by James De VeraChinese Taipei demolished the Philippines, 21-6, in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Asian Beach Games Women’s 3x3 Basketball Tournament in the Vietnamese city of Danang, Thursday afternoon.
The Taiwanese were relentless in this game, beating the Philippine team in rebounds (17-5) and field goals made (13-5). Their magnificent defense also denied the Filipinas from scoring a two-point basket and from dishing out any assists in this match. Lo Pin led the Taiwanese women, scoring nine points and garnering eight rebounds while Chen Wei-an, Tai I-Ting, and Huang Jou-Chen also had a good performance as well, scoring five, four, and three respectively. Chovi Borja, CD Escoto, and Sarah Mercado only scored two points each in this loss for the Philippines. The Philippine Women’s 3x3 team split their preliminary games with two wins and two losses before dropping this game in the quarters. The Filipinas gained victory against Laos, 17-12, and Mongolia, 16-11, but failed to overcome the giants of China, 21-9, and Turkmenistan, 18-8. Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei lost to Asian powerhouse China, 21-12, in the semifinals but has managed to bounce back in their bronze medal match against Turkmenistan, 21-9. China won the tournament as they beat Thailand, 15-9, in the finals.
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by James De VeraSan Miguel survived a gritty challenge from Barangay Ginebra, 95-92, in Game Two of their best-of-five semifinals series in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Wednesday. The Beermen leaned much on the dominant showing of the league’s two-time reigning MVP June Mar Fajardo, collecting 18 points and 23 rebounds in just 33 minutes of playing time. Former NBA cager Elijah Millsap also contributed to SMB’s victory, tallying 25 points and nine boards. Like in Game One, San Miguel played more viciously in the first quarter as they outscore the Gin Kings, 24-18. The Beermen’s continuous toughness on defense in the second period saw Ginebra stumble as the Gin Kings trail after two quarters, 51-40. In the third period, Coach Tim Cone’s squad made a huge run, cutting the lead to just a solitary point, 62-61, at the end of the quarter. SMB responded with their own offensive explosion as they extend their lead to nine after the first six minutes of the fourth quarter. Inspired by their thousands of fans in the Big Dome, Ginebra made another run to cut the lead again to within one with less than 20 seconds left in the game. However, SMB stalwart Elijah Millsap delivered the exclamation mark of the game as he slams a two-handed dunk to even the series. With the 2-1 series lead at stake, expect another thrilling and mouth-watering game on Friday as these two heavyweights clash again at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. by James De VeraMadanly and Castro led TNT Katropa’s clobbering of the Meralco Bolts, 113-95, in the opening game of their best-of-five semifinals series in the PBA Governors’ Cup last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Elite Asian import Michael Madanly led Katropa with 22 points, two rebounds, and four assists while “The Blur” Jayson Castro almost had a double-double, collecting 14 points and nine assists. Both teams played intense defense early in the game but it was Katropa who managed to get the lead after the first quarter, 24-23. Meralco kept the game close in the second period keeping them within two points, 43-45, at the end of the first half. Katropa exploded for 38 points in the third period, leaving the Bolts in shock, 84-67. Three-point shooting was the key for TNT Katropa as they connect for 15/30 in the game compared to only 6/27 of the Bolts. It was all TNT in the last quarter as they cruise to an 18-point demolition over the hapless Meralco squad. Allen Durham topped Meralco with 26 points and 21 boards while Cliff Hodge and Jarred Dillinger also hit double figures in this match, scoring 16 and 12 respectively. Game Two will be on Thursday at the same coliseum as Meralco looks to level the series at 1-1. by James De VeraBarangay Ginebra San Miguel came back from an awful start to beat the defending champions San Miguel Beermen, 115-108, in Game One of the PBA Governors' Cup semifinals last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Gin Kings, led by their athletic forward Justin Brownlee, did not disappoint the thousands of Ginebra supporters as they finally break their three-year winning drought in the semi-finals. San Miguel started the game in a dominating fashion as they led the Gin Kings, 36-24, at the end of the first quarter. Ginebra continued their sluggish performance in the second period, allowing the Beermen to stay on top, 57-46. It was in the second half when the trailing team finally woke up from their miserable showing. Beermen, which seemed unbeatable in the first half, were outgunned by 14 points in the third quarter, allowing Ginebra to take a three-point advantage, 79-76, at the end of the period. The Gin Kings maintained their offensive juggernaut, mounting a 13-4 run in the early part of the fourth quarter. San Miguel tried to steal the game's momentum in the dying minutes but Barangay Ginebra denied them from retaking the lead. Brownlee tallied another monster double-double, scoring 39 points and crashing 16 boards, leading the Gin Kings to a one-game advantage in their best-of-five series with the Beermen. On the other hand, reigning MVP June Mar Fajardo led the losing side with 25 points and 15 rebounds. The two crowd favorites will meet again at the same venue on Wednesday evening as San Miguel Beermen hopes to bounce back in Game Two. by James De VeraMalaysia is now officially dethroned as Southeast Asian queens after crashing to the might of Perlas Pilipinas, 77-73, in the SEABA Women’s Championship, tonight in Malacca City, Malaysia.
