being held at the UP Baseball Field inside the Diliman campus on Wednesday.

The Lady Falcons needed four innings to take care of business against the Blue Eagles, scoring nine runs in the first couple of them, including triples from Angelu Gabriel, MJ Maguad, and Aliza Pichon that netted six runs in the second.

Gabriel, Maguad, Roma Cruz, Rem Herrero, and Alaiza Talisik, contributed a couple of hits each, with Adamson peppering Ateneo's defense with thirteen hits.

On the mound, Glory Alonzo and April Minanga combined to force zero hits from the Blue Eagles.

Assistant coach Sherylou Valenzuela took charge of the Lady Falcons in this one, with Ana Santiago being honored at the PSC Women in Sports Awards night slated that day. She shares, post-match, "Wala pa ring mag-kampante. Dapat every training all out, dapat every game all out. Every game dapat one at a time. Huwag nilang isipin na malapit na kami, dapat all out pa rin."

At 6-0, Adamson can formalize their spot in the finals with a victory against La Salle on Saturday.

The other game in the doubleheader featured the University of Santo Tomas securing a 9-0 shutout of the Lady Archers.

Already leading 5-0 in the final inning, pinch hitter Kikay Palma emptied a bases-loaded sequence with a triple, allowing Christine Bautista and Helga Campos to score, with an ensuing errant throw ensuring Angela Solidarios and Palma to touch home and cap off the blowout victory.

The Tiger Softbelles improved to 5-1, setting the stage for crucial matchups against fellow contenders University of the Philippines (3-3) and Adamson University in the race for the two postseason spots.

The Lines:

UST      1 0 1 0 3 0 4 - 9 10 0

DLSU   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 2  3

Ateneo   0 0 0 0 x x x - 0  0  1

AdU       3 6 1 x x x x - 10 13 0

All photos are here >> https://bit.ly/UAAP86Softball

WNBA, AXA Philippines collab through HER COURT

To help commemorate Women's month this March, the WNBA and AXA Philippines presented Her Court, on this past Saturday, March 19, at the NBA Community Court presented by TITAN in Mandaluyong.

Over fifty women participated in the activation, which was comprised of a series of fitness-related activities, including basketball skills training, a talk on nutrition, core, conditioning, and corrective exercises, and yin yoga.

Swishfit Philippines handled the basketball drills and training sessions, which took place both in the morning and the afternoon. This allowed the participants to learn first-hand about the fundamentals of the game.

Renowned nurtritionist-dietician and influencer Jo Sebastian hosted the nurtition talk, which also saw the ladies partake of healthy snacks and highlighted the value of pairing a balanced diet and movement in order to achieve holistic wellness.

Certified fitness instructor Sam Corrales then led the girls to a series of core and conditioning workouts to build strength and enhance overall fitness.

Strength and conditioning specialist Dana Lora hed a corrective exercises session, with yoga and fitness instructor Melanie Siytan concluding the session with a Gentle Flow Yoga to cool things down.

Her Court is the latest collaborative effort between the WNBA and AXA Philippines, which is an offshoot of the latter's partnership with the NBA. AXA is the NBA's Official Insurance Partner in the country. Both groups share the same commitment in promoting women's fitness and basketball. In the process of merging the love of the game with the drive to create safe spaces for women, this event showcased how sports can positively impact lives.

AXA Philippines Marketing Communications Director Laura del Rosario shares, "Our research indicates that a third of women globally struggle to find time to exercise, which is why we launched our campaign – ‘Being a woman shouldn’t be a risk’ – to provide solutions for potential health risks women face so they can live their lives to the fullest. Through WNBA and AXA Her Court, we’re proud to be working alongside a global leader in women’s basketball as we offer Filipino women a safe space to move freely, actively pursue a healthy lifestyle, and become risk-ready."

NBA Asia Marketing Partnerships Lead Mae Dichupa adds, "WNBA and AXA Her Court is an ideal platform to showcase the energy and excitement around women’s basketball and spotlight AXA Philippines’ latest campaign. AXA shares our commitment to creating more opportunities for boys and girls to play the game and we’re incredibly thrilled to welcome AXA to the WNBA family as the league’s first marketing partner in the country."

NBTC National Finals set for broadcast on SMART LiveStream

c/o NBTFC

For the whole duration of the 2024 SMART National Basketball Training Center National Finals, SMART will be making the broadcast of the #MadnessInMOA available in two ways:

One can easily check out the games streamed on the Facebook pages of SMART Sports, Puso Pilipinas, and the NBTC Philippines.

Another route is through checking out the action on the innovative SMART LiveStream app, which is available in your respective platforms.

In establishing this partnership, PLDT SMART Head of Sports Jude Turcuato shares, "SMART Communications is proud to bring unprecedented coverage to the NBTC National Finals. Following our successful coverage of the regional championships, we are thrilled to also bring the entire national finals week to the entire country. Our aim is to provide exposure to the future stars of Philippine basketball, ensuring that their talents are recognized and celebrated."

On their part, NBTC founder Eric Altamirano adds, "We are immensely grateful to Smart Communications for their unwavering commitment to the NBTC program. Their support has been instrumental in nurturing the growth of basketball talent across the Philippines. With their backing, we are confident that the NBTC National Finals will continue to serve as a platform for young athletes to showcase their skills and pursue their dreams in the sport."

