The Drawing Board

Game 2 of the UAAP Men’s Bball Finals between the Far Eastern University and Ateneo will be played this October 1 (Saturday) due to the inclement weather. Tickets for today’s postponed game will be honored on Saturday. Game 3 will be on Monday. In the women’s division, the Lady Tamaraws evened out the series against defending champs Adamson Lady Falcons after winning their tiff earlier today, 72-50. The Lady Falcons won Game 1 of the women’s basketball Finals last Saturday by four points. Also earlier today, the FEU-FERN Baby Tamaraws lost against National U Bullpups, 57-46. The Baby Tams drew first blood in the said Finals series last Saturday via an overtime victory. Game 3 for both the Lady Tams and Baby Tams will be on Sunday, October 2, 1 PM and 3PM respectively at the San Juan Arena.

2011-09-27T17:26:00.001-07:00

Game 2 of the UAAP Men’s Bball Finals between the Far Eastern University and Ateneo will be played this October 1 (Saturday) due to the inclement weather. Tickets for today’s postponed game will be honored on Saturday. Game 3 will be on Monday.

In the women’s division, the Lady Tamaraws evened out the series against defending champs Adamson Lady Falcons after winning their tiff earlier today, 72-50. The Lady Falcons won Game 1 of the women’s basketball Finals last Saturday by four points.

Also earlier today, the FEU-FERN Baby Tamaraws lost against National U Bullpups, 57-46. The Baby Tams drew first blood in the said Finals series last Saturday via an overtime victory. Game 3 for both the Lady Tams and Baby Tams will be on Sunday, October 2, 1 PM and 3PM respectively at the San Juan Arena.

UAAP Season 74 Overall Championship Tally (Senior’s Division) as of September 20

2011-09-20T03:29:00.000-07:00

To determine the overall season champions, the UniversityAthletic Association of the Philippines awards 15 points to every championteam, 12 to every runner-up, and 10 to the third placers. The fourth placersdown to the last-seeded teams are given 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 point/s respectively.

Men’s Division:

Adamson University: 21 points (3^rd: Basketball, 3^rd:Beach Volleyball, Last: Badminton)

Ateneo de Manila University: 16 (Last: Beach Volleyball, 1^st:Badminton)

De La Salle University: 28 (6^th: Basketball, 6^th:Beach Volleyball, 4^th: Badminton, 2^nd: Taekwondo)

Far Eastern University: 35 (1^st: BeachVolleyball, 3^rd: Badminton, 3^rd: Taekwondo)

National University: 20 (5^th: Basketball, 7^th:Beach Volleyball, 2^nd: Badminton)

University of the East: 14 (7^th: Basketball, 5^th:Beach Volleyball, 7^th: Badminton, 6^th: Taekwondo)

University of the Philippines: 21 (Last: Basketball, 4^th:Beach Volleyball, 6^th: Badminton, 4^th: Taekwondo)

University of Santo Tomas: 41 (4^th: Basketball, 2^nd:Beach Volleyball, 5^th: Badminton, 1^st: Taekwondo)

Women’s Division:

Adamson University: 12 points (3^rd: BeachVolleyball, 7th: Badminton)

Ateneo de Manila University: 36 (5^th: Basketball,2^nd: Beach Volleyball, 2^nd: Badminton, 6^th:Taekwondo)

De La Salle University: 36 (4^th: Basketball, 4^th:Beach Volleyball, 4^th:Badminton, 2^nd: Taekwondo)

Far Eastern University: 29 (6^th: BeachVolleyball, 3^rd: Badminton, 1^st: Taekwondo)

National University: 6 (6^th: Basketball, Last:Beach Volleyball, Last: Badminton)

University of the East: 28 (Last: Basketball, 5^th:Beach Volleyball, 1^st: Badminton, 5^th: Taekwondo)

University of the Philippines: 20 (7^th:Basketball, 7^th: Beach Volleyball, 5^th: Badminton, 3^rd:Taekwondo)

University of Santo Tomas: 49 (3^rd: Basketball, 1^st:Beach Volleyball, 6^th: Badminton, 4^th: Taekwondo)

Overall tally:

*Adamson University: 33 points

*Ateneo de Manila University: 51

De La Salle University: 64

*Far Eastern University: 64

National University: 26

University of the East: 42

University of the Philippines: 41

University of Santo Tomas: 90

* - Schools which still has an ongoing event

Tams clips Falcons, keeps Finals bid hope alive

2011-09-17T01:48:00.000-07:00

And now, the playing field is once again even.

Undaunted by the odds set against them, the Far Eastern University charged and clipped one of better-favored Adamson U Soaring Falcons’ wings, winning 59-49 in the 74th UAAP Men’s basketball semifinals round last September 15 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Sophomore point guard Terrence Romeo led the Tamaraws’ uprising, contributing 19 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. His backcourt partner RR Garcia, meanwhile, also had a double-digit finish of 16 markers, eight boards and an assist.

Up by only six points at the end of the first half, FEU ganged up on Adamson as five different green shirts score and enable an 11-4 run four minutes into the third canto. The Tams outscored the Falcons by 14 points, allowing them to close the said quarter with a 20-point edge, 52-32.

With the Falcons switching to a 2-3 zone, however, the Tams went scoreless in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter allowing the opposing team to catch up 52-39 behind baskets from Eric Camson and Alex Nuyles. Romeo and Ping Exciminiano answered with baskets of their own to finally break the Tams’ silence.

Determined to switch the momentum to their side, Nuyles further trimmed the FEU lead to seven points after scoring eight consecutive points. Those turned out to be his team’s last though as a split from the free throw line by rookie Cris Tolomia and a lay-in from Romeo effectively closed down the match-up.

The Morayta-based squad won the rebounding battle 51-41, 20 of which were from the offensive end. This gave them an upperhand in second-chance points, 14-8. The Tams shared the ball nine times more than the opposing team’s five and outshoot 36.2 percent to Adamson’s 26.6.

The two teams will face each other one more for the right to battle the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles on September 18, Sunday, 3 P.M. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

UAAP Season 74 Semi-finals game results and schedules

2011-09-16T00:16:00.000-07:00

Semi-finals results (September 15) :

First game: (#1 vs #4)
Ateneo de Manila University defeats University of Santo Tomas, 69-66
Best scorers:
ADMU: Greg Slaughter (17 points)
UST: Karim Abdul (16 points)

Second game: (#2 vs #3)
Far Eastern University defeats Adamson University, 59-49
Best scorers:
FEU: Terrence Romeo (19 points)
AdU: Alex Nuyles (20 points)

Upcoming games:

Do-or-die duel for second Finals seat:
FEU vs Adamson
(Sunday, September 18, Smart Araneta Coliseum, 3PM)

17th UAAP Cheerdance Competition:
Saturday, September 17, Smart Araneta Coliseum

Semis-bound Tams sweeps Archers, secure third spot

2011-09-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

After a long and hard-fought eliminations round, finallywe’re everything’s settled.

For the semi-finals, at the very least.

The Far Eastern University closed Season 73’s eliminationsround the same way they started it, winning over De La Salle University, 67-59,last September 11, Sunday, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The victory hands theTamaraws the third spot in the team standings going into the semi-final round.

Taking advantage

With the eliminated National U Bulldogs defeating theirrival for the third spot University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigersin the first game, the FEU Tamaraws took full advantage and swept the DLSUGreen Archers.

It was not, however, not without contest.

FEU lead in by only three points after the first 10 minutesof the game, a lead which was quickly erased by DLSU in the second quarter.Jason Webb sparked a 10-0 run in the first four minutes of the second period.The Tams only scored 13 points in the said quarter while their opponents made22.

Down 27-33 going into the third, Aldrech Ramos quicklyscored seven points and got FEU to within one. RR Garcia knotted the game47-all, got a gift shot, sank it in and closed down the third canto for theTams 48-47.

The yellow shirts continued their superb showing in thepayoff period. FEU took off and created space between them and La Salle as they start the fourth quarter with a 12-4blitz. The hole, apparently, was too already too deep for the Archers to digthemselves out of and they let Season 73 Rookie of the Year put on thefinishing touches for the Tams via a tip-in of his own miss in the 2:19 markand two charities 44:5 ticks left.

Garcia, Ramos and Romeo finished with 19, 18 and 17 markersin that same order. Last season’s Most Valuable Player awardee also had tworebounds and an assist, while Ramos brought down 11 caroms of his own.

Wounded and Undermanned

Hit by a sudden rash of injuries, last year’s runners-upwould need to go to the Final Four battlefield with an understaffed line-up. Teamcaptain JR Cawaling, who had earlier expressed that he’ll be playing in thesemis, re-injured his knee during their Tuesday practice. He sustained a kneesprain during their first round meeting against the Tigers. After sitting outtheir UP game, Cawaling played five minutes in their second face-off versusAteneo but sustained an MCL tear causing him to miss the rest of the team’sgames in the elims. He is on his final year in the UAAP together with JensKnuttel and Aldrech Ramos.

Ping Excimiano, who got an ankle sprain in their most recentouting, and Pipo Noundou, who hasn’t played in the season yet due to an ACLtear, are still both questionable for Thursday’s game. Excimiano wasinstrumental in the Tams’ second round win over the Falcons last August 21.Noundou would be a very big help, if ever, in the rebounding and blockingsections.

Nevertheless, the Tamaraws, with its winning tradition behind them, are still expected to put up a good fight. FEU will be facing the Adamson Soaring Falcons on September15, Thursday, at the Big Dome. The Tamaraws will need to win twice against theFalcons to go to the Finals round.

UAAP Season 74 Team Standings and Latest Game Results (as of September 11, 2011)

2011-09-13T03:25:00.000-07:00

TEAM STANDINGS

Ateneo de Manila University: 13-1

Adamson University: 10-4

Far Eastern University: 9-5

Univesity of Santo Tomas: 8-6

National University: 6-8

De La Salle University: 5-9

University of the East: 3-11

University of the Philippines: 2-11

SEMIFINALS MATCH-UPS

September 15, 2011 (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

12NN : Ateneo Blue Eagles vs. UST Growling Tigers (televised 1PM at Studio 23)

3PM : Adamson Soaring Falcons vs. FEU Tamaraws

LATEST GAME RESULTS:

September 11

First game: NU (73) def. UST (49)

Best scorers:

NU - Ray Parks, Jr. (22)

UST - Jeric Teng (19)

Second game: FEU (66) def. DLSU (57)

Best scorers:

FEU - RR Garcia (19)

DLSU - Simon Atkins (16)

September 10

First game: UE (68) def. UP (54)

Best scorers:

UE - Biboy Enguio (18)

UP - Miggy Maniego (13)

Second game: AdU (62) def. ADMU (46)

Best scorers:

AdU - Alex Nuyles (21)

ADMU - Greg Slaughter (10)

September 8

First game: NU (56) def. DLSU (40)

Best scorers:

NU - Ray Parks, Jr. (25)

DLSU - Almond Vosotros (16)

Second game: UST (77) def. FEU (73)

Best scorers:

UST - Karim Adbul (20)

FEU - RR Garcia (17)

UAAP Season 74 Game Preview: FEU, UST battle for third

2011-09-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

The semis cast is complete, there will be a real Final Four, the two teams who advance to the next round with twice-to-beat advantages is now known, now it is up to both the Far Eastern University Tamaraws and the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers to settle the score as they play their respective foes tomorrow, September 11 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Tigers will be going up against the already-out-of-it National U Bulldogs in the first game. UST pulled off a come-from-behind overtime win over NU, 73-72, in their first round meeting last July 15. The Tamaraws, meanwhile, will be facing the De La Salle University Green Archers in the second game. FEU defeated the Archers, 74-65, in their opening day game last July 10.

