Mapua, CSB set for historic NCAA basketball finals

For the first time in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) history, sports enthusiasts will witness the finale face-off between Mapúa University and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in the NCAA Season 100 Men’s Basketball Finals. Catch the action live on GMA Network this Sunday, December 1, at 2 p.m., broadcasting straight from the historic Araneta Coliseum. 

The game will be simulcast on GMA and Heart of Asia (HOA) and will have a livestream on the social media pages of GMA Sports and NCAA. 

The top-seeded Mapúa Cardinals have booked their return trip to the finals this centennial season after ousting the LPU Pirates, 89-79. With a winning mindset, Coach Randy Alcantara’s team is more than ready to claim the championship crown, thanks to the consistent efforts of Season 99 Rookie / MVP Clint Escamis, and ace players Chris Hubilla, and Lawrence Mangubat. Mapua is aiming to break a 33-year title drought. 

The Benilde Blazers, meanwhile, cruised to a lopsided 79-63 victory in the semis against the San Beda Red Lions. This marks the first time since Season 80 that San Beda was denied a spot in the finals round. Headed by Coach Charles Tiu, the Taft-based squad is all geared up to go all out, with top players Allen Liwag, Tony Ynot, and Jhomel Ancheta taking the lead. The Blazers last won a Men's Basketball Championship 24 years ago (Season 76) 

“This centennial season of the NCAA is indeed a historic and remarkable one as this is the first time in the history of the league that we will be seeing the face-off between the Benilde Blazers and the Mapúa Cardinals in the finals round. We invite everyone to watch the exciting finals game to give their support to the top 2 teams this season,” shares NCAA Season 100 Management Committee Chairman Hercules Callanta.

“The historic, action-packed battle between the Mapúa Cardinals and the Benilde Blazers for the finals of the NCAA Season 100 is a must-see for all NCAA fans and sports enthusiasts. This centennial season of the Philippines’ first collegiate league is all about inspiring legacies — and through GMA Network, we are about to witness highly skilled and passionate individuals who will be part of the NCAA legacy. To the competing teams, thank you for showcasing the true essence of being a member of the NCAA, and congratulations in advance,” says Senior Vice President and Head of GMA Integrated News, Regional TV, and Synergy Oliver Victor B. Amoroso. 

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Finals will be anchored by Synergy Sports host Martin Javier. Joining him is veteran professional basketball player Beau Belga. 

Don’t miss the action on the NCAA Season 100 Men’s Basketball Finals – Game 1 on December 1, 2 p.m airing live on GMA and HOA; Game 2 on December 7, 2:30 p.m and Game 3 on December 14, 2:30 p.m. (if necessary) airing live on GTV and HOA. 

Catch the livestream on the NCAA Philippines website (www.gmanetwork.com/ncaa), NCAA Philippines Facebook page and YouTube channel, and GMA Sports' social media accounts. Global Pinoys can catch all the action via the international channel GMA News TV. 

Oczon takeover dooms Letran

c/o GMA and NCAA

Just when the College of Saint Benilde needed him the most, Miguel Oczon stepped up to the plate.

The shooter took over in the fourth quarter to allow the Blazers to defeat Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 72-54 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Held scoreless in the first half, it took him until the final thirty seconds of the third quarter to score his first bucket, a triple.

Miguel then tacked on to that total with three more in the last canto, as he himself outscored the Knights, who were limited to just six points in the final ten minutes.

Now at 11-6, the win allows CSB to secure at least a playoff for the Final Four, with a chance to lock that spot in themselves this coming Wednesday against Emilio Aguinaldo College.

The Knights drop to 2-15 heading into their final game of the harrowing season against San Beda on Friday. 

Second Game

CSB 72- Corteza 13, Sangco 13, Oczon 12, Gozum 9, Nayve 8, Cajucom 5, Mara 4, Marcos 4, Carlos 2, Turco 2, Arciaga 0, Jarque 0, Davis 0, Marasigan 0

Letran 54- Monje 18, Garupil 8, Cuajao 8, Javillonar 6, Batallier 5, Santos 4, Bojorcelo 3, Jumao-as 2, Bautista 0, Go 0, Ariar 0

Quarterscores: 15-15; 35-33; 59-48; 72-54

San Beda edges CSB

Fresh from a heartbreaking 71-69 defeat to Mapua, Yukien Andrada and his San Beda teammates redeemed themselves by stepping up to secure a 65-61 win over the College of Saint Benilde.