The competition features the some of the best young Filipino talent worldwide, who made their way to the SM Mall of Asia Arena for a week of competitive basketball.

Action today is all about the seeding round, setting the Super 32 tomorrow to determine who comprises the Supreme 16 of the two divisions.

The field then gets whittled down by half everyday, from the Fantastic 8 on Thursday to the Fearless Four on Friday.

NBTC action presses pause on Saturday, as the tournament centers on its NBTC All-Star Game, where Team Heart and Team Hustle get to face off.

We then get to know who will be the latest NBTC National Finals champion on Sunday, March 24.

UP upset forges four-way tie for first in UAAP baseball

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 86 Baseball Standings

UST 4-3

DLSU 4-3

Ateneo 4-3

NU 4-3

UP 3-4

AdU 2-5

University of the Philippines surged late to overpower the league-leading University of Santo Tomas, 16-6, securing its third win in the UAAP 86 Baseball tournament on Sunday at the former's home field in Diliman, Quezon City.

The Fighting Maroons avenged their 8-15 opening day loss against the Golden Sox to move into solo fifth place with a 3-4 win-loss record, just one win behind the logjammed UST, De La Salle University Green Batters, Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, and National University Bulldogs, all of which are at 4-3.

"Nakita mo naman 'yun nangyari dun sa adjustment. Even with all the injuries, nag-step up sila ngayon dahil sinabi ko must-win na sa 'min itong last four games for us to make it to the Final Four," said UP head coach Anthony Dizer.

Adjustments came indeed after a scarce offensive outing against De La Salle on Thursday, as UP came up with 14 hits and scored in six of the nine innings they batted, including that six-run swing from the third to the fifth frames that set the tone for the win.

The Fighting Maroons snagged the lead in the fourth at 4-3 after cutting that cushion to one, thanks to a two runs-batted-in single from Tristan Yu.

The Golden Sox then retaliated to get back at 5-4 with a base hit of their own that scored two care of Harry Geronimo.

The home side, playing as visitors for the game, though, took control of the proceedings with a huge fifth-inning rush with rookie catcher Eman Javier starting it off with no less than a triple to the right center.

Two straight errors from UST scored Javier and put Razhley Santos and Aaron Nicha on the bases for UP. Kobe Torres and LM Basañes obliged with sacrifice hits to take back the advantage, 8-3, which turned out to be for good.

Javier concluded with another impressive outing, recording three hits on five at-bats and making a significant defensive play in the seventh inning by catching Raniel Carido attempting to steal second base.

However, it was the astute pitching from fellow rookie Ram Matanguihan that limited the otherwise potent Golden Sox to just four hits in the seven innings he pitched.

Steven Dominguez ended with two of these five hits while reigning MVP Justine Rosales got out in the other two instances of his five at-bats that he was not given a free pass to first base.

The Lines:

UP 0 0 2 2 4 2 0 3 3 - 16 14 3

UST 2 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 - 6 5 4

Ateneo, La Salle forced into football stalemate

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 86 Men’s Football Tournament Standings

FEU 15 points (+9)

UP 12 points (+2)

Ateneo 11 points (+4)

DLSU 9 points (+1)

UST 7 points (+2)

UE 3 points (-11)

Adamson 2 points (-7)

The concluding match for the first round of the UAAP Season 86 Men's Football Tournament ended up in a 1-1 draw between archrivals Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University at the UP Diliman Football Stadium on Sunday night.

Substitute Isaac Anoh rescued the Green Booters with his sixth goal of the season against the Blue Eagles. Coming on for Gabe Suarez III in the 62nd minute, the Ivorian unleashed a strike at the edge of the box that got past Artuz Cezar in the 84th minute.

He shared afterwards, "Actually, we have been working. Basically, we’re all working as a team. If we lack one player or maybe when we’re down 1-0, the job I have as a striker is that I have to put the ball at the back of the net."

Isaac adds, "That’s what I did and I’m really, really happy that we could get at least one point and go back home with it, and let’s see what we’ll give in the second round."

Ateneo managed to take the lead early on after Kofi Agyei scored his sixth goal of the season just nine minutes into the contest. The Katipunan-based squad had to deal with continuous pressure from their opponents until Anoh's heroics finally cracked the JP Merida-coached side.

Merida says about the outcome, "It was a good game for both teams. They controlled the emotions. They were very safe in the first half. Hindi talaga nag-o-overcommit. I’m happy because, in the end, we go home with a point. I think we need to accept that. Looking forward na lang to the next game to improve and, of course, get the three points."

Their eleventh point of the season keeps Ateneo in third place, while La Salle's nine markers pegs them in fourth place.

Ateneo dispatches Adamson in UAAP baseball offensive explosion

c/o UAAP

ATENEO de Manila University powered its way to a 19-11 decision over Adamson University to create a logjam at second in the UAAP Season 86 Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the UP Diliman Baseball Field.

The Blue Eagles scored their second consecutive win and are now tied with the NU Bulldogs and the DLSU Green Batters at second with identical 4-3 records.

League-leading UST Golden Sox (4-2) and the UP Fighting Maroons (2-4) are still slugging it out as of press time.

