San Beda topples College of St. Benilde in NCAA Season 101 opener

c/o NCAA

San Beda starts off its NCAA Season 101 campaign on a winning note, topping the College of Saint Benilde, 96-85, in the second game of the doubleheader at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The Red Lions avenged their Final Four defeat against the Blazers, with Bryan Sajonia leading the way with sixteen points and three steals, as well as a rebound and an assist.

Janti Miller impressed in his official collegiate debut, coming off the bench to also score sixteen markers, while grabbing six rebounds.

Fresh from being selected sixth overall in the just-concluded PBA Draft, Yukien Andrada began his final season in Mendiola with eleven points.

San Beda would overcome trailing in the first quarter to take a 48-45 halftime lead. A strong finish to the third quarter allowed them to extend it to double-digits at 71-61, before expanding it to as large as seventeen in the final period.

CSB would managed to cut that down to a two-possession game at 91-85 on an Allen Liwag bucket with 72 seconds remaining, but those would be the final points of the Blazers in the game, as free throws from Sajonia, Miller, and Jimuel Reyes down the stretch provided the much-needed breathing room.

Liwag contributed a double-double for last season's losing finalists with twelve points and twelve rebounds, while adding four assists. Justine Sanchez led all scorers with 24 points. Ian Torres was the other player in double figures with thirteen markers.

San Beda is set to face Letran on Sunday, while CSB looks to correct its skid against Emilio Aguinaldo College on Saturday. Both matches to be played in San Juan.

THE SCORES:

SAN BEDA 96 – Sajonia 16, Miller 16, Reyes 13, Andrada 11, Etulle 9, Gonzales 8, Calimag 7, Celzo 6, Culdora 4, Bonzalida 4, Lina 2, Estacio 0

ST. BENILDE 85 – Sanchez 24, Torres 13, Liwag 12, Ancheta 8, Celis 6, Oli 6, Cometa 4, Cajucom 4, Moore 3, Morales 3, Gaspay 2, Umali 0, Eusebio 0, Daja 0

NU slays UST in batlle of unbeaten squads

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Standings
NU 3-0
Ateneo 3-0
UST 2-1
DLSU 2-1
AdU 1-2
UP 1-2
FEU 0-3
UE 0-3

Games on Saturday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion
7:30 a.m. – UE vs UST (16U)
9:30 a.m. – UPIS vs NUNS (16U)
11:30 a.m.  – UE vs UST (Women)
1:30 p.m. – UE vs UST (Men)
4:30 p.m. – UP vs NU (Men)
7 p.m. – UP vs NU (Women)

National University effectively stopped Collins Akowe to outlast University of Santo Tomas in its home floor, the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion, 76-69, and stay spotless in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament, Wednesday.

The Bulldogs, well-aware of the former NU Nazareth School foreign student-athlete play, limited Akowe to just a season-low five points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field and eight rebounds.

Prior to this, Akowe averaged 24.5 points and 18.0 rebounds in the Growling Tigers’ 2-0 start with big wins against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons and the De La Salle University Green Archers - the last two seasons’ finalists.

“The players really worked hard talaga na makuha ito… Happy for our guys na talagang they followed the game plan. They are disciplined to do it, the effort is there yun naman ang laging sinasabi ko sa kanila,” said NU head coach Jeff Napa as they are now leveled with idle Ateneo de Manila University at 3-0 atop the standings.

(“The players really worked hard to get this… I’m happy for our guys because they really followed the game plan. They are disciplined enough to do it, the effort is there—that’s what I always tell them.")

Jake Figueroa, meanwhile, made the shots that counted the most for the Bulldogs to tilt the game to their side.

With UST up by a point, Gelo Santiago came through with a layup before Figueroa made it a three-point lead for NU with a step-back jumper, 70-67 with 1:52 left.

Nic Cabañero retaliated for the Growling Tigers to inch within a point, 69-70, but Figueroa seized the moment again with a booming three-pointer with 38.2 seconds remaining that served as the dagger that came after a UST turnover.

The Growling Tigers could not execute on the other end that spelled doom in the end.

“Tinake advantage ko lang ‘yung binigay na responsibilidad ni coach na ‘yun nga, kumbaga kailangan kong akuin so ayun kahit papaano pumapasok naman,” said Figueroa, who had 22 points, including nine in the fourth period, while also grabbing nine rebounds.

(“I just took advantage of the responsibility that coach gave me—basically, it was something I had to own—so I did my part and it worked out somehow.")

Gambian center Omar John also outplayed Akowe for NU, registering 10 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, three assists, and two steals

On the other hand, UST’s dream start came to an end, dropping to 2-1, tied with La Salle at third.