Andrada, who missed a huge three-point attempt against the Cardinals, bounced back with a game-high 22 points to help secure the Red Lions' ninth win against six defeats, as they creep back into the Final Four race.

The defeat drops the Blazers to 10-6, putting themselves into a tie alongside current season host Jose Rizal University for the last two spots in the postseason.

Second Game

San Beda 65- Andrada 22, Cortez 15, Alfaro 7, Payosing 7, Gonzales 5, Puno 4, Tagle 3, Jopia 2, Cuntapay 0, Visser 0, Royo 0

CSB 61- Gozum 16, Cajucom 13, Carlos 8, Nayve 7, Corteza 6, Oczon 5, Sangco 2, Turco 2, Arciaga 2, Marcos 0, Mara 0, Jarque 0

Quarterscores: 13-14; 29-32; 45-45; 65-61

CSB eliminates San Sebastian

c/o GMA and NCAA

College of Saint Benilde boosted its hopes of making the postseason of the NCAA Season 99 campaign with a 78-68 victory over San Sebastian at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

The Blazers established their dominance on the boards against the Golden Stags, which saw double-doubles from unlikely players to secure their tenth win against five defeats.

Miguel Oczon and Robi Nayve each netted identical thirteen points and ten rebounds, as CSB finished with a 58-47 rebounding advantage.

When asked about their performance, head coach Charles Tiu shares, "Very happy they were really boxing out. It’s good now that I can challenge my bigs to rebound more than the guards."

He adds, "Overall, it was a good rebounding game."

Tiu also highlighted Michael Mara's performance alongside Nayve's, noting "I thought Roby (Nayve) played well, bounced back from a poor performance last game, Michael Mara played one of the better games of his young career... It has to be a team effort."

Mara would finish with twelve points, eight rebounds, and a block.

Will Gozum led the team in scoring with fourteen points in his first start since being moved to the bench for past few games as a result of lack of effort, while also adding eight rebounds and four assist.

The Golden Stags are now officially eliminated from postseason contention with their tenth loss of the season.

The scores:

First Game

CSB 78- Gozum 14, Nayve 13, Oczon 13, Mara 12, Corteza 6, Carlos 4, Cajucom 4, Sangco 4, Jarque 3, Turco 3, Morales 2, Marcos 0, Arciaga 0

SSC-R 68- Calahat 14, Desoyo 11, Re. Gabat 8, Are 8, Escobido 7, Felebrico 6, Sumoda 5, Shanoda 5, Una 4, De Leon 0

Quarterscores: 21-12; 43-41; 58-54; 78-68

Lyceum downs Benilde

c/o GMA and NCAA

Games Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre

9:30 a.m.- EAC vs Arellano

3 p.m.- Letran vs JRU

Lyceum rejoined Mapua atop the NCAA Season 99 Men's Basketball tournament standings on Friday, as they downed the College of Saint Benilde, 84-81, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

In securing the victory over the Blazers, the Pirates needed a couple of buckets from Jearlan Omandac to extend their streak to five straight games and elevate their record to 11-3 this season.

The 6'5" sophomore from Tagum shares, "Tiwala sa sarili ko na kahit na puro mintis sa first half, tiwala ako papasok."

Head coach Gilbert Malabanan also praised his team's defense in the triumph, notes that, "... Hindi kami makakashoot kung wala kami stops."

Serving as the anchor of that defense is Enoch Valdez, who contributed three steals alongside his team-best fifteen points and six rebounds.

When Malabanan was asked about his wingman, he shares, "He’s playing his last year and he’s going to do everything to help this team win."

CSB, which had been dictating the pace for most of the game while also controlling the rebounding advantage, had a chance to force overtime, but Prince Carlos' heave went in-and-out. The defeat cost the Blazers a chance to move into a tie for second place alongside Lyceum in their quest to secure the twice-to-beat advantage.

