By Waylon Galvez

Games Friday

(The Arena, San Juan)

8:30 a.m. – Letran vs EAC (Junior’s)
10 a.m. – Letran vs EAC (Men’s)
12 noon – Letran vs EAC (Women’s)
2 p.m. – Lyceum vs St. Benilde (Women’s)
3:30 p.m. – Lyceum vs St. Benilde (Men’s)
5 p.m. – Lyceum vs St. Benilde (Junior’s)

Jose Rizal University needed five sets to bring down San Sebastian College-Recoletos 22-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-21, 15-8 Thursday in NCAA Season 95 volleyball at The Arena in San Juan.

Dolly Verzosa led the Lady Bombers with 21 points and 20 digs in a match that lasted two hours and three minutes.

Verzosa said they are determined to get back to the semifinal round this season following a breakthrough Final Four stint two years ago behind MVP and graduate Shola Alvarez.

Bata pa ang mga teammates ko so kailangan kong mag-step up,” said Verzosa. “As captain, kailangang maging matured ako.”

Sydney Niegos also came through for the Lady Bombers with 13 points, while Riza Rose contributed 12 and libero Angel Aquino 13 digs and seven receptions.

The Mandaluyong-based team had 14 blocks, with Niegos and Rose combining for nine.

Shane Requierme tallied 17 hits, 18 digs and 11 receptions for the Lady Stags.

In the men’s division, June Laxina collected 12 points while Lester Villaceran chipped in 11 hits as the Heavy Bombers kicked off their own campaign with a masterful 25-14, 27-25, 25-14 win over the Stags.

In juniors play, the Staglets, behind Jessie Rubin’s 16 points, turned back the Light Bombers 25-15, 25-15, 25-22 for their first win.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jan Carlo Anolin

Riding on a 3-1 momentum after Wednesday’s win, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel team captain LA Tenorio believes the Kings gained another edge against the Meralco Bolts in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals.

Tenorio said the possibility of the Bolts becoming desperate in Game 5 could play into the Kings’ favor.

“It might be an advantage to us [na] for them to come out really desperate kasi syempre may tendency na manggigil,” Tenorio told reporters after the Kings routed the Bolts 94-72 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“Kung ako rin naman ‘yung nasa kabilang side, ganun din ang iisipin ko. We just have to be aware of that and be ready for that.”

After the Game 3 win last Sunday, Tenorio said the absence of an injured Raymond Almazan could give them the upper hand in the series.

Almazan only played for 6:05 minutes and tallied two points and two rebounds that night.

Surprisingly, Almazan suited up in Game 4 despite a reported tear in the left knee, finishing with 12 points, nine blocks and one block.

“At first, medyo nakakailang kasi sabi ko nga, first time kong maglaro nang may nararamdaman. Pero pag naririnig ko ‘yung sigawan ng crowd tsaka ‘yung willingness kong manalo, nawawala [‘yung sakit] e,” Almazan said, who saw action for 27:51 minutes.

“Kasi minsan lang to e. Sabi nga ni coach [Norman Black] ‘di namin alam kailan susunod na Finals namin. Sabi ko sa mga teammates ko wala nang dapat pusong mamon sa amin.”

Almazan’s  heroics went to naught however  although he is expected to play in Game 5 when the Bolts fight for survival.

With Meralco backed against the wall, Tenorio cautioned against complacency.

The veteran guard warned that Ginebra cannot afford to give Meralco the confidence it needed to extend the series when the best-of-7 finals moves to the Mall of Asia Arena Friday.

“Mahirap kasi pag umabot ng Game 6 and 7, the pressure will be on us,” Tenorio said who had eight points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Justin Brownlee may have been denied of another Best Import award but coach Tim Cone feels that there’s no more reason for his Barangay Ginebra San Miguel reinforcement to prove himself.

“Even though he didn’t win the Best Import, he’s still gonna go down as one of the best imports in PBA history,” Cone said after Brownlee went for 27 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, five steals and four blocks in a 94-72 win that put Ginebra on the verge of capturing the PBA Governors’ Cup title.

Brownlee, who once won Best Import honors in the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup, watched as the coliseum barker announced Allen Durham as the winner of the prestigious award given to the best foreign player of the tournament.

Durham had beaten Brownlee for the plum in 2016 and 2017, thus the latest result added more frustration among Ginebra fans who thought their beloved import was due to beat his Meralco counterpart.

Once the awarding ceremonies were done, Brownlee proceeded to rip the Bolts apart.

He hit 17 of his 27 points in the first half, 15 of which came in the second when Ginebra turned the game into a blowout by making jumpers and attacking the paint with impunity.

“They try to force me into doing certain things that I think that I’m comfortable of doing,” he said. “But I take my time so I can really read the defense and just find the best option out there.”