The 30 total runs punched in by both teams are a season-high, beating the 29 runs accumulated by UST and Ateneo last March 8, and 11 of them came in the seventh and eighth innings for the Blue Eagles.

Down 8-11 heading to the seventh inning, the Loyola-based side found itself with runners on all the bases after two walks given to Joshua De Juras and Luis Capati and an error on the hit to the centerfield forced by Geof Magsadia.

From there, a series of more unfortunate events from the Soaring Falcons turned into an eight-run binge for the Blue Eagles laced with a triple from Enzo Montemayor that scored Joaquin Casanova for the third of these runs.

Ateneo head coach Bocc Bernardo, despite the early hole they fell in, was pleased with the victory as it came at the expense of the same Soaring Falcons team that beat them 9-8 to close out the opening round.

"The first takeaway here is that we were behind 9-0, but we always came back. Sabi ko nga sa mga boys, it's a test of their character: are we going to go down without a fight, or are we going to climb ourselves back?” said the former Ateneo catcher.

That huge third inning was in contrast a product of superb hitting from the Blue Eagles with all of the seven at-bats that led to seven runs coming from hits, with Montemayor having his second of the game in that frame for a total of a pace-setting four hits on six at-bats.

“In that inning itself, we came back with our own seven runs, even if we had two outs. So, it just demonstrates a lot of character from our boys. We're not a team to sleep on. Magandang comeback ito sa amin," he added.

Adamson led the game early at 9-0 after its offensive side of the second inning but their seven errors scattered throughout the match doused their efforts, and six bases on balls was more than what Ateneo needed to start its rallies.

The Lines:

ADU     0 2 7 1 1 0 0 0 0 - 11 8  7

Ateneo  0 0 7 0 1 0 8 3 X - 19 17 6

FEU goes atop UAAP men's football leaderboard after first round

c/o UAAP

FAR Eastern University finished the first round on top of the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Football Tournament with a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over University of Santo Tomas Sunday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.

After absorbing TJ Garciano’s opener for the Golden Booters in the 56th minute, the Tamaraws finally woke up from their slumber.

Defender Mel Anthony Baylon put the defending champions back on track with the 74th-minute leveler while Martini Rey gave FEU its first taste of the lead in the 85th minute with a fine individual effort at the edge of the UST box.

Tamaraws defender Andre Yu then sealed the Tamaraws’ fifth straight win of the tournament with a goal in stoppage time. 

FEU will enter the second round of the competition in first place with 15 points and a plus+9 goal difference.

The Tamaraws streaked to five straight wins after a season-opening defeat.

“It makes me that much prouder of the boys because they have that winning mentality and that’s key for me,” said FEU coach Albert Besa. “It’s a very important factor to have in a player and a team. They can’t accept defeat and they will do everything they can to get up and fight and fight and fight.”

“That’s where the ‘gigil’ came from. We were down 1-0 and they realized ‘oh no, we can actually lose this game.’ I saw the passion build from there. It might have been a blessing in disguise for this game.

On the other hand, UST remained outside the Final Four spots in fifth place with seven points and a plus-2 goal difference on the back of two wins, one draw, and one defeat.

NU stymies La Salle in UAAP baseball

c/o UAAP

National University claimed their fourth win of the season on Sunday, stopping La Salle, 5-2 in the ongoing UAAP Season 86 Baseball Tournament at the UP Baseball Field inside the Diliman campus.

The Bulldogs relied on the strength of Amiel de Guzman's pitching, with the Calaca native allowing just two runs off four hits in a complete game performance.

De Guzman got the insurance runs he needed in the ninth inning. Kevin Maulit kickstarted things with a leadoff hit to right. An error and two passed balls from last season's Finals MVP Joshua Pineda allowed Maulit to score, while pinch hitter Julius Cesar Soriano tacked on a two-RBI single that sent Cyril Antipolo and Jherick Timban home for the eventual final score.

NU head coach Romar Landicho shared post-match, "Proud ako dun sa mga bata, especially dun sa mga nag-perform katulad nila Amiel De Guzman na talagang hindi bumigay hanggang sa huli. So 'yun lang naman ang kailangan ng team, 'yung lumaban ng lumaban sa La Salle."

Up next for the Bulldogs is the University of the Philippines on Thursday at 3pm.

The defeat drops the Green Batters to 4-3 heading into their matchup against Adamson at 6pm that same day.

The Lines:

NU        0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 - 5 6 1

La Salle 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 2 4 5

UE at cusp towards title retention

c/o UAAP

The first day of team competition saw the University of the East set themselves up for potentially another complete sweep of the fencing divisions of the UAAP Season 86 tournament Saturday.

The men's division saw the defending champions and their most likely challengers claim gold medals in two of the three disciples.

The Red Warriors defeated the University of the Philippines, 45-37 in the men's epee final, behind the efforts of RJ Perez, Aurell Obnuzar, Ramil Encilan, Jr., and Nicollei Felipe.

Claiming the bronzes in this event are the University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle University.

The Tiger Fencers, comprised of Eunice Villanueva, Junior Fuenzalida, Kurt Marquez, and Larco Cortez, kept their slim hopes of potentially denying a tenth straight title from going to Recto by winning the men's sabre final, 45-37.