First Game

Lyceum 84- Valdez 15, Bravo 14, Barba 13, Umali 9, Omandac 9, Guadana 7, Penafiel 6, Cunanan 5, Versoza 2, Villegas 2, Montano 2, Fuentes 0

CSB 81- Oczon 19, Carlos 16, Gozum 13, Corteza 11, Nayve 7, Morales 7, Marcos 5, Arciaga 3, Turco 0, Mara 0, Marasigan 0, Cajucom 0, Jarque 0

Quarterscores: 18-20; 43-45; 59-64; 84-81

Potential postseason preview as Lyceum-CSB tangle

c/o GMA and NCAA

Games Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre

1:30 p.m.- CSB vs Lyceum

3:30 p.m.- San Beda vs Perpetual

Lyceum of the Philippines University hopes to rejoin Mapua atop the NCAA Season 99 Men's Basketball tournament, as they face off against the hottest team in the league in the College of Saint Benilde at 130pm at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The Blazers are on a five-game winning run, highlighted by a great 84-81 escape against Jose Rizal University this past Tuesday, but the Pirates are no slouch, having won four straight themselves, including a huge 85-79 victory over current league leaders Mapua.

A win for either side is crucial, with the twice-to-beat advantage afforded to the top two teams, as second-place Lyceum is a game ahead of the third-place CSB. A triumph for the former would allow them to rejoin the Cardinals atop the league, but a victory for the latter means both teams will share of second place and the Cardinals' gap increases to a game-and-a-half.

Incumbent Most Valuable Player Will Gozum showed why he earned that award against the Heavy Bombers, dropping 27 points while also helping preserve the win with a potential game-tying rejection against Marwin Dionisio.

CSB head coach Charles Tiu highlights his importance to the Blazers, shares "He’s the league MVP, we will go wherever he takes us."

The other game of the doubleheader features San Beda and the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, which tips off at 330pm.

The Red Lions are currently in fourth place and the last postseason ticket at 8-4, with a victory here solidifying their postseason chances and even potentially target a top-two spot.

At 6-7, the Altas need every win they can get to move themselves back into .500 and ever closer to a postseason berth, with a victory also dragging down the San Beda back closer to the chasing teams like idle schools Emilio Aguinaldo College and Jose Rizal University.

Head coach Myk Saguiguit shares that he's lookin at his talented swingman Cyrus Nitura as someone who could potentially give Jacob Cortez fits. He shares, "Ngayon pa lang nakikita ko na sa mukha nito si Cortez."

Nitura is coming off a near-triple-double performance against Arellano, with thirteen points, ten rebounds, and seven assists, while also pulling off five steals in an 84-77 win over the Chiefs this past Tuesday.

NCAA set for volleyball finals

Games today at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan

12 noon – Perpetual vs San Beda (Men Finals)
2 p.m. – Benilde vs LPU (Women Finals) 

With the Holy Week break done and dusted, the NCAA is set to commence its finals for volleyball Tuesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

College of Saint Benilde hopes to keep its undefeated record intact as they face a battle-tested Lyceum side in Game 1 of the women's finals at 2pm.

Currently holding a 27-game winning streak on their way to consecutive titles, the Lady Blazers went to the limit against the Lady Pirates in their only meeting in the eliminations, a 22-25 25-16 16-25 25-13 15-9 victory back in March 4.

They were able to pull off an undefeated run so far this campaign without Mycah Go, the Season 97 Most Valuable Player who injured her left knee in the preseason.

Lyceum, on the other hand, is seeking to cap their maiden postseason run with a championship, after pulling off the upset against the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta just before the Holy Week break.

On the men's side, the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta is seeking their third straight title against an upset-conscious San Beda at noon.

Although the Altas won their only meeting in the eliminations last March 10, 20-25 25-23 25-17 25-16, the Red Spikers is fresh from an upset over Arellano to earn their first finals appearance since 2012, and are hoping to snap Perpetual's current 31-game winning streak.

San Beda hopeful that the outcome will be different this time around, as they got swept by Perpetual back then.

Letran, CSB set for NCAA title decider

It all boils down to one deciding game at the City of Antipolo.

Top seeds College of Saint Benilde and defending champions Letran will face off for one final time on Sunday, December 18, in order to crown the champion of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines in Men's Basketball.