Cone said that Brownlee’s play in Sunday’s Game 3 win left Meralco to make some adjustments that somehow gave Ginebra the advantage.

“I just think that he moved better than he has been in the series,” said Cone. “I think that the nine assists he got last game kinda loosened the defense a bit for him.

“When you make 9 or 10 assists, teams have to worry about staying home and getting on their man, and that opened up a few lanes for Justin to get to the rim,” he added.

Asked if losing the Best Import added fuel to the fire, Cone paid tribute to his import’s ability to step up, regardless if there he has individual awards to take home or not.

“I think subconsciously it was,” said Cone. “I wouldn’t say he would say that that’s the case. Now, he wouldn’t come out and say ‘Well, I’m upset that I lost the Best Import award and that’s why I played hard.’

“Justin’s not about awards, he’s about championships,” he added. “And that’s what we love about him so much that he really cares about winning for the team, not for himself. He’s really special that way.”

And true enough, Brownlee was diplomatic with the result, even if his supporters disagree.

“It would have been great to win it,” said Brownlee, perhaps the closest he was to admitting his desire to be recognized with the said award. “but I think Allen deserves it.

“Everytime he’s here in the Philippines, he always elevates his team,” added Brownlee.

What Brownlee can get is another championship.

A fourth title would make him the second-winningest import in PBA history, trailing the record of six pulled off by a former Cone protege and Alaska great Sean Chambers.

Should that become a reality, no one will probably argue Brownlee’s status as one the greats.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

Defending champion San Beda plays Letran as the 95th NCAA men’s football tournament kicks off Thursday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The Red Booters and the Knights take the pitch at 2 p.m. right after the 12:30 p.m. opening ceremonies.

Last year’s runner-up Arellano University and Mapua collide at 4:30 p.m., while College of Saint Benilde go up against Mapua in the last match at 7 p.m.

The winningest team in the league with 22 championships, San Beda reclaimed the throne last year at the expense of Arellano, 1-0, behind MVP Jessie Semblante.

Action in the juniors division begins Friday at the same Malate venue, with defending champion Arellano taking on EAC at 2 p.m.

The Braves fashioned out a 1-0 victory over the Junior Red Booters to annex its first-ever junior championship in last year’s final.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

Games Thursday (The Arena, San Juan)

8:30 a.m. – JRU vs San Sebastian (Junior’s)

10 a.m. – JRU vs San Sebastian (Men’s)

12 noon – JRU vs San Sebastian (Women’s)

2 p.m. – Mapua vs Arellano (Women’s)

3:30 p.m. – Mapua vs Arellano (Men’s)

5 p.m. – Mapua vs Arellano (Junior’s)

After two cancelled playdates, action resumes Thursday when defending champion Arellano University guns for its second win as it tackles Mapua in NCAA Season 95 volleyball at The Arena in San Juan.

The Lady Chiefs and the Lady Cardinals clash in the second match of another women’s doubleheader at 2 p.m.

Jose Rizal University and San Sebastian women’s teams open their respective campaigns at 12 noon.

Arellano was supposed to play Emilio Aguinaldo College last Monday but was canceled due to Taal Volcano’s eruption and the postponement of classes. The NCAA also called off the games Tuesday due to the same reasons.

Graduating player Regine Arocha will lead the way for the Lady Chiefs, who are eyeing their fourth straight championship.

Arocha had 18 kills in Arellano’s 27-25, 25-20, 25-20 conquest of Lyceum of the Philippines University in last Friday’s opener.

The Lady Cardinals, for their part, are eyeing to improve their 1-8 campaign last season, hoping to give the Lady Chiefs a good fight in their opening match.

Meantime, Dolly Verzosa will banner the Lady Bombers as they seek to improve their 4-5 finish last year after a breakthrough Final Four run the previous season.

Bianca Ordona will the spearhead Lady Stags.

Action in the men’s category are also set when the Stags play the Heavy Bombers at 12 noon, while the Cardinals face the Chiefs at 3:30 p.m., hoping to make it 2-0 after beating LPU last week.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

In a coaching career that has spanned four decades, Norman Black has had his fair share of frustrating defeats, especially in the championship stage.

The latest loss to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel counts as one of his toughest beatings.

Meralco suffered a 94-72 defeat to Ginebra in their PBA Governors’ Cup finals showdown to drop to 3-1 in the best-of-seven title series Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

For the veteran mentor, he was more disappointed with the effort his Bolts gave than Ginebra’s winning margin.

“With the effort we displayed tonight, we didn’t deserve to win this game,” said Black, who owns a total of 11 championships but is still looking for his first with the Bolts franchise after falling twice to the Kings.

“Ginebra outhustled us, outplayed us and we were embarrassed. For me it’s an embarrassment to the PBA the way we came out… we didn’t give a better fight. This hustle stats, told the entire story.”