With Adamson University spoiling Ateneo de Manila's elims sweep bid, FEU and UST both lost their chance on the second twice-to-beat edge. A win by the Tams will give them the third spot on the team standings with a 9-5 card. They must, however, hope for NU to win their match-up versus UST as a win by the latter would mean another tie. Should that happen, the team with the higher winning quotient, UST in this case, will get spot number three and face Adamson in the Final Four round.

The Tamaraws could've still had a chance at the two spot if only they were able to complete their comeback against the same team they are sharing the same win-loss card with. FEU erased UST's 18-point advantage only to lose the battle, 73-77, from the free throw line last September 8. Season 73 MVP RR Garcia still paced the Green and Gold in that particular game with 17 points off a 3-of-12 three-point shooting.

Team captain JR Cawaling, who have been in uniform the last two games, together with Cameroonian center Pipo Noundou are expected to see action for the Tams come the semis. On the other hand for UST, having accumulated his second unsportsmanlike foul, rookie Karim Abdul will be serving a mandatory one-game suspension tomorrow against NU. Abdul deliberately threw an elbow on FEU's Clarence Foronda in their most recent match-up.

Tamaraws dominate Warriors, clinch F4 berth

2011-09-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

The Far Eastern University, fueled by their drive to steal the second spot, not only boosted their record but also clinched one of the last two Final Four slots after giving the University of the East a 78-63 beating in the 74th UAAP men's basketball tournament last Sunday, September 5, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

After a slow and close 6-4 start, the Tamaraws started to pull away one basket after the other. They continue their dominance over the young Red Warriors in the ensuing quarters, getting a game-high 17-point edge in the 2:54 mark of the third period via a Mike Tolomia triple off an assist from Jens Knuttel. The veteran pointguard unselfishly dished out five assists, the highest for FEU in the said game, in just seven minutes of play.

UE head coach Gerry Cordinera, wanting to halt the Tamaraws' scoring, instructed the boys in red to put all defensive stops on both Terrence Romeo and RR Garcia. His strategy, however, backfired as the Tams quickly noticed and made the necessary adjustments. They gave the ball twice to an open Aldrech Ramos for two quick treys from beyond the arc. With the Red Warriors' attention shifted to Ramos, the yellow shirts got the ball to Season 73 MVP Garcia who, in turn, followed up with another set of triples for a complete 12-6 run and a 70-55 scoring halfway through the pay-off period.

The Red Warriors were not yet through though as the neighboring squad put up one last stand outscoring the Tams 6-10 in the final four minutes. Their run, however, came too little too late as FEU already banked more than enough points to guarantee their 8th win in the season.

The backcourt duo of Garcia and Romeo topscored everyone else with 21 points each. RP-Smart Gilas team member Ramos, on the other hand, finished with 13 of his own on top of three blocks.

With their 8-4 improved record and two more games left in the eliminations, the Tamaraws' chance to get that much fought for second spot plus the last twice-to-beat advantage that comes along with it. FEU will be up against the University of Santo Tomas this Thursday, September 8 and then on September 11, Sunday, they will face De La Salle.

Resurgent FEU beats UP, Adamson, NU

2011-09-03T00:18:00.000-07:00

They are officially this season's comeback kings.

After a three-game skid, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws are back on track winning three straight and strengthening their hold on the third spot of the team standings this second round of the UAAP Season 74. The Tams avenged their first round losses against both the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, the Adamson University Soaring Falcons, and completed their eliminations sweep versus the National University Bulldogs.

With three more games left in the eliminations round, FEU still has a chance at getting the second twice-to-beat advantage before going into the semi-finals. The Tamaraws will be facing the University of the East Red Warriors on September 4, the University of Santo Tomas on the 8th, and the De La Salle Green Archers on the 11th.

RR to the Rescue
Down by 16 points in the final period, it looked as though the FEU Tamaraws were about to suffer their fourth consecutive defeat in the hands of the UP Fighting Maroons. RR Garcia is not one to give up though as the Zamboanga-native scored 14 of the Tamaraws' last 16 points to lift his team to a 59-53 come-from-behind victory over the Maroons last August 18.

From a 15-point lock after the opening quarter. The Tams' deficit balloned to 13 at the end of the third. It even rose up to 16 markers as UP's Mike and Mike connection clicked for a triple at the start of the pay-off period.

That, however, signaled Garcia to bring out the bandage and stop his team's bleeding.

The reigning MVP sparked an eight-to-nothing run which halved the Maroons' lead halfway through the fourth quarter. Paolo Romero stretched UP's edge back to double digits, 53-43, with a pull-up jumper at the 4:37 mark.

It was their last basket in the game though. The Tamaraws got Garcia open to create his shots. And create he did as he unleashed a 12-point onslaught and put FEU ahead, 53-55, a little more than a minute left in the final canto.

With 34 seconds left, UP was forced to foul Russel Escoto who dutifully completed his two freethrows. Gamboa had a chance to salvage the game for UP but he missed his triple attempt, giving FEU another fruitful possession via a Garcia conversion from the line.

Garcia had a complete game with 25 points from 10-of-16 shooting, two rebounds, three assists and a steal. The win was FEU's first in its last four outings.

Lucky break
It was 50 percent hard work and 50 percent luck for the FEU Tamaraws as they buckled Adamson U Soaring Falcons' late upheaval to clinch the W, 62-61, last August 21. Garcia's fastbreak lay-in at the 45.7 second mark proved to be crucial as it served as his team's buffer in the said victory. Season 73's MVP finished the game with 14 points, all of which were from the second half.

The Tamaraws could've gone away with a bigger winning margin after erecting a comfortable 15-point cushion in the third quarter off baskets by sophomore point guard Terrence Romeo. His wrong decisions at the clutch, however, almost cause his team the whole game. With their lead down to three, Romeo made an erroneous pass which led to a steal and a basket by Alex Nuyles just 8.3 seconds left in the game. The Falcons, however, took too long to foul leaving them with only a second and a third for a last saving basket, which they failed to complete.

Aldrech Ramos was the highest scorer for the Tams that day with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Romeo, meanwhile, finished with 14 markers and 7 boards.

Outsmart, outplay, outwin
FEU showed great tenacity and smart clutch decision-making skills after ekking out a slim but hard-earned 84-82 double overtime victory from the NU Bulldogs last August 27. Big man Ramos, who closed the deal for the Tams with his free throw, finishes with 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists in 42 minutes of play.

A 17-3 blitz bridging the last minute of the third and the first four minutes of the fourth allowed the boys from Morayta to erase NU's 18-point edge. It became a tighter ballgame from that point on as the two teams traded baskets. A foul by Garcia, however, sent Bobby Parks Jr. to the line for freethrows which put the score at 68-67. Javillonar, then, stole back the lead via a triple at the 50:7 mark. Making up for his earlier mistake, Garcia laid in a two-pointer and forced the first overtime. It proved to be insufficient for both teams to settle the score, though calling for another five-minute extension.

NU and FEU were both rendered scoreless in the first two minutes of the second extension period. Dennis Villamor finally broke the silence at the three minute mark, knocking in a triple. The backcourt tandem of Garcia and Romeo quickly answered back with seven points of their own to put the Tams ahead by four a minute and a hald left on the clock.

Already in the penalty,Season 73's best rookie made the mistake of fouling Parks, Jr. though at the 21-second mark. Luckily for FEU, NU's main man split his charities and only got his squad to 83-82. The ball then went out of bounds forcing a jump ball contest between Emmanuel Mbe and rookie Russel Escoto. Mbe was able to tip the leather but no one was there to receive it, giving the Tamaraws the precious possession with 15:6 ticks.

Off a time out, Garcia inbounded the ball to a waiting Ramos. Javillonar gave up a quick foul, sending the RP-Smart Gilas team member to the charity line where he was one-of-two. NU had one last chance to salvage the win but with just 13:8 seconds both Gelo Alolino and Joseph Terso botched their shots, giving FEU the win.

Now with a 7-4 card, the Tamaraws can still steal the second spot. But to enable themselves to do that, they must first win all their remaining assignments starting with UE tomorrow.

UAAP Season 74 Team Standings and Game Results (As of September 1, 2011)

2011-08-31T17:18:00.000-07:00

TEAM STANDINGS:
ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY: 12-0
ADAMSON UNIVERSITY: 9-3
FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY: 7-4
UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS: 6-5
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY: 4-7
DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY: 4-7
UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST: 2-10
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES: 2-10

Game Results:

September 1 (Thursday)
1st game: AdU (76) def UE (57)
Best scorers:
AdU - Eric Camson (20 pts)
UE - Paul Zamar (17 pts)
2nd game: ADMU (73) def UP (58)
Best scorers:
ADMU - Greg Slaughter (18)
UP - Mike Silungan (16)

August 28 (Sunday)
1st game: UST (54) def UE (45)
Best scorers:
UST - Karim Abdul (16)
UE - Jay-ar Sumido (10)
2nd game: ADMU (79) def DLSU (62)
Best scorers:
ADMU - Nico Salva (19)
DLSU - Arnold Van Opstal (13)

August 27 (Saturday)
1st game: AdU (64) def UP (51)
Best scorers:
AdU - Janus Lozada (16)
UP - Jett Manuel (11)
2nd game: FEU (84) def NU (82)
Best scorers:
FEU - Aldrech Ramos (19)
NU - Bobby Parks, Jr (32)

August 25 (Thursday)
1st game: ADMU (74) def UE (70)
Best scorers:
ADMU - Greg Slaughter (19)
UE - JM Noble (21)
2nd game: UST (60) def DLSU (52)
Best scorers:
UST - Jeric Teng (14)
DLSU - Joseph Marata (11)

August 21 (Sunday)
1st game: NU (65) def UP (43)
Best scorers:
NU - Bobby Parks, Jr (22)
UP - Paolo Romero (7)
2nd game: FEU (62) def AdU (61)
Best scorers:
FEU - Aldrech Ramos (18)
AdU - Alex Nuyles (17)

August 20 (Saturday)
1st game: UE (74) def DLSU (69)
Best scorers:
UE - Paul Zamar (19)
DLSU - Norbert Torres (12)
2nd game: ADMU (82) def UST (57)
Best scorers:
ADMU - Nico Salva (20)
UST - Jeric Teng (20)

August 18 (Thursday)
1st game: FEU (59) def UP (53)
Best scorers:
FEU - RR Garcia (25)
UP - Paolo Romero (17)
2nd game: AdU (68) def NU (53)
Best scorers:
AdU - Alex Nuyles (13)
NU - Bobby Parks, Jr (31)

FEU QUESTIONS OFFICIATING IN TAMS VS EAGLES GAME

2011-08-17T03:45:00.001-07:00

Far Eastern University Athletic Director Mark Molina has submitted a letter to UAAP Commissioner Andrew Jao bringing attention to the officiating during the FEU vs Ateneo game last August 7, 2011. The Tamaraws lost to the Blue Eagles 69-49 but Molina believes the spotty officiating in that game was mainly behind the large gap.