Set to take place at the Ynares Center, Game 3 will be shown LIVE on both GMA and GTV at 3pm. For those able to attend, tickets are available via www.ticketmax.ph. In case one is unable to go, the game will also be streamed on the NCAA Philippines website (www.gmanetwork.com/ncaa), NCAA Philippines Facebook page and YouTube channel, and GMA Sports' Facebook and Twitter pages. Basketball fans abroad will also be able to catch all the action via international channel GMA News TV.

"It has been an exciting season for the NCAA. GMA Network, through GMA Synergy, is proud of our student athletes as they showcased their skills and sportsmanship throughout this season. Whoever wins between the Letran Knights and the Benilde Blazers truly deserve the championship. Indeed, the NCAA inspires everyone to ‘Achieve Greatness Every Day.’  We would like to thank the NCAA community for joining all the players and the teams in their journey this season, the sports fans who showed their support in every game, and all the Kapuso viewers who continue to make watching NCAA games their habit. We are also grateful for the trust of the NCAA Policy Board and Management Committee," shares First VP and Head of GMA Regional TV and Synergy and Acting Head of GMA Integrated News Oliver Victor Amoroso.

The Blazers are coming off a 76-71 victory in Game 2 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum, with Will Gozum and Miggy Corteza each scoring 21 points to force the winner-take-all dynamic. The magnitude and intensity also resulted heated moments, most notably with former Finals MVP Fran Yu getting ejected for a disqualifying foul in the second quarter, which led to being suspended for Game 3.

Aside from the game, last week also saw the league honor its outstanding ballers, led by Gozum being named as this season's Most Valuable Player. The UP transfer netted a near-double-double season with 16.9 points and 9.8 rebounds, becoming the first CSB player to win the award in seventeen years.

Joining Gozum in the Mythical Selection are the San Beda duo of JB Bahio and James Canlas, as well as Letran's King Caralipio and Arellano's Cade Flores.

Flores took home the most hardware, after being named as both the Rookie of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year honors.

The Chief also led the cast for the All-Defensive Team alongside fellow awardees Gozum and Bahio, with Mark Omega of Perpetual and Romel Calahat of San Sebastian completing the cast.

Comprising the remaining awards are Shawn Umali of Lyceum being named as the Most Improved Player, and San Beda being named for the Sportsmanship award.

All of these events on Sunday reflected well on the ratings end. Game 2 garnered a 3.8 rating on Nielsen Philippines' National Urban TV Audience Measurement (NUTAM), a number that surpassed the combined ratings on TV5 (1.4), A2Z (1.4), and the Kapamilya Channel (.3).

Streaming data indicated 1.6 million views on Facebook, as well as 265,000 on YouTube and 61,600 on Twitter.

Providing the halftime entertainment for Game 3 will be Bianca Umali of the Sparkle Artists Center, with XoXo also set to showcase their talent.

Taking care of the coverage is Andrei Felix and Jerry Codinera, with Martin Javier acting as host.

For more updates on NCAA, visit its official website www.ncaa.com.ph. Follow @ncaaphilippines, @gmasynergy, and @gmasportsph on social media.

NCAA Season 98 Finals set

c/o NCAA

The finals of the 98th season of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is set to commence on Sunday afternoon at the SMART- Araneta Coliseum, with the top two seeds at the end of eliminations set to tangle.

Although the Knights have topped the Blazers in both of their meetings in the eliminations, head coach Bonnie Tan knows that things are different in the bigger stage.

He shared to the media, "Pagtatrabahuhan namin kasi number one team ang Benilde so mindset pa rin namin is nasa dehado side tayo. Excited din kaming makalaban ang CSB sa Finals dahil first time din nila after long years na absent sila sa Finals. Sana mabigyan natin ng magandang laban yung CSB."

The Knights are hoping to become the eighth team to successfully pull off three straight titles, and the first Letran team to do so since 1982-84, when a team led by Samboy Lim earned the feat.

After an undefeated shortened season earlier this year, Letran rode on the leadership of Brent Paraiso, Louie Sangalang, and Fran Yu, overcoming a sluggish 3-3 start to win ten of their last twelve matches in the eliminations, before topping Lyceum in the Final Four.

As for CSB, they bounced back from falling short in the play-in tournament earlier this season by setting a school record with fourteen wins, then overcame San Beda in the Final Four, making their return to the finals after a two-decade absence.

Reflecting on their semifinal matchup, Charles Tiu says, "This was a good test for us, if we can stand our ground, I think maybe we'd have a chance (against the Knights)."