The Green Fencers led, 30-21 Larc Cortez scored twelve points for the hosts to cut the deficit to just 33-35. Marquez then outpointed John Michael Gajon, 7-1, to give UST a 40-36 lead, with individual champion Villanueva finishing off the match.

Settling for bronze medals in this event are UP and Ateneo.

With the foil disciple still left to be played, UE still leads UST, as the former has two gold and two silver medals, and the latter has two golds and two bronze medals.

For the women's division, UE claimed the lone discipline schedule, as they dominated against the UP, 45-29.

Andrea Matias outscored Nami Noro, 9-4, to convert an 11-13 deficit into a 20-17 lead and the Lady Warriors never looked back. scoring the necessary five points each from their next five matchups by her teammates Queen Dalmacio, and Eytria Olarte to clinch the title.

The Fighting Maroons still maintain hold on first place with a 2-1-2 tally, just edging out the defending champions by a single bronze.

Hosts UST are still in third with a silver and two bronze medals.

In the high school ranks, UE officially locked in the boys division by winning both events scheduled.

The quartet of Von Gale, Louie Shoemaker, Aljor Contado, and Ruzel Gallano defeated Angel Aberilla, Nathaniel Bernal, Armand Putian, and Christian Sarmineto, 30-29. Gallano locked in the title for the Junior Warriors by matching Armand Putian's eight points in their matchup.

Charles Babatio, Christian Concepcion, and Khiane Felipe took their turns in mastering Ateneo, 45-20.

La Salle-Zobel took bronzes in both events, sharing the epee with Ateneo and the sabre with UST.

In the lone discipline for the girls' division, La Salle-Zobel claimed the gold medal, fending off UE, 45-44 and preventing the Junior Warriors from potentially sweeping all high school disciplines.

With Opao Catantan giving UE a 30-24 lead after outpointing Venice Villenas, 8-1, La Salle-Zobel countered with an 11-2 burst from Martina Baccay against Willa Galvez to retake the lead at 35-32.

Villenas bounced back with a 5-4 result against Aubrey Fernandez, and in a mini-rematch from the individual final, Miyake Capina held off a game effort from Catantan to secure the gold.

Juliana Gomez repeats in epee, UP remains ahead in women's fencing

c/o UAAP

The University of the Philippines put themselves into a good position to break the stranglehold of the University of the East in women's fencing, thanks to their two-medal haul in Day 2 of the UAAP tournament at the Quadricentennial Pavilion inside the University of Santo Tomas campus on Friday.

Their first medal came from epee, with a successful title defense from Juliana Gomez.

The second-generation fencer pulled off a come-from-behind victory against Cyrra Vergara, 15-14, in a rematch of their Season 85 final.

Gomez shared afterwards, "I feel like I just hit a bull's eye because the target was the gold, but I was able to add to what Nana Carbonell did during the first day. It was honestly such a great feeling that we have a good chance of winning the overall for the women's."

Angela Dayro added a bronze for the Fighting Maroons in the individual sabre, allowing them to match Carbonell and Nami Noro's feats the day before.

Their two-gold and two-bronze total keeps them ahead of the University of the East, who notched their first gold in the division through a successful sabre title defense for Queen Dalmacio.

The two-time MVP had a tough road to the final, eking out a 15-13 win over UST's Kim Shaznee Tuy in the quarterfinals and a 15-11 win over Ateneo's Kaku dela Serna in the semifinal.

In the final, however, she manage to replicate her feat last season by defeating Janna Allysah Catantan, 15-7.

Janna's silver medal puts the hosts on level terms with La Salle in third place, with Vergara's silver and Krups Edlinag's bronze from epee allows the fencers from Taft to enter the fray.

Dela Serna's bronze for the Blue Eagles puts them on the board.

As for the men's division, UST was unable to capitalize on their momentum from Thursday, as defending champions UE and La Salle leapfrogged the Tiger Fencers with their performances in foil.

Shawn Nicollei Felipe took down Robert Cabaero, in an all-UE final, 15-8. The two took down their respective Green Fencer opposition in the semifinals to forge a beneficial final for their title retention hopes.

Felipe dispatched Jose Lorenzo Mercado, 15-6, while Cabaero beat Reindelle Lacerna, 15-9.

Even with the defeats, La Salle moved ahead of the hosts with the two bronzes alongside the gold they secured on Thursday in epee.

As for the high school division, the University of the East looks poised to extend their long reign due to their triumphs on Friday.

Opao Catantan kicked things off in the morning with a 15-12 final against compatriot Adrienne Lising in girls sabre, while Aubrey Fernandez did the same in the afternoon against Nina Canlas, 15-9 in girls' epee.

Louis Shoemaker and James Lim matched that in the boys' foil, with the former emerging as a 15-8 winner.

The Tuy siblings, Krystal and Kathleen, secured bronzes for UST, but they remain third behind La Salle in the girls' division as Miyake Capina and Martina Baccay also netted bronzes.

Both UST and Ateneo got their third bronzes through the efforts of Angel Aberilla and Derek Perez.

Saturday action at the same venue kicks off team play, with the morning session featuring boys' epee, women's foil, and men's sabre. Completing the slate in the afternoon are men's epee, girls' foil, and boys' sabre.