The host nation still tried to salvage their title defense in the dying minutes of the game, but the Philippines are just to be too big and too strong for the Lady Tigers. In the first quarter, Team Pilipinas shook off an early Malaysian challenge as they lead, 20-17. The Filipinas extended their advantage to nine in the second quarter, 43-34, thanks to their smooth offense and gritty defense. The Lady Tigers kept the game within firing distance in the third period, but a late Pilipinas surge saw the Malaysians trail 64-49 at the end of the quarter. Perlas would then stretch their lead to as much as 20 points in the eight-minute mark of the last period, but an inspired Malaysian team came back to cut the lead to just four points with only 50 seconds left to play in the game. Unfortunately, the Malaysians failed to score another basket as Perlas Pilipinas hold on to claim the victory, 77-73. Afril Bernardino led the Philippines with 14 points, 10 boards, five assists, two steals, and two blocks while Allana Lim scored 16 points on 7/10 shooting from the field. Fook Yee Yap had a great game for Malaysia scoring 23 points, three rebounds, and two dimes. The Filipinas, who are already assured of the tournament title, will still be facing Thailand tomorrow for formalization. On the other hand, Malaysia will need to sweep their two remaining assignments to get the tourney’s silver medal. by James De VeraBarangay Ginebra San Miguel survives a late Alaska Aces surge, 109-104, as they capture a precious semifinal spot in the PBA Governors' Cup, tonight at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The “Gin-eral” LA Tenorio spearheaded Ginebra’s firepower with 32 points, four rebounds, and six assists while their reinforcement, Justin Brownlee, gathered 29 points and 12 rebounds. LaDontae Henton, on the other hand, led the losing side with 27 points and 15 rebounds as Alaska waves goodbye to their title aspirations this season. It was a back-and-forth opening quarter as the two teams got off to a stalemate, 23-23. Ginebra then began dominating the game in the second period, outplaying and outhustling the Aces, 53-41. Barangay continued to pound Alaska as they extend their lead to as much as 26 points in the second half. The third quarter ended with the Gin Kings still on top, 86-66. However, the Aces refused to be beaten that easy as they mount a massive run in the fourth period, cutting the lead to just a single point, 105-104, with less than a minute left in the game. With only nine seconds remaining on the clock, Brownlee banked a cold-blooded three point dagger into the Aces’ hearts. Barangay Ginebra marched on to win this one, 109-104. The Gin Kings will next face their long-time rivals San Miguel Beermen in the semis as they continue their mission of winning their first PBA title since 2008. On the other hand, the Alaska Aces will go back to their drawing board as they prepare for the Philippine Cup next season. by James De VeraLeague-leading Global FC defeated Green Achers United, 3-1, in the first round of the United Football League at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila last night, September 19.
Japanese striker, Hikaru “Pika” Minegishi, provided the early spark for “The People’s Club” as he scored a stunning goal in the opening minute of the game. Both teams had their excellent plays in the first half, but Global’s Matthew Hartman proved that his team was just too good for the Archers. Hartman’s accurate delivery into the box led to Arthur Kouassi’s sharp header as Global extends their lead to two in the 35th minute. The first half ended in favor of Global FC, 2-0. In the second half, former Azkals booter Chieffy Caligdong pulls back the Archers within one as he converts a penalty in the 48th minute. However, Dennis Villanueva broke the Archers’ hearts as he struck Global FC’s third goal in the hour mark of the game. With this victory, Global collects their 13th win of the season while Green Archers United suffers their 7th loss of the tournament. GAU will next face the dangerous Forza FC on September 25 while Global will try to extend their lead in the league table as they battle with JP Voltes tomorrow, September 21. by James De VeraMangaldan National High School's Arnis Team eyes the top price as they host this year’s Pangasinan II Division Meet Arnis Competition on the third week of October.