In the letter, Molina stated "How can a game that is close in every relevant statistical category have a final score of 69-49? In this particular game there is only one difference: Free Throw Attempts: FEU – 9, ATENEO -28."

The stats he referred to are the following:
Points inside the paint: FEU – 13/36, Ateneo – 13/30
Points from the perimeter: FEU 8/40, Ateneo – 9/33
Rebounds: FEU – 49, Ateneo – 48
Turnovers: FEU – 10, Ateneo – 12

Accompanying the letter was a DVD that contains clips of 13 instances of bad calls and no calls against FEU.

The video can be viewed in the official Facebook page of FEU by clicking HERE.

Summary of plays in the DVD

1. Monfort hits Romeo in the face and does not get a technical foul. How is this different from the technical foul called on Adamson’s Etrone when he hit DLSU’s De La Paz in the face? Instead the referee calls a foul on Romeo. After the call, DLSU Coach Pumaren vehemently argues against the call but the officials correctly use restraint and do not issue a technical foul or warning but Coach Bert Flores quickly gets hit for a technical foul. With FEU still within nine points with 8 minutes left, FEU should have been taking two free throws plus ball possession, instead Ateneo takes four free throws plus ball possession.
2. No call on Slaughter when he falls on RR Garcia.
3. Foul called on FEU’s Mendoza on Ravena when he has his hand held straight up to challenge the shot.
4. No call on Salva as he clearly fouls Romeo on his jump shot and even invades the shooter’s landing spot.
5. No call on Monfort against Garcia.
6. Slaughter uses left hand to shove Ramos before catching the ball then again when he takes the shot but there is no call.
7. No call on Monfort against Garcia then no call on Salva when he bumps Garcia. Notice that Salva does not jump straight up in the play but towards Garcia.
8. No call on Slaughter when he goes over the back against Cruz instead Cruz is called for a loose ball foul.
9. Foronda gets called for a foul on Slaughter when there is barely any contact.
10. Last touch on Chua but Ateneo gets possession.
11. Loose ball foul on Exciminiano against Austria when he jumps straight up with his hands up.
12. 2 illegal screens on Golla in one possession but there is no call.
13. Slaughter bumps Tolomia with his left hand down but there is no call.

SOURCE: http://www.feu.edu.ph/node/591
VIEW THE VIDEO BY USING THIS LINK: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150257892651949&oid=135690266447047&comments

UAAP Season 74 Team Standings and Game Results (as of August 14, 2011)

2011-08-17T03:25:00.000-07:00

TEAM STANDINGS
ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY: 8-0
ADAMSON UNIVERSITY: 6-2
FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY: 4-4
DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY: 4-4
UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS: 4-4
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY: 3-5
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES: 2-6
UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST: 1-7

LATEST GAME RESULTS:

AUGUST 11, 2011 (THURSDAY)
GAME 1: ADAMSON (72) DEF. UP (46)
BEST SCORERS:
ADAMSON - ALEX NUYLES (21)
UP - MIKE SILUNGAN (12)
GAME 2: DLSU (74) DEF. UST (71)
BEST SCORERS:
DLSU - NORBERT TORRES (21)
UST - KARIM ABDUL (21)

SECOND ROUND
AUGUST 13, 2011 (SATURDAY)
GAME 1: NU (91) DEF. UE (51)
BEST SCORERS:
NU - EMMANUEL MBE (21)
UE - lORD CASAJEROS (8)
GAME 2: ADMU (74) DEF. FEU (67)
BEST SCORERS:
ADMU - NICO SALVA (18)
FEU - RR GARCIA (17)

AUGUST 14, 2011 (SUNDAY)
GAME 1: UST (77) DEF. UP (70)
BEST SCORERS:
UST - KARIM ABDUL (21)
UP - MIKE SILUNGAN (19)
GAME 2: ADAMSON (68) DEF. DLSU (66)
BEST SCORERS:
ADAMSON - ERIC CAMSON (20)
DLSU - ALMOND VOSOTROS (18)

UAAP Season 74 Complete Round 2 Schedule

2011-08-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

UAAP Seaosn 74 Team Standings and Game Results (as of August 7, 2011)

2011-08-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

TEAM STANDINGS
ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY: 7-0
ADAMSON UNIVERSITY: 4-2
FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY: 4-3
DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY: 3-3
UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS: 3-3
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES: 2-4
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY: 2-5
UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST: 1-6

LATEST GAME RESULTS:
AUGUST 4, 2011 (THURSDAY)
UP (76) DEF. FEU (63)
BEST SCORERS:
UP - JETT MANUEL (20)
FEU - RR GARCIA (17)
ADMU (66) DEF. UST (53)
BEST SCORERS:
ADMU - KIEFER RAVENA (18)
UST - JERIC FORTUNA (18)

AUGUST 6, 2011 (SATURDAY)
UE (72) DEF. NU ()
BEST SCORERS:
UE - PAUL ZAMAR (20)
NU - BOBBY RAY PARKS, JR. (23)
AdU (66) DEF. DLSU (58)
BEST SCORERS:
AdU - LESTER ALVAREZ (18)
DLSU - NORBERT TORRES (14)

AUGUST 7, 2011 (SUNDAY)
UST (68) DEF. UP (49)
BEST SCORERS:
UST - JERIC FORTUNA (16)
UP - GELO MONTECASTRO (9)
ADMU (69) DEF. FEU (49)
ADMU - KIEFER RAVENA (19)
FEU - RR GARCIA (15)

REMAINING GAMES IN THE FIRST ROUND:
AUGUST 11, 2011 (THURSDAY)
AdU - UP (1 PM)
DLSU - UST (3 PM)

Tolomia triple keys FEU's third straigh win

2011-08-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

Tolomia triple keys FEU's third straigh win
It was that one last orchestrated shot which silenced everyone.

With just 2.9 seconds left in the game, rookie Mike Tolomia sank in a booming triple to allow his Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws escape an equally victory-hungry University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling TIgers, 62-59, last July 30 at the Araneta Coliseum for the 74th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

The former FEU-FERN Baby Tamaraws standout Tolomia finished with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Jeric Teng, on the opposing end, meanwhile scored a career-high 23 points, nine of which were from the three-point line.

After a highly contested opening quarter which saw the Tamaraws take a 16-15 edge, Jeric Teng led the Tigers to an 8-0 and swung the lead towards the yellow shirts, 16-23. A horrible field goal shooting coupled with UST's solid defense stopped FEU at only five points after the twentieth minute.

Back-to-back triples by Teng and namesake Jeric Fortuna in the first minutes of the third gave the Growling Tigers their biggest lead at 13. FEU, however, quickly countered as Aldrech Ramos, Carl Bryan Cruz and JR Cawaling put together six straight points to bring the deficit down to a single digit.

Both being under penalty, the two teams exchanged turns at the free throw line which worked in favor of UST as their lead once again balloned to nine. But Tolomia showed a preview of how he would the game, closing out the third quarter with a three-pointer 56:7 on the clock and putting the scores at 38-44.

The Tamaraws slowly clawed their way back to victory come fourth quarter. Tightening their zone defense made UST settle for outside jumpers while being more aggressive in rebounding gave them more possessions and more opportunities to score.

And their patience paid dividends.

Down in the two periods, FEU uncorked a 11-2 rally behind baskets from Chris Exciminiano, Cruz, Tolomia, RR Garcia and Ramos to bring them back up 55-54 exactly just minutes left in the payoff period. But Fortuna answered back with a two-pointer, switching the lead back the opposing end, 55-57, and making Tamaraw head coach Bert Flores call for time.

Following the game plan, Garcia knotted things at 57-all 46:2 more seconds left with a jumper from the charity line. They get the lead again a few seconds later when Exciminiano got the offensive board for an easy lay-up.

With no more timeouts left, the Tigers attempted to draw a foul but was rather unsuccessful. Cruz and Karim Abdul then found themselves tangled as they both tried to bring down the ball resulting to a jump ball situation which the España-based squad won.

Teng tied the game one more time at 59 24 seconds left making FEU coach Flores call for another timeout where he instructed his boys to not let the Tigers get the rebound. Returning to the court, Garcia dished out the pass to an open Tolomia who dutifuly sank in the game-winning trey.

The Tamaraws go up to a solo second with a 4-1 win-loss tally. They will be facing the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons on Thursday and the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles on Sunday. The Growling Tigers, meanwhile, slide further with a 2-2 card. They still have the Blue Eagles, the Fighting Maroons and the De La Salle Green Archers on their assignment list.

UAAP Seaosn 74 Team Standings and Game Results (as of July 31, 2011)

2011-07-31T18:21:00.001-07:00

TEAM STANDINGS:
Ateneo de Manila University: 5-0
Far Eastern University: 4-1
Adamson University: 3-2
De La Salle University: 3-2
University of Santo Tomas: 2-2
National University: 2-4
University of the Philippines: 1-3
University of the East: 0-6

LATEST GAME RESULTS:
July 23, 2011
DLSU (79) def. UP (67)
Best scorers:
DLSU - Luigi de la Paz (14 points)
UP - Mike Silungan (16 points)

ADMU (73) def. UE (61)
Best scorers:
ADMU - Greg Slaughter (18 points)
UE - Paul Zamar (13 points)

July 24, 2011
FEU (62) def. NU (59)
Best scorers:
FEU - RR Garcia (17 points)
NU - Gello Alolino (12 points)

AdU (81) def. UST (71)
Best scorers:
AdU - Janus Lozada (21 points)
UST - Jeric Teng (15 points)

July 28, 2011
AdU (85) def. UE (54)
Best scorers:
Adu - Lester Alvarez (16 points)
UE - Paul Zamar (18 points)

DLSU (74) def. NU (63)
Best scorers:
DLSU - LA Revilla (19 points)
NU - Glenn Khobuntin (21 points)

July 30, 2011
ADMU (77) def. UP (57)
Best scorers:
ADMU - Kiefer Ravena (15 points)
UP - Mike Silungan (8 points)

FEU (62) def. UST (59)
Best scorers:
FEU - Mike Tolomia (10 points)
- Aldrech Ramos (10 points)
UST - Jeric Teng (23 points)

July 31, 2011
DLSU (87) def. UE (63)
Best scorers:
DLSU - Jarelan Tampus (15 points)
UE - Adrian Santos (14 points)

NU (63) def. AdU (56)
Best scorers:
NU - Emmanuel Mbe (16 points)
AdU - Alex Nuyles (15 points)

FEU trample on UE, prevail over NU

2011-07-27T17:25:00.000-07:00

Bounce back they've promised and bounce back they did.