UST, UP make early collegiate fencing headway

c/o UAAP

The collegiate field seems ready to finally challenge the University of the East's dominance.

Day 1 of the UAAP Season 86 Fencing Championships kicked off on Thursday, with a successful title defense for Eunice Villanueva in the men's sabre.

The Tiger Fencer breezed through by sweeping the field in pool play, dispatching John Michael Gajon of La Salle in the quarterfinals, 15-1, then survived two Blue Eagles in the medal matches. He took out Andre Agatep in the semifinals, 15-11, and then outperformed Toby Cabrera in the final. 15-4.

When asked about how he managed to defend his title, the 24-year-old shares, "Ang ginawa ko lang talaga kanina ay nagdasal at nag-focus lang po ako."

His gold, combined with Adam Putian's bronze finish in the epee, means the hosts set the early pace in the race for the men's title, which would be the fourth one in their history.

Being able to pull that off is something Villanueva and the rest of his teammates want to accomplish. He says, "Gusto talaga naming maging kampeon. Susubukan naming panatilihin ito hanggang matapos."

Edan Ensamtan claimed the epee gold in the other men's division scheduled, defeating UE's Aurell Obzunar, 15-8 in the final. The Green Fencer's title moved them just behind UST in the title race, with Ateneo's silver and bronze in sabre putting them in third.

In the women's side, Nana Carbonell claimed the lone title scheduled, dispatching Eytria Olarte of the University of the East in the foil final, 15-12.

Olarte produced a stunning upset in the semifinals by claiming a 15-11 triumph over Janna Catantan of UST, while Carbonell easily dispatched fellow Maroon Nami Noro, 15-5.

Getting both fencers into the medal bouts allows UP to get a head start in the women's title race, with their defending champion in epee Juliana Gomez set to participate later Friday.

UE got better news in the high school ranks, thanks to a 1-2 finish in the boys' sabre by Charles Babatio and Khiane Felipe. The former claimed the title with a 15-11 victory.

Chasing the Juniors Warriors and hoping to prevent their decade-long dominance is the University of Santo Tomas, who earned the epee gold with a 15-7 victory by Armand Putian over Von Eubert Gale. The hosts also snagged a bronze thanks to an all-UST semifinal with the younger Putian dispatching Christian Sarmiento, 15-8.

Opao Catantan won the lone girls event scheduled, as the Junior Warrior fought off a game effort from Miyake Capina of La Salle-Zobel, in the foil final, 15-12.

Capina bounced back from going 1-2 in her first three pool matches to snatch the third seed, then survived the UST duo of Krystal Tuy (15-7 in the quarterfinals) and Patricia Daradar (15-8 in the semifinals) to set up a rematch against Catantan.

Aubrey Fernandez claimed the other bronze after she fell short against Catantan in an all-UE pairing.

The remaining individual matches will be decided all day Friday, with the morning session involving the girls' sabre, boys' foil, and women's epee. Capping off afternoon action are women's sabre, men's foil, and girls' epee.

In a first, the tournament will be streamed LIVE through Pilipinas Live, available online or through their app.

Ateneo sweeps NU in UAAP baseball eliminations

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 86 Baseball Standings

UST 4-2

DLSU 4-2

Ateneo 3-3

NU 3-3

UP 2-4

AdU 2-4

Games on Saturday at the UP Diliman Baseball Field

3 p.m. - AdU vs UP

5 p.m. - DLSU vs Ateneo

ATENEO de Manila University completed a season sweep of National University in another tightly fought 5-4 win, capturing its third win of the UAAP Season 86 Baseball tournament on Thursday at the UP Diliman Baseball Field.

The Blue Eagles duplicated their first-round win with the same 5-4 score line to avoid a logjam in the lower half, instead moving into a share of third place with their victims at a 3-3 win-loss slate, behind the 4-2 of co-leaders University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle University.

"We had two heartbreaks. We played well against UST and Adamson, but we didn't come up with a win; so sabi ko na lang, we can’t dwell too much on those losses. There are a lot of games left and with all teams almost going on a tie rank, we need to toughen up and play the next game as if it's a championship game," said Ateneo head coach Bocc Bernardo on the missing he left the squad for the second round.

Ateneo, who benefitted from the NU's miscues all game long, got one run back in the eighth inning to put the game to bed at three hours and 30 minutes.

Luis Mendoza sent a hit into NU shortstop Kevin Maulit that the latter failed to collect, advancing to first base in the process.

A sacrifice hit from Luis Casanova sent Mendoza to second base before a subsequent intentional walk that was given to Matthew San Juan put runners on the bases for Joaquin Mendoza.

Joaquin Mendoza, who got dismissed in all his three previous at-bats, got his lone hit of the game to count the most as he sent his left-fielder home for the eventual winning run.

In the entire game, NU, who had seven hits scattered, gave itself a lease of life in the seventh inning with two runs off Ateneo's defensive lapse and a hit from second baseman John Kiel Olazo.

However, that crucial error in the eighth—the squad's fifth of the evening—doomed them to a third defeat against three victories.

Senior pitcher Joshua De Juras held the fort for the Blue Eagles in the seven and one-third innings he pitched, before rookie Gab Francisco finished the job for the Loyola-based side laced with a strikeout in the final inning.