Cabañero paced the Growling Tigers with 19 points on an 8-of-19 clip from the field while Amiel Acido erupted for a career-high 18 points in the defeat.

Mark Llemit also contributed 12 points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block while Forthsky Padrigao got 10 points and six assists.

Both teams will be back on Saturday with NU clashing with UP at 4:30 p.m. while UST aims to bounce back at 1:30 p.m. against winless University of the East, still at the QPav.

The Scores:

NU (76) – Figueroa 22, John 10, Palacielo 10, Garcia 9, Enriquez 7, Francisco 5, Santiago 4, Parks 3, Manansala 2, Jumamoy 2, Dela Cruz 2, Padrones 0, Solomon 0, Tulabut 0, Navarro 0.
       
UST (69) – Cabañero 19, Acido 18, Llemit 12, Padrigao 10, Akowe 5, Buenaflor 3, Crisostomo 2, Estacio 0, Danting 0, Paranada 0, Laure 0, Calum 0.
     
Quarterscores: 18-22, 40-43, 58-61, 76-69.

Mapua outlasts Lyceum in NCAA Season 101 opener

c/o NCAA

Needed an additional ten minutes, but Mapua ensured their title defense kicked off on a positive note with a 90-89 victory over Lyceum in the curtain-raiser for the 101st season of the NCAA at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.

Appropriate for the golden anniversary of the Thrilla in Manila at the same venue, the Cardinals and Pirates battled it out to a 74-all deadlock in regulation, followed both teams scoring six points in the next five minutes.

Ultimately, a Cyrus Cuenco FT with 6.8 seconds remaining in overtime proved to be difference between the two sides, as Lyceum missed what would have a game-winner in their final possession.

Cuenco would finish with fourteen points, as he and JC Recto combined to step up with Clint Escamis limited due to foul trouble. Also tacking on sixteen points is Earl Sapasap.

Recto contributed sixteen points and added nine rebounds to lead the Cardinals. He shared to the media after the game, "I just let my instincts take over. Clint (Escamis) wasn’t there and just because he wasn’t there meant we should focus on him being out."

JC added, "All I thought about was doing whatever the coaches asked me to do." 

Escamis was limited to eight points and fouled out in the fourth quarter.

Renz Villegas led all scorers with his 23 points, but the Pirates drop to 0-1 to start off their campaign.

Both teams will resume action this weekend in San Juan, with Mapua facing Arellano on Saturday and Lyceum battling Perpetual on Sunday. 

The scores:

MAPÚA 90 – Recto 16, Sapasap 16, Cuenco 14, Concepcion 13, Gonzales 11, Escamis 8, Igliane 8, Ryan 2, Gulapa 2, Nitura 0, Lazarte 0, Delos Reyes 0, Reyes 0, Abdulla 0

LYCEUM 89 – Villegas 23, Versoza 14, Daileg 13, Barba 8, Pallingayan 7, Gordon 5, Aurige 5, Aviles 5, Matienzo 4, Moralejo 3, Montaño 2, Peñafiel 0

Arevalo’s late strike puts FEU at cusp of first round sweep

c/o UAAP

Men's Matches Thursday at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub
2:30 p.m. - DLSU vs UP
4:30 p.m. - UST vs Ateneo
7 p.m. - UE vs Adamson

Judie Arevalo drilled in the winning goal, sending Far Eastern University to a third straight victory in the UAAP Season 88 Women's Football Tournament, 1-0, over University of Santo Tomas on Wednesday at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub here.

The four-peat-seeking Lady Tamaraws joined the De La Salle Lady Booters atop the standings with nine points, setting up a showdown on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the University of the Philippines Football Field.

The senior forward capitalized on a well-executed buildup involving Marienell Cristobal and Angel Egay to put FEU ahead in the 52nd minute.

Cristobal, who had been at the heart of the Lady Tamaraws' offense since kickoff, finally found Egay inside the box.

Egay, maintaining her composure, attempted to finish, but the ball did not find the net.

Arevalo, however, was perfectly positioned to tap the ball home, securing the go-ahead goal.

"Ang naging problem naming nung start is hindi kami nag-solid eh do'n sa backline and do'n sa harapan. Ni-reserve talaga namin si Arevalo; kaya mahirap 'pag wala 'yung starter mo. Pero good adjustment during the second half, a lot of dangerous opportunities. Yun lang talaga, 'yung understanding sa back, kasi marami kaming chances pero hindi talaga nila makita 'yung target," said long-time head coach Let Dimzon.

("We just had problems at the start because we reserved Arevalo for the latter parts, so we were not that solid at the back and up front. Without our usual starters, we struggled. But it was a good adjustment during the second half because we had a lot of dangerous opportunities. We just have to improve our understanding of the situation from the back to be able to find our options up front.)