After suffering their first loss of the season, the Far Eastern U Tamaraws redeemed themselves by winning two games in a row, upping their record to 3-1 in the process. The Tams trampled on a still-winless University of the East Red Warriors, 66-47 last July 21 and proved their end-game resiliency over young Bobby Ray Parks and his NU Bulldogs crew, 62-59, last July 25.

Slow to start, strong to finish
Amidst opening the match-up with a messy 11 percent field goal shooting, the Tamaraws unleashed a 24-9 run in the second quarter to steal the lead and the game from the UE Red Warriors, 66-47, last Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Chris Exciminiano topped the score boards with 12 points including six consecutive ones in the final period, which gave his team their biggest lead of 23 markers 7:11 still left to play.

All-in-all, FEU only allowed UE to score a total of 16 points in the whole duration of the second and the third periods. They've also made their opponents turn the ball over 29 times for 29 turnover points.

Cris Tolomia, one of the Tams' four rookies this Season 74, hauled in an impressive 12 rebounds. His team, however, still loss in that particular department as the Warriors brought down 48 boards. Luckily, the latter only managed 14 second chance points out of all those extra possessions.

Defense is key
It was a tight battle, nevertheless, FEU showed NU that defense is just as important as offense as it became the key to their late 62-59 victory last Saturday. The Tamaraws' air-tight defense limited the Bulldogs to only five points and successfully prevented Parks, Jr. from scoring in the fourth quarter.

The Tams capped off the opening period with a five-point advantage over the Bulldogs but a three-point basket by the opposing team's Ajeet Singh in the 2:50 mark of the second quarter and back-to-back turnovers two minutes before halftime turned things over against the Morayta five as they loss the lead.

The gap widened even more in the third period as the Tams were hounded by their turnovers and fouls giving the Bulldogs more free throws. A foul on RR Garcia, a technical on the FEU bench and another personal on JR Cawaling. On the 4:19 and 4:04 mark of the third gave the opposing teams six free throw points for a six-point edge, 43-49.

Last year's runners up, however, trimmed this down to a single point before going into the final period. Christian Sentcheu made sure his presence was felt scoring four straight points and locking the scores at 49-all 20 seconds and two minutes left from the third canto.

FEU's stifling defense made all the difference in the pay-off period as they silenced NU's scorers and forced them to commit more turnovers. Sentcheu, Tolomia, Carl Bryan Cruz and Terrence Romeo combined for nine points to finish the game and give the Tams their third victory in four games.

RR Garcia led all scorers with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists. Parks, Jr, on the other hand, turned in his lowest production by far in this season with 11 points, five boards, three steals and three dishes.

FEU outrebounded NU, 53-31, a thing reinstated head coach Bert Flores considers as a good sign. He and his wards are set to face the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers this coming Saturday, July 30, at the Big Dome.

UAAP Seaosn 74 Team Standings and Game Results

2011-07-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

TEAM STANDINGS:
Ateneo de Manila University: 3-0
Universityof Santo Tomas: 2-0
Far Eastern University: 2-1
Adamson University: 1-1
University of the Philippines: 1-1
National University: 1-2
De La Salle University: 0-2
University of the East: 0-3

GAME RESULTS AS OF JULY 21, 2011:

JULY 10, 2011
FEU [74] - DLSU [65]
ADMU [55] - AdU

JULY 14, 2011
UST [73] - NU [72]
UP [69] - UE [61]

JULY 16, 2011
AdU [78] - FEU [59]
ADMU [81] - DLSU [72]

JULY 17, 2011
NU [75] - UP [66]
UST [70] - UE [63]

JULY 21, 2011
ADMU [86] - NU [62]
FEU [66] - UE [47]

FEU fails against Adamson

2011-07-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

After starting the 74th season with a win over the De La Salle Green Archers, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws falter against the Adamson University Soaring Falcons, 59-78, last Saturday, July 16 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Tamaraws were not even able to taste the lead as the Falcons dominated them from the first minute til the very last second of the game. They were held to only four points in the final eight minutes of the fourth period. They, however, trimmed down the opposing team's 16-point edge and got to within three points, 57-60, after RR Garcia 's three-point play in the 7:52 mark of the final canto.

That was the last field goal FEU would ever make as they commit turnover after another turnover. They were also only able to bring down 13 rebounds. As a result, the squad only managed to get four turnover points and two second chance points - a far cry from their opponents' 20 and 18.

Garcia again top-scored for the Green and Gold with 20 points and four assists, while veterans Aldrech Ramos and JR Cawaling combined for 25.

FEU will be facing the University of the East Red Warriors on July 21 at the Araneta Coliseum, then the National U Bulldogs on July 24.

FEU halts DLSU, logs first win in the season

2011-07-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Down by six points at the start of the game, the Far Eastern U Tamaraws slowly but surely took the game over and successfully halted De La Salle's late surge to kick-off their Season 74 campaign with a 74-69 win last July 10 at the Araneta Coliseum.

RR Garcia, who stayed quiet in the first half palying decoy, led all scorers with 21 points. Not to be left behind in the score board, FEU's big men also had a superb opening game day. Aldrech Ramos contributed 16 markers, eight rebounds and two steals, while JR Cawaling added 10 more off the bench.

Wanting to close down on the Tamaraws, the Archers started the second half with a 6-0 blast. Carl Cruz, however, shifted the momentum towards the yellow shirts' side as he shot a jumper from the baseline 7:28 minutes on the clock. A 9-0 FEU run with finishing touches from Garcia ensued after that, giving the guys from Morayta a six-point edge, 44-39.

This sent out a distraught Dindo Pumaren to use every single man in his bench to stop the bleeding. His efforts were in vain, however, as last season's runners up kept on piling the the points, finishing off the third canto at 52-45.

The fourth quarter saw FEU take and lose a double-digit lead. Back-to-back triples from Garcia gave the Tams their first 10-point advantage but this was trimmed down to seven by Jarelan Tampus' and LA Revilla's free throws. Cawaling brought the lead back again in double figures, 62-52, sinking in a triple at the 4:50 mark.

But the pesky Archers aren't done yet as Luigi de la Paz nailed back-to-back baskets making reinstated head coach Bert Flores call for time a minute and a quarter left of the game.

After the time out, Revilla further trimmed down FEU's lead to only four as he scored a basket via a Tampus steal. That's when Garcia and Romeo came to life, orchestrating the Tamaraws last eight points, effectively sealing the game for them and their team.

FEU was five-of-14 from the rainbow territory. They also completed 21 of their 31 gifts shots. La Salle, meanwhile, only nailed two triples from 11 tries and was 23 out of 37 from the free throw line.

The Tamaraws will be playing Adamson next, while the Archers face their archrivals Eagles on July 16.

Kobe Bryant in Manila

2011-07-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

Kobe Bryant took on Manila yesterday as part of his 2011 Take Every Advantage Tour. He played with the UAAP All-Stars and Smart Gilas. He also held a press conference at the Manila Peninsula Hotel. Kobe's heading to Seoul, South Korea then to China for the continuation of his five-city Asian tour.

UAAP Season 74 team lineups

2011-07-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

Here are the official team line-ups for this 74th UAAP season:

Adamson University
Head coach: Leo Austria
Mike Agustin (F)
Lester Alvarez (G)
Rodney Brondial (C)
Roider Cabrera (F)
Jerick Cañada (F)
Jan Colina (F)
Allen Etrone (G)
Janus Lozada (F/G)
Genesis Manuel (F)
Austin Manyara (C)
Ryan Monteclaro (C)
Alex Nuyles (G/F)
Jeff Olalia (F)
Harry Petilos (F)
Jansen Rios (F)

Ateneo de Manila University
Head coach: Norman Black
Bacon Austia (G/F)
Gwyne Capacio (F)
Justin Chua (C/F)
Bon Jovi Cipriano (G)
JP Erram (C)
Jeric Estrada (C)
Frank Gola (F)
Tonino Gonzaga (G/F)
Kirk Long (G/F)
Emman Monfort (G)
Von Pessumal (G)
Kiefer Ravena (G)
Nico Salva (F)
Greg Slaughter (C)
Oping Sumalinog (F)
Juami Tiongson (G)

De La Salle University
Head coach: Dindo Pumaren
Yutien Andrada(F)
Simon Atkins (G)
Luigi de la Paz (G)
Ponso Gotladera (C)
Joseph Marata (F)
Jovet Mendoza (F/C)
Papot Paredes (F)
LA Revilla (G)
Martin Reyes (F)
Roldan Sara (G)
Jarelan Tampus (G)
Norbert Torres (C/F)
Arnold Van Opstal (C)
Maui Villanueva (F)
Almond Vosotros (G)
Joshua Webb (F)

Far Eastern University
Head coach: Bert Flores
Mark Bringas (F)
JR Cawaling (F)
Carl Bryan Cruz (C/F)
Russel Escoto (F)
Chris Exciminiano (G)
AA Fabian (G)
Clarence Foronda (C)
RR Garcia (G)
Jens Knuttel (G)
Gryann Mendoza (F)
Pipo Noundou (F)
Roger Pogoy (F)
Aldrech Ramos (C)
Terrence Romeo (G)
Christian Sentcheu (C)
Cris Tolomia (G)

National University
Head coach: Eric Altamirano
Angelo Alolino (G)
Reden Celda (G)
Robby Celiz (F)
Spencer Eman (C)
Jul-Ashri Ignacio (G/F)
Jeoff Javillonar (F)
Glenn Khobuntin (F)
Cederick Labing-isa (G)
Marion Magat (C)
Emmanuel Mbe (C)
Kyle Neypes (F)
Bobby Ray Parks (G/F)
Robin Roño (G)
Ajeet Singh (G)
Joseph Terso (G)
Denice Villamor (F)

University of the East
Head coach: Jerry Cordiñera
Lord Casajeros (G)
Von Chavez (G)
RR De Leon (F/C)
Erwin Duran (F)
Biboy Enguio (G/F)
Jairold Flores (F)
Chris Javier (F/C)
Nico Montelibano (F)
JM Noble (F)
Jessmar Sabangan (G/F)
Adrian Santos (F)
Roi Sumang (G)
Jay-ar Sumido (G)
Lucas Tagarda (G)
Paul Zamar (G)
BJ Zosa (G)

University of the Philippines
Head coach: Ricky Dandan
Vergel Evangelista (C)
Don Fortu (G)
Mike Gamboa (G)
Moriah Gingerich (F/G)
Carlo Gomez (F)
Mark Juruena (F)
Miggy Maniego (G/F)
Jett Manuel (G)
Alinko Mbah (C)
Jelo Montecastro (G)
Martin Pascual (F)
Paolo Romero (F)
Mike Silungan (G/F)
Robby Wierzba (G)
Julius Wong (G/F)

University of Santo Tomas
Head coach: Pido Jarencio
Karim Abdul (C)
Carmelo Afuang (F)
Eddie Aytona (G)
Chris Camus (F/C)
Kevin Ferrer (F)
Jeric Fortuna (G)
Ron Javier (F)
Kent Lao (F)
Kim Lo (F)
Paolo Pe (F)
Jaypee Sarcia (G)
Jamil Sheriff (G)
Robin Tan (G)
Jeric Teng (G)
Aljohn Ungria (F)
Louie Vigil (F)

UAAP board green lights Slaughter, Parks; Karim, Sheriff, Mbah conditional

2011-07-07T18:04:00.001-07:00

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines gave Greg Slaughter and Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. the go signal to play in the league’s upcoming 74th season. Jamil Sheriff, Karim Abdul and Alinko Mbah on the other hand were allowed to play given that their respective schools submit their complete documents.