The Lines:

Ateneo 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 1 0 - 5 3 2

NU 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 - 4 7 6

La Salle avenges first round defeat to UP in college baseball

c/o UAAP

De La Salle University avenged its first round setback against University of the Philippines in a hotly contested 3-2 decision on the opening day of the second round of eliminations in the UAAP Season 86 Baseball tournament on Thursday at the UP Diliman Baseball Field.

The Green Batters, the reigning two-time champions, suffered a 5-7 defeat at the hands of their Season 85 Finals rivals, the Fighting Maroons, to move up to 4-2 and share the lead with the University of Santo Tomas Golden Sox.

Presented with a bases-loaded situation, Vince Flores, who was struck out in his previous at-bat, sent the ball to the left side and scored his teammate, first baseman Marco Micael, for the decisive run.

"Well, 'yung gameplan namin is to comeback stronger. Sabi namin 'yung game namin nung bago matapos ung first round is alam namin kaya namin; 'yung drive lang talaga namin na gusto namin manalo is nagkulang dun sa gameplan namin," said DLSU head coach Joseph Orillana.

And just like the previous meeting, it all came down to composure and end-game heroics.

With the game tied at two runs apiece, DLSU's first baseman Marco Micael perfectly connected with a timely pitch from UP's Ram Matanguihan to the left side of the field to kickstart the eighth inning, followed by Pio Villamiel being given a free pass to first base.

It eventually loaded the bases for the Green Batters, as Patrick Rivera also contributed with a single to advance Micael and Villamiel, leading to the decisive hit from Flores.

UP leveled the game in the sixth inning, with Eman Javier driving in a single to the center of the field to score fellow rookie Aaron Nitcha, and another run came through when Kobe Torres capitalized on the throwing error by Flores.

The Green Batters' Peter Nonaillada won the intense battle on the mound against Matanguihan, limiting the home side to one earned run on six hits and holding them scoreless for the other eight innings he pitched.

The Fighting Maroons slipped to 2-4, placing them fifth to sixth, tied with Adamson University.

The Lines:

UP 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 - 2 6 3

DLSU 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 x - 3 9 4

PUMA organizes special ASEAN activation with Stadio Palermo

Stadio Palermo

With the upcoming release of the PUMA Palermo collection on March 15, PUMA Southeast Asia has set up a special activation inside Bangkok's Central World mall.

Called the Stadio Palermo, it is a pop-up store that is inspired from the playful DNA and Italian roots of the Palermo, which is by itself, inspired from the Sicilian capital it is named after.

The pop-up provides interactive activities that visitors can immerse itself into, highlighted by a foosball pitch that includes terrace stands and a Sicilian-inspired alfresco area.

Those inclined to produce content on their social platforms will enjoy the photo zones at the Stadio Palermo. There are four in place, with the aforementioned foosball pitch, a giant-sized Palermo sneaker, the terrace stands, and a locker room. One can also get a free gelato from Jenny's ice cream while supply lasts. Lucky customers might have the chance to win a pair of tickets to Italy if one participates.

Customers making their Palermo purchases at the Stadio Palermo itself will not only secure a PUMA Palermo scarf, but also a pack of six autographed photo cards of PUMA APAC ambassadors IVE. They can also score an opportunity to join a Palermo customization workshop, in which they get a chance to provide a personal touch on the shoe. Shopping vouchers for the top three most creative designs await.

A special media event will pre-date the opening of Stadio Palermo, with appearances from ASEAN celebrities and influencers gracing the event. Singer-actress Maris Racal and model-influencer LA Aguinaldo serves as Filipino representation at the event, which will include musical performances from DJ P-U, collection showcase, and a first hands-on experience into the Palermo customization workshop.

Stadio Palermo will be open to the public from March 16-21 at the outdoor square C of the Central World Shopping Mall. Admission is free, and visitors can register either at the location or through th.puma.com/th/th/STADIOPALERMO.

Golden Sox avenge first round defeat to Adamson

c/o UAAP

LEAGUE-leading University of Santo Tomas returned to its winning ways, turning back Adamson University, 11-9, in the UAAP Season 86 Baseball tournament on Thursday at the UP Baseball Field.

The Golden Sox made amends for their previous 8-14 defeat against the Soaring Falcons in the first round to move into a provisional solo lead at 4-2, and they needed a huge sixth-inning explosion to secure the win this time.

UST, though, needed to produce a gutsy two-out rally in the said inning to overhaul a slim 2-3 deficit.

"Hindi nakakatuwa 'eh, kasi pumasok kng dalawang out, pumasok ng lima tapos hindi masyado nag-kokonekta. Error lang ng kalaban, bakit nakakapasok? So, a lot of things to improve, 'yung mental toughness, 'yun ang importante," said head coach Jeff Santiago.

After John Mark Bersales and Timothy Caldo were sent back to the dugout, Steven Dominguez was given first base on four balls. Three more walks and singles from Mark Joseph Cabase and Harry Geronimo capitalized on the Adamson errors to produce seven runs for a 9-3 advantage.

Another base hit, this time from Dominguez, closed the rousing offensive inning for the Golden Sox, scoring Barsales as the batting order went full circle.