Will Gozum and Miguel Oczon has been taking charge for the Blazers.

The game will be shown on the league's Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as that of GMA Sports. It will be televised on both GMA and GTV.

Game 2 will be next Sunday, also at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum. A potential deciding Game 3 will be played at the Ynares Center in Antipolo if necessary on December 18.

Perpetual-San Sebastian, San Beda-CSB highlight Thursday NCAA action

Games scheduled on Thursday at the Filoil Flying V Centre

10am San Sebastian vs Perpetual (HS)
12nn San Beda vs La Salle-Greenhills (HS)
2pm San Sebastian vs Perpetual
4pm San Beda vs College of Saint Benilde

An interesting Thursday basketball schedule even got more attention with the latest developments that got fleshed out on Wednesday afternoon.

First reported on by Christian Jacinto on SPIN, the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta's season could unravel with the revelation that the Altas may have broken some eligibility rules involving some of their players, most notably Edgar Charcos and Kim Aurin.

As a result, Frankie Lim could potentially be missing their key cogs heading into their matchup against San Sebastian at 2pm, a matchup that went down the wire to the final seconds in Las Pinas during the first round.

The Golden Stags, as well as the Mapua Cardinals, Arellano Chiefs, and the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, will stand to benefit if the nine Perpetual victories are to be forfeited, as the four schools would be brought back into the postseason chase, with the chance to potentially catch-up with the College of Saint Benilde, who will have to deal with a punishing gauntlet of a schedule to end their eliminations stint.

The Blazers are playing defending champions San Beda later that afternoon at 4pm, with matches still to be played against currently top-ranked Lyceum and third-place Letran sandwiched around a match against also-rans JRU.

In the high school division, the Staglets are seeking to take advantage of a free-falling Junior Altas at 10am, with the loser of this matchup officially kissing their Final Four hopes goodbye. The other matchup features La Salle-Greenhills against San Beda at noon. The Red Cubs are looking to join Mapua/Malayan in a tie for second place if they can beat the Greenies.

San Beda, CSB retain NCAA Table Tennis titles

The Emilio Aguinaldo College Gym  hosted the successful title defenses of San Beda and College of Saint Benilde on Monday in NCAA table tennis.

Both schools repulsed Letran in their respective divisions, with the Red Paddlers sweeping the Lady Knights, 3-0.

Abbie Nuevo beat Trixie Catapang, 11-3 11-8 11-7 in the first singles, with Angel Sanchez defeating Kristiana Lim, 11-4 10-12 11-3 11-7 in the second singles. The duo of Ronela Magcale and Kryslyn Manez took care of business against Rica Enriquez and Hannah Tayad, 11-8 12-10 11-2, to complete the sweep and their sixth straight women's title.

Sanchez would later be adjudged as the Most Valuable Player.

In the men's division, the Blazers dispatched the Knights, 3-1.

Ryan Jacolo beat John Pansacula, 8-11 11-5 11-8 11-4 in the opening singles matchup for CSB, but Letran tied things up with John William Managos edging James Sy, 11-4 11-3 10-12, and 11-6 in the second singles.

In doubles, Joshua Padilla and Martie del Rosario downed Olsehn Obal and Benjiecer Lim, 15-13 11-8 11-7 to put the Blazers up, 2-1, before Jacolo closed things out with a 11-6 11-7 11-9 win over Managos for their fifth straight men's title.

Letran will not come home empty handed, as the Squires clinched the HS title with a 3-1 win over San Beda behind the efforts of their MVP Matt Andrew Ramos.

Letran revisits San Beda rivalry today

Games today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

10am Letran vs San Beda (HS)
12nn La Salle-Greenhills vs San Sebastian (HS)
2pm Letran vs San Beda
4pm College of Saint Benilde vs San Sebastian

The rivalry is once again revisited, with San Beda and Letran set to clash in their first collegiate matchup this afternoon at the Filoil Flying V Centre.

Set at 2pm, the Knights want to make amends after they were pipped by the Red Lions in overtime, 80-76 in the first round. The defending champions relied on AC Soberano's clutch shooting in the extension to snatch the win a month ago.

Letran will be buoyed by an inspired performance last Thursday, after learning about Jerrick Balanza's condition earlier in the week. The team has since decided to dedicate the rest of the season to him.