Parks, Jr., who is set to play for the National University Bulldogs, was green-lighted after his school was able to provide the board with all the needed documents to prove his nationality. Slaughter’s eligibility, however, was put to a vote, resulting to a 4-3 tally allowing the seven-foot center to suit up for defending champions and incoming hosts Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles. De La Salle University, Far Eastern University and National University all voted against the Slaughter’s eligibility.

Meanwhile, Abdul, Sheriff and Mbah were allowed suit up for their respective schools by the UAAP board but not without any conditions. The University of Santo Tomas and the University of the Philippines have until the end of the first round of eliminations to submit their concerned players’ documents.

The 74th season of the UAAP is set to open tomorrow, July 9, at the Marikina Sports Complex. The first set of games will be played the following day at the Araneta Coliseum. The FEU Tamaraws will lock horns with the DLSU Green Archers at 1 P.M. The Ateneo Blue Eagles start defending their crown for the third year in a row at 3 P.M. as they go up against the Adamson University Soaring Falcons.

UAAP Season 74 Schedule

2011-07-01T02:02:00.000-07:00

Here's the schedule for the upcoming University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The Ateneo de Manila University will be the host of the league's 74th season which opens on July 9 at the Marikina Sports Complex.

FEU claims third place in FilOil preseason cup

2011-07-01T00:59:00.000-07:00

After enduring their first and only defeat in this year's preseason tourney, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws shot down the Adamson University Falcons, 65-57, in their Independence Day battle at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan to take third place in the 2011 FilOil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup.

Firing a triple at the 1:45 mark of the final canto, center Aldrech Ramos cut short the Falcons' run and ensured his team of a win. The national team member led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He also contributed nine big rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block.

A 22-6 run bridging the third and the fourth quarters saw UAAP season 73's runners-up seize their first double-digit lead in the game, 60-44. Adamson at the 5:51 mark, however, took advantage of FEU's penalty situation and exploded with a 10-0 rally of their own to put the scores at 60-54. But just when things seemed to go the Falcons' way, Ramos nailed a three-pointer and buried the opposing team by nine points 1:45 left on the clock.

With the win, the Tamaraws ended up in third place in this year's preseason cup. They finished the eliminations round on top of Group B with an 8-0 win-loss record. They defeated the De La Salle University Green Archers, 73-68, in the quarterfinals but lost their semis match-up with reigning UAAP champs Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, 82-74.

FEU dispatches resilient DLSU

2011-06-07T04:53:00.000-07:00

It was a fight to the finish but after the last tick of the clock the Far Eastern University emerged victorious. The Tamaraws are semifinals-bound after defeating a determined De La Salle University squad, 73-68, yesterday at The Arena in San Juan City in the quarterfinal round of the 2011 FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup.

FEU had a very slow start giving up four turnovers within the four minutes of the match-up, which allowed the Archers to take an easy nine-point lead. The Tams were able to pull alongside the scoring field but back-to-back triples from [Papot] Paredes and Almond Vosostros gave La Salle space enough to breathe as they finish the opening period with a seven-point edge, 13-20.

The Morayta-based outfit, however, turned things around in the second period completing a 9-0 run from the 3.0 mark of the first quarter. Two consecutive baskets by UAAP season 73 MVP RR Garcia finally gave the Tams the lead, 24-22. FEU successfully limited DLSU to only five points in the said quarter to go into halftime at 31-25.

Jovet Mendoza sank in both his free throws and knotted things up at 35-all 5:58 left in the third. FEU rallied in 18 points, 11 of which were from Garcia, to La Salle’s five to give the yellow shirts their biggest advantage of 13 markers, 53-40.

A highly-contested final period ensued as the Archers continuously threatened to steal the game. With a little more than three minutes left, Simon Atkins cut the Tams’ lead to five, 61-57, after his triple. LA Revilla got his team to within three as he sunk a basket from beyond the arc at the 27.5 mark.

But La Salle made the mistake of putting some of FEU’s best free throw shooters on the line at the most crucial moments of the game. The Tamaraws completed seven out of the eight charities given to them during the dying seconds of the tiff. Pipo Noundou sealed the deal for UAAP season 73 first runners-up.

Garcia, who averages 11 points in this year’s preseason tournament, broke out with 30 on top of his six rebounds and five assists. [Other high scorers]

FEU will be facing the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles in the semifinals this coming June 10. The Eagles defeated the Tamaraws in the most recent UAAP season’s finals round.

The scores:
FEU 73 – Garcia 30, Ramos 12, Noundou 8, Romeo 8, Cawaling 6, Cruz 5, Bringas 2, Exciminiano 1, Knuttel 1, Tolomia 0, Escoto 0

DLSU 68 – Mendoza 22, Revilla 7, Van Opstal 7, Paredes 7, Atkins 6, Andrada 6, Marata 4, Vosotros 4, de la Paz 2, Sara 2, Villanueva 1, Tampus 0, Gotladera 0

Quarter scoring: 13-20, 31-25, 53-40, 73-68

2011 FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup

2011-06-07T04:31:00.000-07:00

TEAM STANDINGS (as of June 6)
GROUP A
1A. San Beda College (5-2)
2A. Ateneo de Manila University (5-2)
3A. San Sebastian College-Recoletos (5-2)
4A. De La Salle University (4-3)
5. National University (4-3)
6. University of Santo Tomas (3-4)
7. Arellano University (2-5)
8. Lyceum of the Philippines University (0-7)

Group B
1B. Far Eastern University (8-0)
2B. Adamson University (6-2)
3B. Mapua Institute of Technology (5-3)
4B. University of the Philippines (5-3)
5. University of the East (4-4)
6. Jose Rizal University (4-4)
7. Colegio de San Juan de Letran (2-6)
8. Emilio Aguinaldo College (2-6)
9. College of Saint Benilde (0-8)

LATEST GAME RESULTS
June 1 (eliminations)
San Beda def. San Sebastian (97-81)
DLSU def, Lyceum (96-62)
Mapua def. UP (75-71)

June 4 (eliminations)
JRU def. Adamson (84-81)
San Beda def. UST (83-72)
DLSU def. Ateneo (66-61)

June 6 (quarterfinals)
Ateneo def. Mapua (63-56)
San Beda def. UP (97-88)
FEU def. DLSU (73-68)
Adamson def. San Sebastian (90-81)

REMAINING GAMES
June 10 (semifinals)
2 PM : San Beda vs. Adamson
4 PM : FEU vs. Ateneo

June 12
4 PM : FINALS

Mápua clinches q’finals berth, La Salle raze Lyceum

2011-06-03T04:11:00.000-07:00

Fighting for the last quarterfinal spot in Group B, the Mapua Institute of Technology Cardinals gave everything they’ve got to win over the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 75-71, last June 1 at The Arena in San Juan.

The Cardinals, down by 14 points after the third, made a couple of scoring runs in the final quarter to give them their fifth win in this year’s FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup.

Rodel Ranises sank in his triple and gave Mapua a two-point lead with 29.4 ticks left. Excellent defense by Andretti Stevens prevented Mike Silungan from stealing the game as he was forced to throw the ball away which fell on the hands of a waiting Yousef Taha. Stevens sealed the deal for the Cardinals with a lay-up.

Aside from giving Mapua the lat quarterfinal ticket in Group B, the win also put them ahead of UP in terms of team rankings. Mapua became third seed, while UP settled for fourth in Group B standings.

Meanwhile, the De La Salle crushed the Lyceum, 96-62, while the San Beda halted San Sebastian’s winning streak through a 97-81 victory.

Luigi de la Paz top-scored for the Archers and kept his team’s q’final hopes alive with his 15 points and three steals. The win gave the Taft-based dribblers an even score card of 3-3. They are to face archrivals Ateneo this coming Sunday.

The Red Lions, on the other hand, improved their rank to 4-2, only a game behind their most recent opponents who has a 5-2 card.

The crossover quarterfinal round is set to start in June 6.

FEU, San Beda, Mapua edge foes

2011-06-01T04:02:00.000-07:00

The Far Eastern University kept their spotless record in this year's FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Premier Cup in style as they down Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 72-56, last May 28 at The Arena in San Juan City.

With their pressing defense and their better transition game, the Tamaraws scored 22 turnover points while they limited the Knights to only five. Letran had the upper hand in the rebounding departing though with a 47-29 edge but they just couldn't catch up as they shot a low 33 precent from the field.

Cameroonian Pipo Noundoue paced the Tams with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Terrence Romeo added 15 more plus two rebounds, three assists and two steals. University Athletic Association of the Philippines season 73 MVP RR Garcia also scored in double digits at 11 markers.

The De La Salle University Green Archers, after beating big guns NU Bulldogs, suffered an upset from the San Beda College Red Lions as they lost 68-70.

Garvo Lanete sunk in a game-winning triple for the Red Lions with 3.3 ticks left on the clock. LA Revilla still had an opportunity to even out the score and force the game to go into overtime for the Archers but he turned the ball over.

Almond Vosostros led all scorerd with 16 points, while Joseph Marata contributed 14 and five assists.

With the loss, De La Salle is a game behind their most recent opponents at 2-3. They would have to win their remaining match-ups with Lyceum on June 1 and Ateneo on June 4 to be able to enter the quaterfinals.

Meanwhile, the Mapua Institute of Technology downed the Generals big time, 88-74, keeping their quarterfinals hope alive.

