UP snaps losing skid over Adamson

c/o UAAP

The University of the Philippines secures their first win this season, defeating Adamson, 64-56 on Wednesday afternoon at the Quadricentennial Pavillion inside the University of Santo Tomas campus.

The Fighting Maroons fended off the Lady Falcons in the fourth quarter to hold on to the victory. A triple from Christie Bariquit gave UP a 53-46 lead with just under 6.5 minutes remaining. Cris Padilla would bring the deficit down to 50-55 with over four minutes left, but the Maroons would finish things off with baskets from Shanina Tapawan, Maian Domingo, and a triple from Rhea Sanchez to ice the game with 127 seconds remaining.

UP head coach Paul Ramos shares post-match, "May mga breaks of the game lang na napunta sa 'min, and we're lucky down the stretch. There's a lot to improve, but I'll take any win at this point in time."

He adds, "It was not a dominating win, but it was a win that we know we can win again in the coming games."

Kaye Pesquera led UP with fifteen points and five rebounds, while Sanchez finished with eleven markers centered on 3/5 shooting from beyond the arc.

With the win, the Fighting Maroons snap a seven-game losing skid that dates back to Season 82. It also happens to be their first win against the Lady Falcons since Season 78.

Dindy Medina led Adamson with fifteen points, four rebounds, and an assist, with Rose Ann Dampios adding eleven points, a rebound, and a couple of assists.

UP seeks back-to-back wins as they go up against Far Eastern University on Saturday at 10am, with Adamson looking bounce back against the University of the East at 8am that same day. Both matches will take place at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The Scores:

UP 64 - Pesquera 15, Sanchez 11, Bariquit 9, Maw 8, Vingno 6, Domingo 4, Tapawan 4, Lozada 3, Jimenez 2, Larrosa 2, Gonzales 0, Rivera 0, Lara 0.

Adamson 56 - Medina 15, Dampios 11, Flor 8, Adeshina 7, Padilla 6, Ornopia 4, Alaba 3, Catulong 2, Etang 0, Meniano 0, Agojo 0, Tano 0, Dumelod 0, De La Cruz 0, Carcallas 0, Alaba 0.

Quarterscores: 20-11, 28-25, 46-43, 64-56.

Ateneo holds off FEU in opener

c/o UAAP

Ateneo de Manila held on to secure their opening victory for the 85th season of the UAAP, defeating Far Eastern University, 79-70 on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

A 14-5 run in the final period allowed the Blue Eagles to take a 69-55 lead with just over six minutes left, powered by buckets from Forthsky Padrigao and BJ Andrade.

The Tamaraws would manage to whittle the deficit down to 70-75 with 68 seconds left on a Patrick Sleat drive, but that is the closest they could get against last season's losing finalists, with Padrigao nailing a three with 38.5 seconds left to establish an eight-point lead.

The sophomore guard would finish with nineteen points, six rebounds, and seven assists. Andrade would net fifteen points.

Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin shared with the media after the game, "Scrappy (win) for sure which is nothing new for the first UAAP game of the season I think that's the standard line for most coaches. I think we have big players who make big shots which is not really the formula the one I like. Nonetheless, it's excellent to have players who have the toughness to take those shots."

Dave Ildefonso and Ange Kouame also contributed double-doubles with fourteen points and twelve rebounds and twelve points and fourteen rebounds, respectively.

LJ Gonzales led the Tamaraws with nineteen points on five three-pointers, while Sleat waxed hot in the second half, scoring fifteen of his seventeen points in the second half.

Ateneo seeks back-to-back wins as they face National University at 630pm on Wednesday, with FEU going up against neighbors University of the East at 11am.

The Scores:

ATENEO 79 -- Padrigao 19, Andrade 15, Ildefonso 14, Kouame 12, Koon 11, Ballungay 3, Daves 2, Chiu 2, Lazaro 1, Gomez 0, Garcia 0, Quitevis 0.

FEU 70 -- Gonzales 19, Sleat 17, Sajonia 10, Anonuevo 9, Torres 5, Tchuente 3, Alforque 3, Tempra 2, Sandagon 2, Gravera 0, Celzo 0, Guibao 0, Bagunu 0.

Quarters: 24-16, 30-36, 55-50, 79-70.

NU issues historic beatdown in title defense

c/o UAAP

National University extended its winning streak to 97 games on Sunday, as they issued a historic beatdown of the University of the East, 131-47, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Lady Bulldogs scored the highest point total in women's basketball since 2002, when the league started its computerization of stats. It surpassed the University of Santo Tomas' previous record of 129 back in September 22, 2018 against the University of the Philippines, as well as their school record 112 against De La Salle back in September 11, 2019.

Camille Clarin led the way for NU with 22 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. She shared to the media afterwards, "It was a statement to the UAAP that we're back. New coach, new players, but we still have the same culture and same goals."

The win was the first for Aris Dimaunahan as head coach of the Lady Bulldogs, after taking over from Patrick Aquino in the offseason. He expressed gratitude for the return of the event after being left off last season., "We're just happy na bumalik na 'yung basketball for women's, ang tagal naming hinintay and I wanna congratulate the girls for starting this season with a convincing win."