"We want them to improve lang lagi every game kasi from the very first game nagiging maganda 'yung result ng play namin. Kaya going into the La Salle game, improve lang nila 'yung communication kasi do'n kami nagkukulang," she added.

(We want them to improve every game just as we played from the very first match up to now. Going into the La Salle game, we just need to improve our communication because that's where we lack.")

UST had opportunities in both halves, but Rica Gerona in the first half and Jannah Santerva in the second could not break through the FEU defense.

The Lady Booters remain in third place with three points and a goal difference of -1 as they seek a bounce-back win against Ateneo in Saturday's first match at 4 p.m.

Senate commends Alas Pilipinas for historic performance in FIVB Men's World Championship

c/o PNVF

THE Senate on Wednesday adopted a resolution filed by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano commending the Philippine men’s national volleyball team, Alas Pilipinas, for its milestone 19th-place finish in the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship.

Cayetano, who sponsored Proposed Senate Resolution No. 143, said the team’s breakthrough run “brought immense pride and honor” to the country and proved that Filipino athletes can excel when given the right opportunities.

“Sports brings Filipinos together. This team not only made us proud during the SEA Games, but they also made sure they will pleasantly surprise us,” he said during his sponsorship speech.

The senator emphasized that sports is a “God-given activity” that promotes health and well-being, fosters unity even in the midst of political divides, and elevates the Philippines’ global image through international success.

The Senate resolution emphasized that the achievement was made even more significant by the Philippines’ role as the tournament’s sole host.

All 24 Senators supported and adopted the resolution with Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Joel Villanueva and Erwin Tulfo making their manifestations congratulating the national team.

Present at the Senate were Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara and secretary-general Donaldo Caringal and members of Alas Pilipinas led by head coach Angiolino Frigoni and deputy coach Ogie Mamon and team captain Bryan Bagunas.

The resolution also cited standouts led by captain Bryan Bagunas, who finished third among the tournament’s top scorers, and Marck Espejo, who ranked fourth among receivers, with Cayetano saying their feats prove the grit and talent of Filipino athletes on the world stage.

The senator likewise credited the coaching staff led by Angiolino Frigoni and the reforms implemented by the PNVF under Suzara, which opened doors to overseas tournaments and strengthened training programs for national players.

Cayetano, who also serves as Co-chair of the Local Organizing Committee and Chairman Emeritus of the PNVF, added that honoring Alas Pilipinas is not only about celebrating their success but also about sustaining momentum for long-term sports development.

“Honoring Filipino athletes serves a public purpose because their achievements inspire national pride, set standards for sports programs, and justify sustained investment in facilities, training, and athlete support nationwide,” he said.

This success, Cayetano said, set the stage for the Philippines to host the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Championship in 2029, with greater readiness and confidence.

“Because of their performance and because of the successful hosting, two years from now, iyon namang Women’s Volleyball Championship will be held in the Philippines and this time around we have much more time to prepare,” he said.

Archers squeak past Tamaraws

c/o UAAP

De La Salle University scrambled past Far Eastern University, 74-72, to return to the win column of the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The Tamaraws had a golden opportunity to tie the game when Jorick Bautista found himself wide open for a baseline layup. But the shooting guard misfired with around seven seconds left. La Salle then burned precious seconds before being fouled — with FEU not yet in the penalty — effectively sealing the Green Archers’ bounce-back win.

La Salle successfully ran out the clock to preserve the victory after losing to University of Santo Tomas last Saturday, improving to 2-1 for solo fourth place.

“Of course coming off a loss you really want to win. We had a part in the game where we’re playing really, really well but in the UAAP you cannot say that you’re gonna have an easy win. FEU came back in the fourth and we just have to figure out our struggles in the fourth quarter,” said Green Archers deputy coach Caloy Garcia.

The Green Archers, who also went through the wringer before beating the Adamson Soaring Falcons in their season opener, now brace for their rivalry showdown with the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Sunday.

FEU trailed 51-64 entering the fourth but clawed back to within one, 69-70, with 2:25 left through the efforts of Mo Konateh, Janrey Pasaol, Bautista, and Jedric Daa.

But Mason Amos and Doy Dungo delivered back-to-back baskets for La Salle to stretch the lead to 74-69 with 1:32 remaining. Bautista answered with a clutch triple at the 54.4-second mark to trim it to 72-74, only to miss what would have been the game-tying layup in the dying seconds — the biggest what-if of the night.

“Nag step-up lang ako kasi kailangan mag step-up ng team kasi kulang kami sa mga players. Naging composed lang ako and naging ready lang,” said Dungo, who stepped up in the absence of Kean Baclaan, sidelined with a sprained ankle.

(“I just stepped up because the team needed someone to step up since we were missing players. I just stayed composed and ready.”)