Throughout the game, the Cardinals got 16 second chance points, a sharp contrast to the Generals' three. They also squeezed out 12 points from their opponents turnovers.

The win ups Mapua's record to 4-3 but they still have to win their June 1 tiff against the UP Fighting Maroons to book that last quarterfinals ticket in Group B

2011 FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup

2011-05-31T04:10:00.000-07:00

TEAM STANDINGS (as of May 28)
GROUP A
1. San Sebastian College-Recoletos (5-1)*
2. Ateneo de Manila University (5-1)*
3. National University (4-3)
4. San Beda College (3-2)
5. University of Santo Tomas (3-3)
6. De La Salle University (2-3)
7. Arellano University (2-5)
8. Lyceum of the Philippines University (0-6)

Group B
1. Far Eastern University (8-0)*
2. Adamson University (6-1)*
3. University of the Philippines (5-2)*
4. Mapúa Institute of Technology (4-3)
5. University of the East (4-4)
6. Jose Rizal University (3-4)
7. Colegio de San Juan de Letran (2-6)
8. Emilio Aguinaldo College (2-6)
9. College of Saint Benilde (0-8)

* – Assured of a quarterfinal berth

LATEST GAME RESULTS:
May 25
UE def. Mapua [82-79]
DLSU def. NU [81-74] *OT

May 27 [Friday]
UP def. CSB [93-75]
Arellano def. UST [64-63]

May 28 [Saturday]
Mapua def. Arellano [88-74]
FEU def. Letran [72-56]
San Beda def. DLSU [70-68]

UP cements q’finals bid, UST succumbs to Arellano

2011-05-30T03:45:00.000-07:00

One goes up but the other goes down --- that was the story for University Athletic Association teams University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas in their games for the 2011 FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup last Friday.

The UP Fighting Maroons doomed the College of Saint Benilde Blazers to a winless campaign, cementing their entry to the quarterfinals with a resounding 93-75 victory last May 27 at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Blazers led by a single point, 2-3, early in the game but the Maroons took from that point, totally dominating the score board the rest of the game. A Don Fortu triple in the third quarter gave the Diliman-based quintet their biggest edge of 25 points putting the score at 64-42.

Four maroon shirts finished in double digits with Miggy Maniego leading the way with 13 points. Jelo Montecastro, who coincidentally is a former St. Benilde Blazer, contributed 12 markers and six assists, while Mike Silungan and Mike Gamboa both chipped in 11 each.

UP now projects a 5-2 card, one game ahead of the Mapua Institute of Technology Cardinals. Should the Cardinals lose at least one of their two remaining games, including a June 1 tiff against the Maroons, the latter will get seat number three; however, a sweep by the former would mean UP would have to do with fourth.

If UP is already assured of a slot in the next round, it is the other way around for the UST Growling Tigers as their own quarterfinals bid is muddled by a 63-64 defeat from NCAA probationary squad Arellano University Chiefs.

Finishing the opening quarter with a 20-7 vantage, the Growling Tigers led all the way until Arellano's Adrian Celada hit a basket and knotted things up at 62-all with a little more than a minute left. New recruit from Cameroon Karim Abdul split his charities to put UST ahead again by a point, 63-62. A lay-in by Chris Okpe from a Celada pass in the 19.7 mark eventually became the last field goal in the said match-up as Jeric Teng missed his triple.

After hitting an impressive 50 percent from the three-point area in the first half, the Growling Tigers missed all their twelve attempts in the third and fourth quarters.

Abdul had a double-double of 18 points and 18 rebounds despite his team's defeat. Season 73 UAAP Juniors MVP Kevin Ferrer, on the other hand, finished with 13 markers and seven boards, while Jeric Fortuna added 11 more.

UST falls down to 3-3 but still has one more game to play in the eliminations. They will be facing NCAA defending champs San Beda College on June 4.

DLSU, UE pull up upsets over NU, Mápua

2011-05-26T03:21:00.000-07:00

Amid the bad weather, both De La Salle University and University of the East had a good day winning their respective match-ups in the 2011 FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup yesterday, May 25, at The Arena in San Juan City.

The La Salle Green Archers handed down the National U Bulldogs their third consecutive defeat in the tournament via an overtime win, 81-74.

Joseph Marata hit a crucial triple which knotted things at 68-all and forced the game to go into an extra period where his team successfully held the Bulldogs to just six points.

Almond Vosotros top-scored for the Green Archers with 17 points, including four-of-six from the three-point area. Bobby Ray Parks, on the other hand, led all scorers finishing with 29 markers, eight rebounds, three assists and a steal.

The match-up was the last in the eliminations for the Bulldogs who, after winning all their first four games, fell down to 4-3.

DLSU goes up Group A with a 2-2 record. They would have to win all their remaining games to have a shot at the quarterfinals.

In the first game of the day, the UE Red Warriors chalked their fourth win in the conference at the expense of the Mápua Institute of Technology Cardinals, 82-79.

A 21-2 run spanning the third and the fourth quarters allowed UE to erase Mápua 's 10-point advantage to lead build a nine-point lead, 66-57.

Hitting back-to-back baskets with 35.3 ticks left, Josan Nimes got the Cardinals to within five, 79-74. JM Noble hikes up the Warriors' edge after splitting his charities, giving the opposing team one final chance to steal the game.

With only 1.1 seconds left, Nimes trimmed the deficit to 80-79 after sinking in a triple. UE new recruit BJ Zosa, however, made sure the win goes to his team by shooting in a jumper for a 82-79 final score.

UE, with a 4-4 card, hopes to get the last quarterfinals seat in Group B, while Mápua goes down with 3-3.

The Cardinals will still face the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals and University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons. Should they lose one of these games, the Warriors will go to the quarterfinals together with FEU, Adamson and UP.

2011 FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup week 5 update: UAAP teams rule May 21 games

2011-05-25T04:13:00.000-07:00

Three teams from the UAAP dominate the May 21 games of this year’s FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup held over at The Arena in San Juan City. In the process, both Adamson and UP book sure seats at the knockout quarterfinals round set in June 6. UST, on the other hand, is still fighting to get one slot from the four given to their group as it downed guest team Lyceum.

Foul-plagued Adamson limits Mápua
Foul-hounded and all, Adamson University still managed to hold down a resilient Mápua Institute of Technology squad to take home their sixth straight win in seven outings in this year's FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup.

The Soaring Falcons went into the second half with an eight-point advantage, 35-27, after a 9-1 run capped off with a Jan Colina triple in the last minutes of the second quarter.

Colina is one of four Falcons who finished the game in double digits. He and Eric Camson both contributed 10 points and six rebounds each, while Alex Nuyles top-scored with 16 on top of his seven caroms, a steal and a block. Lester Alvarez, on the other hand, had 13 markers, three assists and two swipes.

Still fighting back, Mápua unleashed a 13-2 run, 10 of which were from Allan Mangahas, early in the third to momentarily regain the lead, 37-40. Nuyles, crashing into Yousef Taha, tied the game at 40-apiece and sparked an Adamson 11-3 rally which gave them back their eight-point lead prior to entering the last quarter.

The Cardinals actually outscored the Falcons in the fourth period. The squad from San Marcelino's tight defense, however, prevented them from making crucial baskets in the clutch. Alvarez finally closed down the match-up sinking in one of his two gimmes.

Adamson burned Mápua with their field goals from the three-point area, shooting eight of 21 for 38 percent, while the Cardinals only managed to make three from 16 attempts for a languid 19 percent.

The Falcons is now assured of a quarterfinals slot. Meanwhile, the Cardinals go down with a 3-2 card in Group B.

Mbah, UP squeak pass feisty UE
With only 1.7 seconds left of the game, Alinko Mbah sunk in an acrobatic of a shot to give the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons a 78-76 win over the University of the East Red Warriors.

UP had the upper hand in both second and third quarters, but the hardworking UE squad were able to strike back in the final period. With less than four minutes left, Biboy Enguio got the red shirts to within one, 70-69, after completing his drive and splitting his charities off Julius Wong's second technical foul.

Turnovers, however, messed up the Red Warriors' chances of stealing the game from the Katipunan-based quintet. Mike Silungan hit a triple, while Miggy Maniego nailed a floater off UE turnovers, putting UP back up by six nearing the one-minute mark.

With 9.2 seconds on the clock, Lord Casejeros saw an opening a scored a two-pointer. Jay-ar Sumido followed this up with a basket from the three-point area to tie the game at 76-all.

For a moment it seemed like UE still had a chance at winning but Mike Gamboa found an open Mbah for that almost impossible winning basket.

With a 4-2 record in Group B play, the Fighting Maroons booked a ticket to the quarterfinals.

The Red Warriors, on the other hand, slid down to 3-4.

Santo Tomas keep Lyceum winless
The University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers denied the Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates their very first victory in this year's preseason tournament with a 65-55 beating to go up 3-2 in Group A rankings.

The Tigers led all throughout the first half but the Pirates, making a 10-0 scoring run, erased and took the lead for the first time in the middle of the third quarter. That, however, did not last long as UST scored on back-to-back possessions to end the third ahead by three, 46-43.

Determined, the España-based squad started the final canto with an 11-0 dash. A two-pointer from Lyceum then started an exchange of baskets by the two squads until time expired and UST was found to have the bigger score.

Former Tiger Cub led UST in scoring with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. He and his team still have a good shot at the quarterfinals as they are only a game behind the National U Bulldogs.

The Tigers still have Arellano on May 27 and San Beda on June 4 on its assignment list, while NU only has to face De La Salle on May 25.