It did not take long for the defending champions to flex its muscles against the Lady Warriors, as they went on a 38-11 lead in the first quarter. They ratcheted the intensity in the second period, going on a 30-2 blitz to establish a 68-13 lead at the half.

They would reach a hundred points with less than a couple of minutes remaining in the third period, with the only thing left to be determined was if history was to be made.

Karl Pingol added sixteen points, six rebounds, and six steals. Tin Cayabyab tacked on fourteen points, while Annick Tiky netted eleven markers and eight rebounds.

Angel Surada secured a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds, with Gypsy Canuto almost had a double-double of her own with seven points and ten dimes.

Leading the way for UE are Joyce Terrinal and Kamba Kone with ten points each.

NU will seek to extend their streak against Ateneo on Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavillon at 11am, with UE hoping to bounce back against Far Eastern University at 1pm the same day.

The Scores:

NU 131 -- Clarin 22, Pingol 16, Cayabyab 14, Tiky 11, Fabruada 10, Surada 10, Baroquillo 8, Solis 8, Canuto 7, Ico 7, Betanio 6, Dimaunahan 5, Villareal 3, Bartolo 2, Talas 2.

UE 47 -- Terrinal 10, Kone 10, Anastacio 9, Caraig 8, Ordas 4, Tinio 3, Gervacio 2, Lorena 1, Nama 0, Sajol 0, Dela Rosa 0, Paule 0.
 
Quarters: 38-11, 68-13, 102-25, 131-47

UP survives DLSU nail-biter to kick off men's basketball title defense

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The title defense of the University of the Philippines is off to a positive start with a 72-69 victory over De La Salle University on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Carl Tamayo and James Spencer stepped up late to ensure the win for the Fighting Maroons, successfully fending off the Green Archers as they whittled the deficit down to 64-66 with 96 seconds left off a Kevin Quiambao triple.

Tamayo's bucket with eighty seconds left re-established a two-possession lead, followed by Spencer's conversion with seventeen seconds left.

A Mike Phillips putback reduces the deficit to 70-66 for DLSU, followed by a forced turnover to yielded an Evan Nelle triple with 6.6 seconds left on the clock and a one-point game.

The next play sees Tamayo fouled with four seconds left, with the Gilas standout draining both free throws to make it 72-69. He would finish with eighteen points and nineteen rebounds.

Nelle would have a chance to force an extension, but he coughed up the ball in the process.

UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde shared post-match, "Actually I just felt 'yung defense namin mag pick-up especially noong third quarter. Malaking bagay 'yung depensa talaga."

Malick Diouf also contributed a near double-double with nine points and thirteen rebounds, while Terrence Fortea added fifteen points, five rebounds, and nine assists as he stepped up in JD Cagulangan's absence.

Cagulangan sat out the game due to a hamstring injury.

Schonny Winston led all scorers with 27 points, although he was limited to just a couple of points in the final period. Phillips stuffed the stat sheet with eight markers, twenty rebounds, three steals, and four rejections.

UP seeks to make it back-to-back victories against Adamson at 1pm on Wednesday, while DLSU goes up against UST at 430pm that day.

The Scores:

UP 72 -- Tamayo 18, Fortea 15, Diouf 9, Spencer 8, Lucero 7, Gonzales 7, Alarcon 5, Ramos 3, Abadiano 0, Galinato 0, Torculas 0, Eusebio 0, Lina 0, Calimag 0.

LA SALLE 69 -- Winston 27, Nelle 9, M. Phillips 8, Nonoy 8, Quiambao 5, Austria 4, Manuel 4, Nwankwo 2, Macalalag 2, B. Phillips 0.

Quarters: 16-17, 34-42, 50-54, 72-69.

UST staves off Adamson in Season 85 men's basketball opener

c/o UAAP

The University of Santo Tomas held on to a 69-60 victory over Adamson to kick off the men's basketball tournament for the 85th season of the UAAP on Saturday afternoon at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Growling Tigers rode on the shoulders of Nic Cabañero in the victory, as they staved off an attempted comeback by the Soaring Falcons.

With Jerom Lastimosa's triple to make it a three-point game at 60-57 with under a minute left, Cabañero nailed a jumper with 33 seconds left to re-establish a two-possession lead.

Adamson had a chance to come closer in the next few seconds, but Lastimosa missed a three, Lenda Douanga missed two free throws, and Joem Sabandal was charged with a turnover.

After free throw splits from Paul Manalang and Christian Manaytay make it 67-60, with Cabañero capping off his day by making two free throws for the final score and his 32nd and 33rd points.

Nic would add a steal, a couple of rebounds and four assists in almost 32.5 minutes of action for UST. He shared afterwards to the media, "Sobrang overwhelmed and blessed kasi pinagdadasal ko kasi I'm turning 19 kasi this Monday. Lagi kong ipinagdadasal na ibigay sa amin itong first win, hindi lang first pati 'yung upcoming games."