Having not won any gold medals before in the Arnis Event, Team Mangaldan will be looking to make history, especially with home court advantage on their side in this year’s contest. Arnisador Mangaldan had an impressive performance in the 2015 meet, winning 22 silvers and one bronze, but just falling short in capturing a gold medal against their archrivals Villasis, the team that has dominated the sport since its inclusion in the meet. This year, things are going to be different according to three-time silver medallist, Via Mari De Vera, whom with the rest of Team Mangaldan is training hard to finally bring home the bacon in this year’s tournament. “We’ve prepared a lot for this. We want to win, we want to challenge ourselves if we can really make it” the young athlete added. New bloods are also coming in to strengthen the team. Their most promising rookie so far is Chris Airish Fabia, the seventh grader who upset last year’s Division Silver Medalist Jon Eduard Aquino in the Boys’ Double Baton Event in their Intramurals. Espada y Daga, a new Arnis event, will be added in this year’s competition. Hence, Mangaldan High will have more chances of capturing their first gold in the tournament. by James De VeraGilas Pilipinas fell short in their campaign, finishing only in 9th place in the FIBA Asia Challenge 2016 held at the Twelve Thousand People Sports Hall in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
The young national squad, which had no PBA players on its roster, had a hard time keeping up with their bigger and more experienced counterparts as team PH failed to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in the history of the tourney. It was a nightmarish start for Gilas as they were stunned by a gritty Indian team, 91-83, in their opening game. Things got worse for the Philippines in the second day as Chinese Taipei outguns the young squad, 87-76. Gilas Pilipinas suffered another beating in the third day, losing to Asian powerhouse China, 75-65. In Day 4, the Philippines finally stopped their three-game losing streak as they shut down a rugged Kazakhstan team, 98-86. However, their hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals have been shattered into pieces with India and Jordan’s win against their respective opponents later that day. Gilas tried to end their tournament on a high note, but the Jordanians were just too hot to handle as they lose, 119-105. Versatile forward Rey Mark Belo led the Nationals in scoring and rebounding with 20.2 points and 7.2 boards per game. The team’s lack of height, size and experience proves to be a big factor in this tournament as Gilas Pilipinas concludes their campaign with a 1-4 win-loss record. This letdown has led to numerous disappointed fans bashing the newly formed national team in the social media. On the positive side, this tournament should be an eye-opener for the national team for them to field a taller and more competitive team in the competitions to come as our fellow Asian nations are getting more competitive every year. by James De VeraBarangay Ginebra San Miguel overcame a slow start to claim their sixth victory in the PBA Governors’ Cup whipping their rivals Purefoods Star Hotshots 116-103 in a jam-packed Araneta Coliseum on Sunday. Ginebra reinforcement Justin Brownlee exploded for 38 points while Japeth Aguilar led their locals with 21 as they ensured a playoff spot with this precious win. Purefoods started the game perfectly, leading as much as 15 points early on as they pound the Gin Kings 33-21 in the first quarter. The team extended their lead to 17 points in the mid part of the second period, but BGSM managed to wake up from this nightmare to cut the lead to single digits, 58-50.
Ginebra continues their uprise in the second half as the “Gineral” LA Tenorio scores five straight points to snatch the lead 70-67 at the halfway of the third quarter. The Gin Kings completed the rout in the fourth, highlighted by alley-hoop dunk connections from LA and Japeth as they left the Hotshots in the dust, 116-103. Ginebra now sits pretty in a second place tie with Mahindra (both with 6-2 in the standings) while the Star Hot Shots dropped their fourth straight game of the tournament. With a 1-6 win-loss record, Purefoods’ playoff chance becomes slimmer and slimmer as the team continue to look for answers on how to reverse their woeful season. As usual, with the two most popular PBA franchises playing in the same venue, Manila Clasico was a box office hit attracting a total of 16,460 spectators on a Sunday evening. |
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