Adamson had an immediate response in the very same inning, but the five runs produced were not enough as both defenses went to work until the end of the game.

"Still 'yung opensa. Opensa kasi tignan mo, nakapasok kami ng walo because of the offense, 'yung palo pinagtutuunan talaga namin kaso minsan nakokontrol kami ng depensa ng kalaban," Santiago shared on what is working so far with the Golden Sox.

John Reymond Vargas paced the offense with two hits on five at-bats, scoring twice as well, but it was the pitching of Ivan Llave that steered them in the closing innings. 

The 20-year-old pitcher silenced Adamson, limiting them to one run in just two hits in the next three frames, en route to the win.

The Lines:

UST    1 0 0 1 0 8 1 0 0 - 11 10 6

AdU    1 0 1 0 1 5 0 0 1 - 9  11 5

UE seeks to extend fencing reign

c/o UAAP

The University of the East is seeking to continue their dominance in fencing when the UAAP Season 86 Fencing Championships kick off on Thursday at the Quadricentennial Pavilion inside the campus of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.

Individual champions will be crowned on Thursday and Friday for all disciplines, with the teams competition slated for the weekend. By Sunday afternoon, the overall champions in men's, women's, boys', and girls' are to be known.

The Red Warriors are the defending champions in all four divisions, having defended the men's, boys', and girls' titles for at least a decade. The Lady Warriors are seeking a third straight title in the women's division, with their long illustrious streak being interrupted the efforts of Ateneo de Manila and then Rookie-MVP Maxine Esteban back in Season 81.

For UE this season, the team will be led by its national team stalwarts Queen Dalmacio and Reynaldo Perez Jr, as well as last season's co-Rookie-MVP Shawn Nicollei Felipe, whose events will take place on Thursday.

Dalmacio will have to contend against Janna Allysah Catantan of the University of Santo Tomas in the women's foil and sabre. Catantan, whose elder sister Samantha is the team captain of the fencing team powerhouse Penn State in the US NCAA, is also set to take part in epee, where last season's gold medalist, Juliana Gomez of the University of the Philippines, is ready for a title defense.

Perez will have to deal with the likes of Lorenzo Malvar of the University of the Philippines in the men's sabre. 

Felipe, on the other hand, will be on hand for both epee and foil, with the latter to be held on Friday.

As for the high school ranks, the Junior Warriors will rely on their holdovers Louie Shoemaker and Shekinah Catantan in their hopes to extend their dominance.

Serving as challengers to UE's throne in the collegiate ranks are Ateneo, La Salle, UP, and hosts UST, while Ateneo, La Salle-Zobel, and UST pose as threats in the high school divisions.

UP snaps softball skid, still holds third

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 86 Softball Standings

AdU 4-0

UST 4-1

UP 3-2

DLSU 1-4

Ateneo 0-5

Baseball Games on Thursday at the UP Baseball Field:

8 a.m. - ADU vs UST

3 p.m. - DLSU vs UP

6 p.m. NU vs Ateneo

The University of the Philippines took advantage of a dominant pitching performance from KC Valino to establish a 5-0 victory over La Salle to kick off their second round campaign in the UAAP Season 86 softball tournament held inside their Diliman campus.

Valino had a perfect game going until the fourth inning, with a Tiffany Labargan hit that eventually ruled as a Martine Francisco error. She would eventually complete the shutout by allowing just a couple of hits.

The first baseman more than made up for her miscue with her bat, as she and Algrace Adajar managed RBI triples to plate three runners to extend UP's lead from 2-0 to 5-0. Francisco would finish with a couple of hits in three at-bats.

Head coach Ron Pagkaliwagan shares his thoughts about today's results, "Maganda na nakuha ulit namin 'tong momentum going into Adamson. 'Yung losses namin sa UST and Adamson, kahit rin sa other teams, breaks of the game lang. So sana makuha namin 'yung break on Saturday."

In the earlier game of the doubleheader, the University of Santo Tomas invoked the mercy rule against Ateneo by securing a 10-2 victory in six innings.

Lyca Blanco pounded the Blue Eagle pitching with three hits off four at-bats, while Helga Campos managed a couple of runs along with her two hits in three-at-bats. One of the shortstop's hits was a solo inside-the-park home run.

Meanwhile, Eiree Baladjay provided solid stability from the mound for the Tiger Softbelles, who remained in second place at 4-1 with their third straight triumph.

The Lines:

Ateneo 0 1 1 0 0 0 x - 2 3 1

UST     1 5 1 0 0 3 x - 10 14 0

UP        2 0 0 3 0 0 0 - 5 7 2

DLSU  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 2 4

PUMA Palermo set for re-release

PUMA Palermo

In time for the upcoming season, PUMA Southeast Asia revealed the latest iteration of the PUMA Palermo.

Named after the Sicilian capital, the Palermo is a noted terrace legend and shoe, with its sleek silhouette and classic gumsole. Debuting in the 1980s, it is considered as a staple for the terrace crowd.

In the current times, the Palermo gets an update with playful and brighter colors to provide much pizzazz and style to its advocates.

To help spread the word, PUMA APAC Ambassadors IVE sported these kicks alongside a collection of jersey-inspired looks that makes them ready to celebrate the sweet life.