The victory gave head coach Bal David a winning debut in the league, one that he won titles with as a player with the Growling Tigers in the 90s. He says, "It's overwhelming kasi grabe 'yung suporta ng Thomasian community. We're very grateful nandiyan sila through thick and thin."

Adama Faye contributed a game-high fifteen rebounds, a couple of steals, and a couple of rejections, with Manaytay ending up with seven markers.

Douanga led Adamson with a double-double performance with thirteen points and thirteen rebounds, while Joshua Yerro also scoring thirteen of his own.

Lastimosa finished with ten markers on 4/11 shooting.

UST will have a chance to net back-to-back victories on Wednesday against La Salle at 430pm, with Adamson trying to bounce back against defending champions UP at 1pm. Both games comprise half of the quadruple-header at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.

The Scores:

UST 69 -- Cabanero 33, Manaytay 7, Faye 6, Pangilinan 6, Mantes 5, Mantua 4, Calimag 3, Duremdes 2, Herrera 2, Manalang 1, Lazarte 0, Magdangal 0, Laure 0.

Adamson 60 -- Douanga 13, Yerro 13, Lastimosa 10, Hanapi 10, Sabandal 9, V. Magbuhos 3, Barcelona 2, Colonia 0, Manzano 0, Flowers 0, Barasi 0, Torres 0, Manlapaz 0, Jaymalin 0.

Quarterscores: 23-18, 42-38, 48-42, 69-60.

DLSU triumphs in UAAP season opener

c/o UAAP

De La Salle University kicked off its return to women's basketball with a 73-51 victory over the University of the Philippines on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Lady Archers started off strong with a 19-8 first quarter, eventually establishing a 35-19 halftime lead.

The Cholo Villanueva-mentored squad managed to extend its lead to 25 during the third, but the Fighting Maroons chopped the deficit back down to 57-38 after a 9-3 finish in a bid to establish momentum.

However, DLSU responded with a 16-3 blast to break the game open at 73-41 with less than four minutes left in the match.

Villanueva shared with the media after the game, "It's a good start for us. We just wanted to execute properly during our first game. Good thing the girls responded well."

Fina Niantcho led DLSU with a double-double, contributing sixteen points, twelve rebounds, and three steals. Twelve of those points came in the first half. Lee Sario was close to netting her own double-double with nine markers and eight boards.

Luisa San Juan added twelve points for the Lady Archers, with ten of them coming in the second half.

Acrissa Maw was the lone player in double figures for UP with eleven points, eight rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.

DLSU will look to get a leg up in the tournament against fellow opening day winners UST on Wednesday at 9am, whilst UP and Adamson tangle at 3pm.

The Scores:

DLSU 73 - Niantcho 17, San Juan 12, Sario 9, Torres 8, Arciga 8, Binaohan 7, Dalisay 5, Ahmed 4, Jimenez 2, Espinas 2, De la Paz 0, Camba 0, Villava-Cua 0.

UP 51 - Maw 11, Larrosa 8, Sanchez 8, Baqiruit 5, Pesquera 5, Tapawan 4, Jimenez 4, Domingo 2, Vingno 2, Lozada 2, Gonzales 0, Sauz 0, Rivera 0.

Quarterscores: 19-8, 35-19, 57-38, 73-51.

UST opens Season 85 action with dominance over Adamson

 

photo c/o UAAP

The University of Santo Tomas signaled the return of women's collegiate basketball with  a 106-70 blowout over Adamson on Saturday morning at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Tacky Tacatac led five Growling Tigresses in double figures with 21 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals in the victory. She was especially effective from distance, converting five of her nine attempts beyond the arc. Joylyn Pangilinan added nineteen points 7/9 shooting, while Nikki Villasin made her collegiate debut with fifteen markers and six rebounds.

Eka Soriano came close to a triple-double with thirteen points, ten rebounds, and seven assists, while Steph Villapando contributed fourteen points.

UST rode on a strong start, establishing a 30-10 lead after ten minutes, before the Lady Falcons whittled the deficit down to fourteen at 48-34 into the halftime break.

Haydee Ong's wards then dropped eighteen unanswered points in the third period to break things open at 66-34.

She shared afterwards with the media, "We're very happy and excited that women's basketball is back in Season 85. We're happy that we got our first win but a lot of work has to be done yet. This is just the beginning."

Dindy Medina led all scorers with 29 points, while Leslie Flor added eleven points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals for Adamson.

Both teams will return to action Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion. with UST hosting DLSU at 9am, with Adamson capping off the quadruple-header against UP at 3pm.

The Scores:

UST 106 - Tacatac 21, Pangilinan 19, Villasin 15, Villapando 14, Soriano 13, Ambos 7, Santos 5, Bron 5, Dionisio 4, Araza 3, Serrano 0.

Adamson 70 - Medina 29, Flor 11, Dampios 7, Padilla 6, Meniano 6, Etang 4, Dumelod 3, Agojo 2, Ornopia 2, Alaba Angela 0, Adeshina 0, Tano 0, Dela Cruz 0, Carcallas 0, Alaba Angeline 0, Catulong 0.

Quarterscores: 30-10, 48-34, 78-48, 106-70.