Regardless of the result of the 2pm game, the College of Saint Benilde will be active observers, as they face against San Sebastian to cap off the quadruple-header today.

Provided the Blazers beat the Golden Stags, they stand to be beneficiaries of whoever loses between San Beda and Letran, as a loss by the former would keep them tied with latter and gets them even closer to second place, while a loss by the latter moves them up to solo third place.

CSB would also want to secure a legitimate victory over San Sebastian, as they were one of the two beneficiaries of forfeited wins due to RK Ilagan's "ligang labas" incident.

In the high school division, La Salle-Greenhills is seeking to put some distance atop the HS division as they face San Sebastian at noon.

At 9-1, the Greenies have a one-game lead over Mapua/Malayan, and a 2.5 game advantage over San Beda.

The Red Cubs will kick off action today against Letran at 10am.

Sea Lions dominate in NCAA Swimming

San Beda continues to lord over the NCAA Swimming tournament at the Rizal Memorial Aquatics Center.

The Sea Lions dominated in the senior men's and women's division, with golds from Celine Anne Delotavo (women's 400m freestyle), John Henry Gurango (men's 400m freestyle), Chloe Medina (women's 100m backstroke), Chris Alcher Calderon (men's 200m breaststroke), and the 200m freestyle relays.

Their dominance is so omniscient that they clinched the collegiate titles with the final day of competition still to be played.

The College of Saint Benilde was in distant second in both divisions, as the Blazers rode on gold medals from Aziz Jan Pukunum (100m backstroke), Justine Anne Abastillas (50m butterfly), and Christopher Wong (50m butterfly).

La Salle-Greenhills still have a hold atop the HS division at 518.5 points, but San Beda and Perpetual Help are just around the corner at 497 and 411.25 points, respectively.

Junior Altas swimmer and Philippines National Games standout Russell La Torre set the record for the 400m freestyle during the prelims with a 4:18.15 time before clinching the gold with a 4:18.33 effort.

Christine Lorente of Jose Rizal University clinched the 200m breaststroke title in 2:52.38, with the quartet of Albert Santos, Anfer Tagao, Aaron Alagban, and Marione Barcelon clinched the 200m freestyle relay title in 1:45.16.

Knights, Blazers seek seventh wins in NCAA

Games Thursday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

10am Perpetual vs La Salle-Greenhills (HS)
12nn Arellano vs Letran (HS)
2pm Perpetual vs CSB
4pm Arellano vs Letran


The 94th season of the NCAA resumes with a four-game bill, highlighted by collegiate matchups seeking a better foothold in the race to the postseason.

In the 2pm matchup, Perpetual is hoping that Edgar Charcos is ready to play against the College of Saint Benilde, as the Altas sorely missed his services.

The UE transfer suffered a hyperextended knee during their first round meeting against the Blazers, and subsequently sat out their next game. He also had to bow out from participating in the NCAA All-Star Game last week.

The Blazers are looking to keep their winning run going, as they attempt to move in on the two remaining postseason berths available with Lyceum and San Beda still lording atop the standings.

In the 4pm matchup, Letran seeks to also solidify their positioning as one of the top four teams against Arellano.

The Knights have rode on Bong Quinto's back-to-back triple-doubles to conclude their first round campaign, but that has since been muted by the news of Jerrick Balanza's medical condition.

The veteran was diagnosed to have a tumor inside his brain and has been ruled out for the rest of the season, with the school seeking to find the necessary funding to defray medical expenses.

As for the Chiefs, they are buoyed by their upset victory over Perpetual to cap off their first round, hoping that they can avenge their 88-70 first round defeat.

In the high school morning doubleheader, a potential Final Four preview is in play with the Junior Altas facing off against defending champions La Salle-Greenhills at 10am, whilst the Braves of Aaron Fermin seek to keep themselves in the race for the postseason against the middling Squires at noon.

NCAA All-Star set this afternoon

Schedule today at the Filoil Flying V Centre:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NCAA All-Star participants named

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Historic NCAA Friday

Games Tuesday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The scores:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

San Beda seeks bounce back win

Games today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lyceum maintains undefeated record

Games Tuesday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The scores:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lyceum-Letran highlight Friday NCAA tussle

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

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

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

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

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