The SS24 Palermo collection will be available at select PUMA stores, as well as online, starting March 15. An exclusive PUMA Palermo scarf will be coming with any such purchase, and as a bonus, customer who purchase any of the apparel worn by IVE alongside the Palermo kicks will receive a special pack of autographed IVE photo cards.

 STEP INTO THE SWEET LIFE WITH PUMA PALERMO – BLENDING FOOTBALL HERITAGE WITH PLAYFUL COLOURS.
PUMA SEA unveils latest Spring/Summer (SS) 2024 Sportstyle Palermo collection along with the launch of STADIO PALERMO, Southeast Asia’s first PUMA Palermo Pop-up store, at Central World Shopping Mall, Bangkok. Join us for a week-long experiential pop-up and concept store, where you can dive into the vibrant and playful world of PUMA Palermo, inspired by terrace fashion and Italian roots.

The SS24 Palermo collection will be available for purchase at selected PUMA stores and PUMA.com from March 15, 2024.

NU stops UST in UAAP baseball

c/o UAAP

NATIONAL University pulled off a defensive clinic to stop erstwhile co-leader University of Santo Tomas, 6-1, on the last day of the UAAP Season 86 Baseball Tournament's opening round, Sunday at the UP Diliman Baseball Field.

The Bulldogs pulled the Golden Sox to a provisional share of second place at 3-2 behind holders De La Salle University Green Batters, who are at 3-1 and have a game at hand later in the evening.

Amiel De Guzman provided the anchor on the defense for NU, limiting the otherwise potent offense of UST to one run despite allowing 10 hits in a no-relief job on the mound.

The Bustillos-based squad also extricated themselves from dangerous scoring opportunities for the Golden Sox, stranding six runners while pulling off three huge double plays in the third, fifth, and eighth innings.

"Nakita namin kasi sa stats ng teams na isa kami sa best defense, kaya pinatunayan lang namin 'yun ngayon. Kumbaga nagkatapat kami ng UST (na best offense) at kami 'yung umangat," said first-year head coach Romar Landicho of the win.

Up by just three runs to zip entering the eighth inning, the Bulldogs added three more runs in the frame to consolidate their impressive stop of the Golden Sox.

Two base hits from opposing sides from Kevin Maulit and Herald Tenorio put runners on the bases.

A sacrifice hit from Kenneth Maulit scored his twin brother for the 4-0 lead.

John Kiel Olazo then drove in a huge triple that clipped the left line to send Tenorio and Kenneth Maulit home for the comfortable 6-0 cushion.

UST got one back with a Steven Dominguez hit leading to a run from Mark Joseph Cabase, but it was all the side could manage as they slipped to a 3-2 win-loss slate.

The Lines:

UST 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 1 10 4

NU 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 3 x - 6 5 1

FEU demolishes Ateneo in UAAP Women's Football

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 86 Women’s Football Tournament Standings

DLSU 9 pts. (+12 GD)

FEU 6 (+9)

UP 3 (-2)

UST 0 (-6) 

Ateneo 0 (-13)

Men's Matches today (Sunday) at the UP Diliman Football Stadium

4 p.m. – FEU vs UE

6:30 p.m. – Ateneo vs UP

FAR Eastern University produced the most lopsided win yet across all divisions with an 8-0 trashing of Ateneo de Manila University in the UAAP Season 86 Women’s Football Tournament Saturday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.

Judie Arevalo and Sara Tulabing scored two goals each to power the defending champion’s rout. 

Arevalo opened the floodgates in the 14th minute and secured her brace in the 59th minute while Tulabing compounded Ateneo’s woes in the 21st and 69nd minutes.

Lyca Cuenco joined the fun with a goal in the 52nd minute and Katrina Magbitang put the ball at the back of the net in the 62nd minute. 

Angel Egay scored her second goal of the season in the 80th minute and Dionesa Tolentin completed the rout in added time.

“Ito ang best game namin since last year actually with regards to the system of play,” said coach Let Dimzon after FEU rose to second in the standings with six points and a plus-9 goal difference after back-to-back wins.

“Tactially, they were able to apply everything. When we go out from the backline, they find those spaces na makalabas kami doon sa side. Since nakuha namin yung lapses and yung weakness ng Ateneo from the previous game that they played: they always have a hole on the side, which is our strength because of our side players.”

Up next for FEU is a rematch of the Season 85 final against the current league leaders La Salle this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on the same pitch.

For Dimzon, this performance was the perfect warmup for the Lady Tamaraws against the Lady Booters.

“Mas maganda nga siya na nakapaglaro kami ng ganitong kaganda na plays,” said the former national team coach. “At least alam nila papano yung gauge namin going to the La Salle game.”

“May mga lapses pa rin pero at least scoring these eight goals, I think yan yung mag-bui-build ng confidence sa kanila.”

On the other hand, UST is yet to tally a point in the standings after three matches. It remained in fourth place with a minus-6 goal difference above last-placed team Ateneo de Manila University, which has a minus-13 GD.

UST and Ateneo will play each other on March 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the same venue.

This match was officiated for the first time by three female officials: referee Jeannyfer Bruan and lineswomen Adrienne Gumtang and Mary Ann Bal-ot.