Dungo, a former UST Tiger Cub, showed his comfort inside the Quadricentennial Pavilion by scoring 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting to lead La Salle.

Amos added 14 points, four assists, and three rebounds, while Jacob Cortez also tallied 14 points with four assists and three boards.

EJ Gollena chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds, half of them on the offensive glass.

Mike Phillips, despite being limited to six points on 1-of-7 shooting, anchored the Archers with 13 rebounds and nine assists.

Meanwhile, the Tamaraws fell to 0-3, joining idle University of the East at the bottom of the standings.

Pasaol paced FEU with 25 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Konateh contributed a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Kirby Mongcopa posted 13 points and seven boards. Bautista finished with 10 points.

FEU will try to break into the win column when it faces Adamson University on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Scores:

DLSU (74) – Dungo 17, Amos 14, Cortez 14, Gollena 14, Phillips 6, Marasigan 5, Pablo 2, Abadam 2, Daep 0, Melecio 0.
       
FEU (72) – Pasaol 25, Konateh 14, Mongcopa 13, Bautista 10, Owens 6, Daa 2, Ona 2, Bagunu 0, Montemayor 0, Salangsang 0, Amos 0.
       
Quarterscores: 21-14, 37-30, 64-51, 74-72.

NCAA ushers in Season 101

On the anniversary of the Thrilla in Manila at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum, the National Collegiate Athletic Association is set to commence its 101st season at the hallowed venue, with last season's Final Four teams tangling in a doubleheader.

Hosts and defending seniors' basketball champions Mapua faces Lyceum at 230pm, with San Beda and the College of Saint Benilde following suit at 5pm. Both matches are set to be broadcast live by its media partner, GMA.

The league is set to introduce a new format for the next few seasons for both basketball and volleyball, in a move they believe would inject some freshness to the competition.

The ten participating teams are split into two groups of five. Teams that made the postseason were equitably split into the two groups, with a draw involving the remaining six schools completing the field. Those within the same group will play its fellow group members twice, while facing the ones in the other group once, making it thirteen games in the eliminations.

Afterwards, the bottom two teams of each group will face off in a play-in to complete the crossover quarterfinal field, which will utilize the twice-to-beat advantage for the top two teams in each group.

Both the semifinals and the finals will be in a best-of-three matchup, with the return of the third place game to boot. 

Preceeding the games is an elaborate opening ceremony slated at noon, but will be broadcast at around 130pm. Highlighting the event are performances from the trio of Thea Astley, Hannah Precillas, and Naya Ambi, as well as from Aicelle Santos.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio has been invited as a guest speaker, as the league fresh from its centennial celebrations jumpstarts its next century. 

In addressing the media present at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, NCAA ManCom member and Jose Rizal University athletic director Paul Supan shares, "Madaling tandaan. Season 101. And we’ll open on October 1. 10-1. So things like that. And with this year’s theme ‘Building Greatness,’ I’m sure for the past 100 years of NCAA, you’ve seen student-athletes rose to the elite level. So in the next 100 years in coordination with the PSC and member schools, we hope to sustain our contribution to the national training pool." 

The NCAA also reaffirmed its commitment and partnership with the PSC on bolstering the country's national pool with the upcoming launch of four demonstration events in boxing, golf, gymnastics, and weightlifting, which they initially announced in their press conference last week.

Fellow ManCom member and Emilio Aguinaldo College Vice President for Administration Dr. Lorenzo Lorenzo notes, "The NCAA and PSC ay nagkaroon ng partnership in terms of training and developing these grassroots athletes."

All four events will take place during the second semester, as the league is in the midst of preparations on how they are to get these events going.

Boxing, Gymnastics, and Weightlifting have provided the medals for the Philippines in the Olympics, including the gold medal that College of Saint Benilde graduate Hidilyn Diaz secured in Tokyo.

In addition, the league is in the process of bringing back gamedays at their original home, the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Most of the upcoming basketball matches are set to be played at the Filoil Centre in San Juan, with other fixtures taking place at the Mall of Asia Arena.

RMC is set to host its only basketball games on the first week of November, with Mapua versus CSB and Lyceum vs San Beda on the fourth, while the next day features Arellano vs JRU.

Supan says, "This is our home and most of us will acknowledge, dito talaga nagsimula ang NCAA." Lorenzo adds, "The direction really is to eventually ensure that all of the games in the eliminations and semis, basically, were going back to our home base."

The complex is already set to host the league's taekwondo, swimming, lawn and soft tennis, with plans to have the football competition return to Rizal Memorial Stadium after having to spend it earlier this year at the University of Makati.

Also set to return to a familiar venue is the league's athletics tournament, which is to be staged at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.