One of the things that Black referred to as ‘hustle stats’ was the effort given by his players, particularly in battling for the 50/50 balls or loose balls as the Bolts got 14 to the Kings’ 24.

Also, Meralco shot just 37.2 percent (32-of-86), including 11.5 percent from the three-point area (3-of-26) as compared to Ginebra’s 46.9 percent (38-of-81) – 31 percent (9-of-29) from the trifecta.

Allen Durham, who bagged his third Best Import award, shot 2-of-6 treys, while rookie Bong Quinto was the only the other Meralco player with a triple as he made 1-of-3.

However, the others went cold again.

Guards Baser Amer and Chris Newsome and forward Allein Maliksi all went 0-of-4 from the rainbow arc.

Black said that the only way for them to get back in Game 5 set Friday is to play with the kind of effort of a professional team.

“We just have to do a better job to represent the company, to represent the league,” said Black. “We couldn’t get back at defense, we couldn’t stop them at half court they pretty much do what ever they wanted to do.”

“As a basketball coach I was a little embarrassed by it – to be honest. I just told my players, we only have two choices at this point – we pull together and comeback and fight on Friday, or maybe do the same.”

“We just have to bounce back from this and come up and play better basketball, because for me this is an embarrassment,” said Black, whose Meralco now plays a ‘must win’ to capture the title.

Source: Manila Bulletin

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

NorthPort’s Christian Standhardinger won his first major award after claiming the Gatorade-PBA Governors’ Cup Best Player of the Conference before Game 4 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Standhardinger garnered 1011 points to beat out his former San Miguel Beer teammate June Mar Fajardo and TNT KaTropa’s Jayson Castro for the distinction as the best player of the season-ending conference.

It also made Standhardinger as the first player ever to bag the BPC after being traded during the conference. Standhardinger joined the Batang Pier from the San Miguel Beermen in exchange for Mo Tautuaa last Oct. 14.

“It was completely unexpected and I’m really surprised that I got that. But I’m honored and I appreciate it,” Standhardinger said.

The Fil-German, the ninth player from a non-finalist to bag the award, was a major reason why NorthPort was able to reach the semifinals despite barely making the quarterfinals.

NorthPort finished the elims as the No. 8 team in the playoffs after winning its last two games before pulling off a stunning upset of top-ranked and twice-to-beat NLEX in the quarters.

He averaged 17.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 15 games this conference.

Standhardinger received 396 statistical points, 433 media votes, 32 player votes and 150 votes from the PBA Commissioner’s Office.

Fajardo had 438 statistical points, four media votes, 140 player votes and 75 votes from the PBA Commissioner’s Office while Castro registered 357 statistical points, 216 media votes, 42 player votes and zero votes from the Commissioner’s Office.

Rounding out the derby are Columbian’s CJ Perez with 506 points and NLEX’s Kiefer Ravena 481 points.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Meralco’s Allen Durham edged Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s Justin Brownlee for a third time Wednesday and captured the PBA Governors’ Cup Best Import award before Game 4 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals.

Durham received 1170 points to claim a third Best Import plum in the season-ending tournament.
Brownlee placed second with 937 points followed by TNT KaTropa’s KJ McDaniels (635) and NorthPort’s Michael Qualls (528).

Averaging 29.8 points, 15.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists, Durham led Meralco to the second-best record in the eliminations before stepping up his game during wins over Alaska and TNT in the playoffs.

But the 31-year-old had earlier that he’s more focused on trying to finally lead the Bolts to victory over the Kings in the Finals, something he failed to achieve during his previous runs as Best Import.

He had 500 statistical points, 420 media votes, 100 player votes and 150 votes from the PBA Commissioner’s Office to beat out Brownlee.

Brownlee settled for second after compiling 229 statistical points, 129 player votes and 75 votes from the Commissioner’s Office.

Source: Manila Bulletin

Centro Escolar University has confirmed that Jeff Napa will be taking over as head coach of the CEU Scorpions, succeeding Derrick Pumaren.

Pumaren has returned to the De La Salle Green Archers recently and taken over head coaching duties of the men’s varsity team.

Napa’s basketball history helped him land the position. He is a three-time UAAP juniors champion coach (2011, 2013 and 2015) and was part of the 2019 Letran Knights champion team that bagged the NCAA crown. He also played for the National University Bulldogs in the UAAP from 1997 to 2005.

Napa will get his baptism of fire on Jan. 23 when the Scorpions participate in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL). In February, CEU springs back to action in the 2020 PBA D-League Aspirants Cup.

With Pumaren’s exit, Jefferson Plaza will return and take over as general manager of the Scorpions. (Brian Yalung)

Source: Manila Bulletin