2011 FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup team standings

2011-05-24T03:07:00.001-07:00

(as of May 21)

GROUP A
T1. Ateneo De Manila University: 5-1
T1. San Sebastian College-Recoletos: 5-1
2. National University: 4-2
3. University of Santo Tomas: 3-2
4. San Beda College: 2-2
5. De La Salle University: 1-2
6. Arellano University: 1-5
7. Lyceum of the Philippines University: 0-6

GROUP B
1. Far Eastern University: 7-0
2. Adamson University: 6-1
3. University of the Philippines: 4-2
4. Mapua Institute of Technology: 3-2
5. University of the East: 3-4
6. Jose Rizal University: 3-4
7. Colegio de San Juan de Letran: 2-5
8. Emilio Aguinaldo College: 2-5
9. De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde: 0-7

***
Teams assured of a quarterfinals slot:
Group A: Ateneo de Manila University and San Sebastian College-Recoletos
Group B: Far Eastern University, Adamson University and University of the Philippines
***
Game results:

April 9
Ateneo def. San Beda [90-87]
UST def. DLSU [79-70]

April 13
San Beda def. Arellano [88-74]
NU def. UST [60-52]
Letran def. EAC [56-52]

April 15
Mápua def. CSB [82-75]
UE def. JRU [79-78]
UP def. Letran [65-63]

April 16
UST def. San Sebastian [104-102] *2OT
FEU def. Adamson [66-61]
NU def. San Beda [83-80]

April 25
FEU def. UP [80-76] *OT
San Beda def. Lyceum [99-57]
DLSU def. Arellano [74-61]

April 27
Adamson def. UE [70-61]
Ateneo def. Lyceum [92-77]
San Sebastian def. DLSU [88-81]

April 29
NU def. Arellano [55-47]
Adamson def. UP [65-57]
FEU def. Mápua [77-65]

April 30
EAC def. UE [49-46]
JRU def. Letran [70-65]
Ateneo def. UST [59-46]

May 2
FEU def. EAC [67-51]
NU def. Lyceum [77-70]
JRU def. CSB [101-96] *OT

May 4
Ateneo def. Arellano [70-53]
Adamson def. Letran [75-70]
San Sebastian def. NU [81-74]

May 6
Letran def. CSB [87-76]
Arellano def. Lyceum [71-70]
UP def. JRU [80-71]

May 7
Adamson def. EAC [57-54]
FEU def. UE [80-77]
Ateneo def. NU [71-66]

May 11
Adamson def. CSB [75-61]
San Sebastian def. Ateneo [73-72]

May 13
UP def. EAC [63-61]
Mápua def. Letran [80-62]

May 14
UE def. CSB [74-66]
San Sebastian def. Lyceum [81-74]
FEU def. JRU [79-63]

May 18
Mápua def. JRU [89-85] *2OT
EAC def. CSB [88-75]
UE def. Letran [83-78] *OT

May 20
JRU def. EAC [74-68]
FEU def. CSB [81-49]
San Sebastian def. Arellano [82-68]

May 21
UST def. Lyceum [65-55]
UP def. UE [78-76]
Adamson def. Mápua [66-60]

FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup week 5: FEU, JRU, San Sebastian overwhelm EAC, Arellano, CSB

2011-05-23T03:10:00.000-07:00

Three more teams improve their overall rankings, while three others receive a defeat each in the fifth week of this year's FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup. JRU, San Sebastian and Far Eastern U all overcome there foes last Friday, May 20, at The Arena in San Juan City.

Heavy Bombers overwhelm Generals
Nate Matute and the rest of the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers relied on their three-point shooting to rout NCAA probationary team Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 74-68.

Matute fired two back-to-back triples in the dying minutes of the match-up. He sank in three out of seven from the three-point area. Overall, he tallied in 20 points, four rebounds and three assists.

EAC opened the final canto with 11-4 run, giving themselves an eight-point advantage over JRU at the 5:51 mark. The Mandaluyong-based squad, however, quickly retaliated scoring six straight within a minute which prompted the Generals' head coach, Gerry Esplana, to call for time.

The Generals took back the lead, 57-60, after Jan Jamon knocked in both his charities from a John Villarias foul. But the lead was instantly erased as Villarias and Matute sank in three triples, putting the scores at 66-60.

John Tayontong and Franz Chiong kept EAC afloat, trimming the Bombers' lead to a solitary point with 1:37 left on the clock. But that was the nearest the Generals would get as Jeckster Apinan replied with four consecutive markers.

The win was the third in seven outings for Jose Rizal U. EAC, meanwhile, descended with 2-5 in Group B.

Tamaraws thrash hapless Blazers
The Far Eastern University Tamaraws continue to dominate Group B, keeping their record clean, after they pulverize the still winless College of Saint Benilde Blazers, 81-49.

The Tams down the Blazers at the very start of the game, finishing the first quarter with a 20-point advantage, 25-5. They relentlessly pushed their opponents around, leading by as much as 31 points in the fourth quarter.

Cameroonian center, Christian Sentcheu, finally put the cherry on top of the sweet win with his put-back slam of a miss by Jolas Guerrero.

Season 73 Rookie of the Year Terrence Romeo led the Tamaraws in terms of scoring with 14 points on top of his four assists.

The Morayta-based squad kept the Blazers' shooting to a low of 34 percent, while they converted 48 percent. All 14 FEU players fielded in by head coach Bert Flores contributed at least a point to help their team take win number seven.

CSB, meanwhile, descended father down to the bottom of Group B standings with 0-7.

The Tamaraws will be up against the Letran Knights on May 28, a Saturday, before going to the crossover quarterfinals where they will be facing one of the top four teams from Group A.

Stags run over Chiefs
Defending FilOil Flying V champions San Sebastian College-Recoletos Stags put up a 27-10 third quarter to run pass the Arellano University Chiefs, 82-68, and take home their fifth win in this year's preseason tournament.

After a see-saw battle in the first half, the Stags stepped on the gas and let loose a 21-6 rally which put the score at 63-44.

Out of the 27 markers San Sebastian made in the said quarter, 11 were from fastbreak oppurtunities.

San Sebastian got their biggest lead, 72-51, near the halfway mark of the fourth period via an Anthony del Rio triple and an Ian Sangalang put-back from a Geyo Vergara miss. The Stags' decision to send in reserves late in the closing period allowed Arellano to somehow catch up and end the game with a 14-7 run.

With the win, San Sebastian is now tied at 5-1 with the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles at the number one spot in Group A. The Chiefs, on the other hand, sports a reversed card with 1-5.

FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup: Week 5: Mapua, EAC, UE down opponents

2011-05-23T03:06:00.000-07:00

Mápua, EAC and UE all win their respective match-ups last Wednesday, May 18, at The Arena in San Juan City.

Mápua holds down JRU in double OT
The 40-minute regulation ain't just enough for both the Mapua Institute of Technology Cardinals and Jose Rizal U Heavy Bombers as their May 18 tiff went into double overtime. In the end, however, it was Mapua who took home the victory, 89-85.

Losing Allan Mangahas' services to cramps, Jonathan Banal led the Cardinals' charge in both extension periods. He and his team forced the Heavy Bombers to commit four misses on their last possession by tightening their defense thus preserving their four-point advantage until time expired.
Banal finished the game with 18 points. Mangahas, on the other hand, went out with 24 points. New recruit Yousef Taha was a monster at the boards, hauling 23 in rebounds for the Cardinals on top of his 15 markers.

After enjoying a comfortable 10-point advantage from the opening period, Mapua soon found themselves scrambling to stop JRU's scoring. The determined quintet from Mandaluyong knotted the game 40-apiece going into halftime.

The two squads both had their own scoring runs in the third and fourth quarters. However, Nate Matute's eight consecutive points in the dying minutes of regulation proved to be the biggest for JRU as he single-handedly pulled his squad to within four, 73-69. John Villarias then sunk in a triple from the corner, tying the scores at 75 with less than 10 seconds left from the fourth quarter.

After an exchanging a couple of baskets, Banal knotted things at 82-all 45 seconds left in the first additional five minutes. Mapua had several opportunities to prevent the game from going into its second overtime but they spoiled it all. They made up for this, however, by trapping JRU's Matute and Villarias in the second extension period.

With the win, Mapua went up Group B rankings with 3-1, while JRU skidded further at 2-4.

EAC knocks down winless Benilde
The Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, after a three game skid, finally chalks in win number two in this year's preseason cup as they dispatched a still winless College of Saint Benilde Blazers, 88-75.

The Generals were down by three points 10 minutes into the game but a furious 10-2 run within the first three minutes of the second quarter enabled them to not only catch up but also to steal the lead from the Blazers. Anton Altamirano and Carlo Lastimosa were able to knot things together 28-apiece after scoring five straight points in transition; that was, however, the closest CSB would ever get.

EAC scored 28 points in the second quarter, while holding Benilde to only 19.

The Generals continued their hot scoring in the third and fourth periods. The NCAA probationary team led by as much as 16 points, 68-52, after a nine to nothing rally in middle of the third. Benilde got to within five, 77-72, after baskets from Tim McCoy, Ian de la Paz and Jan Jamon. EAC, however, countered with five consecutive points which effectively sealed the match-up.

Franz Chiong finished with 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Meanwhile, from Benilde's side, Carlo Lastimosa produced 16 points, five boards, four dimes and two steals.

EAC now stands at 2-4 in Group B.

Saint Benilde is still winless after six games.

UE squeaks through foul-ridden Letran
Down by as much as a dozen points after the third quarter, the University of the East Red Warriors capitalized on Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights' fouls to extend and eventually win the tiff, 83-78.

UE unleashed a furious 11-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter to cut the Knights' advantage to a solitary point, 65-66. A put-back on a Kevin Alas miss by Kevin Racal and a three-of-four shooting from the free throw line by Jonathan Belorio, however, created a six-point advantage for Letran, putting the scores at 65-71.

The Warriors answered back with eight consecutive to steal the lead, 73-71, while giving Jun-Jun Alas and Belorio their fourth fouls. Kevin Alas put back his own miss and tied the match-up at 73 with 1.37 left on the clock. Biboy Enguio put UE back up by two after his alley-oop play. Kevin Alas, however, retaliated with a baseline floater extending the tiff.

Letran was up by two, 76-78, with 2:04 minutes left from the extension period but Paul Zamar drew Franz Dysam's fifth foul and tied the game at 78-all after sinking in both his gift shots. The Knights were not able to score anymore after that. Adrian Santos finally ended the game, scoring UE's last five points.

With the win, UE now has an even win-loss record of 3-3, while Letran fell down to 2-5 in Group B play.

FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup team standings [as of May 20, 2011]

2011-05-20T05:54:00.000-07:00

GROUP A
1. Ateneo de Manila University: 5-1
2. San Sebastian College-Recolettos: 5-1
3. National University: 4-2
4. San Beda College:2-2
4. University of Santo Tomas: 2-2
5. De La Salle University: 1-2
6. Arellano University: 1-5
7. Lyceum of the Philippines: 0-5

GROUP B
1. Far Eastern University: 7-0
2. Adamson University: 5-1
3. Mapua Institute of Technology: 3-1
4. University of the Philippines: 3-2
5. University of the East: 3-3
5. Jose Rizal University: 3-4
6. Colegio de San Juan de Letran: 2-5
7. Emilio Aguinaldo College: 2-5
8. College of Saint Benilde: 0-7
---------------------------------------------------------
April 9
Ateneo def San Beda [90-87]
UST def DLSU [79-70]
***
April 13
Letran def EAC [66-54]
San Beda def Arellano [88-74]
NU def UST [60-52]
***
April 15
Mapua def CSB [82-75]
UE def JRU [79-78]
UP def Letran [65-63]
***
April 16
UST def San Sebastian [104-102] *in double OT
FEU def Adamson [66-61]
NU def San Beda [83-80]
***
April 25
FEU def UP [80-76] *in OT
San Beda def Lyceum [99-57]
DLSU def Arellano [74-61]
***
April 27
Adamson def UE [70-61]
Ateneo def Lyceum [92-77]
San Sebastian def DLSU [88-81]
***
April 29
NU def Arellano [55-47]
Adamson def UP [66-57]
FEU def Mapua [77-65]
***
April 30
EAC def UE [49-46]
JRU def Letran [70-65]
Ateneo def UST [59-46]
***
May 2
FEU def EAC [67-51]
NU def Lyceum [77-70]
JRU def CSB [101-96] *in OT
***
May 4
Ateneo def Arellano [70-53]
Adamson def Letran [75-50]
San Sebastian def NU [81-74]
***
May 6
Letran def CSB [87-76]
Arellano def Lyceum [71-70]
UP def JRU [80-71]
***
May 7
Adamson def EAC [57-54]
FEU def UE [80-77]
Ateneo def NU [71-66]
***
May 11
San Sebastian def Ateneo [73-72]
Adamson def CSB [75-61]
***
May 13
UP def EAC [63-61]
Mapua def Letran [80-62]
***
May 14
UE def CSB [74-66]
San Sebastian def Lyceum [81-74]
FEU def JRU [79-63]
***
May 18
UE def Letran [83-78]
EAC def Benilde [88-75]
Mapua def JRU [89-85]
***
May 20
FEU def Benilde [81-49]
JRU def EAC [74-68]
San Sebastian def Arellano [82-68]

FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup week 4: UE, San Sebastian triumph over foes, FEU continue to dominate

2011-05-17T01:33:00.000-07:00

The University of the East finally manages to break their losing streak in the expense of winless Benilde, San Sebastian emerges victorious in a tight match against Lyceum, and FEU asserts its dominance over JRU last May 14 at the San Juan Arena in San Juan City as the fourth week of the FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup draws to a close.

UE prevail over winless Benilde in endgame, ends losing streak
The University of the East Red Warriors finally end their losing streak after defeating the College of Saint Benilde Blazers, 74-66.

Missing veteran Ken Acibar to back pains, rookie head coach Jerry Cordiñera relied on his reserves to take the game away from the Blazers. The Warriors' bench accounted for 49 markers in comparison to the Blazers' inferior 14.

It, however, took them three quarters before they were finally able to settle the tiff.

Saint Benilde had the advantage for most of the game. They were up by seven points in the third period, 50-57, before Adrian Santos stole the ball leading to a buzzer-beating triple by BJ Zosa.

All momentum was at the Warriors' side as they completely erased the Blazers' lead via a 16-5 run at the start of the final period. UE scored a total of 21 points in the fourth quarter alone in contrast to the opposing team's nine.

Santos chipped in 20 points and six rebounds off the bench, while Zosa contributed eight markers. Roi Sumang, who's coming off from an injury, added seven points, five of which were made during that game-turning 16-5 fourth quarter run, five rebounds and four assists.

The Warriors, who's only other win was over the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers, waited almost a month before they could improve their cards to 2-3 in Group B play. Their opponents, on the other hand, remain winless after five outings in this year's preseason cup.

UE and Saint Benilde will again return to the San Juan Arena tomorrow, May 18. The Warriors will go up against Colegio de San Juan Letran Knights, while the Blazers will be facing the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals. Letran is currently at 2-4. EAC, on the other hand, sports a 1-4 card.

San Sebastian dodges resilient Lyceum squad, extends winning streak
After giving Group A leaders National U and Ateneo a setback each, the San Sebastian College-Recoletos Stags extend their winning streak after they dispose a hungry Lyceum of the Philippines Pirates, 81-74.

It was, however, not an easy victory for the last year's preseason champs.

San Sebastian dominated the first quarter with Calvin Abueva and company doubling up Lyceum's total production, 22-11. Stags head coach Turo Valenzona then fielded some of his bench players in the second period. Seeing this as a chance, the Pirates unleashed a furious 16-4 run to steal the lead from the Stags.

An exchange of baskets ensued between the two teams in the remaining minutes of the second quarter until the end of the third. Kruschev Ferrer scored five consecutive points and put the Stags ahead by four again. Lyceum's Chris Cayabyab, however, quelled San Sebastian's rally as he spearheaded his team to a 23-12 run.

The Pirates scored 53 of their total score in the second and third periods, while holding the Stags to only 34.

Desperate to stop the bleeding, Valezona turned to his big guns. Abueva, again, lead the Stags to a 13-0 run which him and his team ahead by four points in the middle of the final canto. Lyceum still managed to tie the game at 72 apiece a little more than four minutes left on the clock; however, they missed their next nine shots.

San Sebastian finally sealed the deal via a 9-0 rally.

The win was the third consecutive for the Stags who improve to 4-1 in Group A rankings. The Pirates, on the other hand, sinks down further to 0-5.

Both teams only have two games each left in the eliminations. San Sebastian will go up against the Arellano U Chiefs on May 20 and then the reigning NCAA champs San Beda College Red Lions on June 1, while Lyceum still has the University of Santo Tomas on May 21 and then the De La Salle Green Archers on May 28.

FEU crushes JRU, remains undefeated
The Far Eastern University remains to be the only undefeated team in this year's preseason cup after they crush the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers, 79-63.

The Tamaraws lead from the get-go, closing the first quarter at 23-13. Carrying the same energy into the next two periods, they then furthered their advantage to 27 points at the end of the third quarter.

FEU's biggest lead was at 30 points during the first few minutes of the final period.

The Heavy Bombers, led by John Lopez and Jeckster Apinan, managed to trim down the Morayta quintet's advantage to 17, putting the score at 73-56 with a few more minutes left from the fourth. As if their numbers weren't big enough, Mark Bringas added six more points via back-to-back triples to the Tams' scoreboard effectively closing the game.

UAAP season 73 MVP RR Garcia finished off with 16 points, while ROY awardee Terrence Romeo and Pipo Noundou combined for 22 markers, 10 boards and nine dimes.

FEU capitalized on JRU's turnovers, getting 26 markers in the process on top of their 20 fastbreak points. They also shot an imposing 56 percent from the field and outrebounded their opponents.

With the win, the Tamaraws stay atop Group B rankings with 6-0. They are still playing without regular starting center Aldrech Ramos who is out because of his commitments with the national team. Ramos has been out for three consecutive games.

On the other hand, JRU falls to 2-3. They will be playing Mápua next tomorrow, May 18.

FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup team standings (as of May 14, 2011)

2011-05-16T03:23:00.000-07:00

GROUP A
1. Ateneo de Manila University: 5-1
2. San Sebastian College-Recolettos: 4-1
3. National University: 4-2
4. San Beda College:2-2
4. University of Santo Tomas: 2-2
5. De La Salle University: 1-2
6. Arellano University: 1-4
7. Lyceum of the Philippines: 0-5

GROUP B
1. Far Eastern University: 6-0
2. Adamson University: 5-1
3. Mapua Institute of Technology: 2-1
4. University of the Philippines: 3-2
5. University of the East: 2-3
5. Jose Rizal University: 2-3
6. Colegio de San Juan de Letran: 2-4
7. Emilio Aguinaldo College: 1-4
8. College of Saint Benilde: 0-5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 9
Ateneo def San Beda [90-87]
UST def DLSU [79-70]
***
April 13
Letran def EAC [66-54]
San Beda def Arellano [88-74]
NU def UST [60-52]
***
April 15
Mapua def CSB [82-75]
UE def JRU [79-78]
UP def Letran [65-63]
***
April 16
UST def San Sebastian [104-102] *in double OT
FEU def Adamson [66-61]
NU def San Beda [83-80]
***
April 25
FEU def UP [80-76] *in OT
San Beda def Lyceum [99-57]
DLSU def Arellano [74-61]
***
April 27
Adamson def UE [70-61]
Ateneo def Lyceum [92-77]
San Sebastian def DLSU [88-81]
***
April 29
NU def Arellano [55-47]
Adamson def UP [66-57]
FEU def Mapua [77-65]
***
April 30
EAC def UE [49-46]
JRU def Letran [70-65]
Ateneo def UST [59-46]
***
May 2
FEU def EAC [67-51]
NU def Lyceum [77-70]
JRU def CSB [101-96] *in OT
***
May 4
Ateneo def Arellano [70-53]
Adamson def Letran [75-50]
San Sebastian def NU [81-74]
***
May 6
Letran def CSB [87-76]
Arellano def Lyceum [71-70]
UP def JRU [80-71]
***
May 7
Adamson def EAC [57-54]
FEU def UE [80-77]
Ateneo def NU [71-66]
***
May 11
San Sebastian def Ateneo [73-72]
Adamson def CSB [75-61]
***
May 13
UP def EAC [
M?ua def Letran [80-62]
***
May 14
UE def CSB [74-66]
San Sebastian def Lyceum [81-74]
FEU def JRU [79-63]

FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup week 4: UP, Mápua down opponents

2011-05-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Scores don’t necessarily tell the whole story and four teams once again prove that to be a fact. The University of the Philippines found a new reliable guy inside the court as they dodge an upset from Emilio Aguinaldo College, while the Mápua Institute of Technology used force against force to defeat the Colegio de San Juan de Letran last May 13 at the San Juan Arena, San Juan City.

UP survives neck-to-neck game with EAC
The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons were desperately looking for someone to step up for them other than Mike Silungan ever since the preseason cup started. Looks like they found that guy now.

Alinko Mbah responded to the challenge and spearheaded his team to their 63-61 victory over the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals. Mbah put the Maroons ahead by three with less than a minute to go before the end of the game. He then tipped out Franz Chiong's triple and blocked Jan Jamon's second attempt. However, with 21.2 seconds left, the Generals threatened to take the game away after a basket from Jamon which put the score at 62-61.

EAC's Rafael Sanchez fouled Mbah right after a UP-called timeout. The Nigerian center was sent to the line but missed both his charities. The Generals had several chances to steal the game but they failed to use them and were eventually forced to foul Mike Gamboa with less than ten seconds left. The UP guard, splitting his free throws, sealed the win for his team.

Mbah finished the game with 16 points, seven boards and two blocks. Silungan, on the other hand, chipped in nine points, five rebounds and four assists before he was pulled out of the game at the 5:42 mark of the third quarter due to a milk ankle sprain.

The Maroons goes up Group B rankings with 3-2, while EAC sinks to 1-4. Both squads still have three games each in the eliminations. The Generals will go up against cellar dwellers Saint Benilde this coming Wednesday, May 18. UP, after their CESAFI Partners Cup stint, will be playing the UE Red Warriors on May 21.

Mapua runs down Letran in physical match-up
The Mápua Institute of Technology Cardinals prevailed over the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights, 80-62, in a very physical match. Both teams were called for 27 fouls each, counting the double unsportsmanlike fouls on Letran's Michael Abad and Mápua’s Jonathan Belorio in the last two minutes of the game.

The Cardinals were only ahead by four points after the first quarter but it was in the following two periods where they really exploded. Starting the second quarter with an all-out 13-2 run, Mápua started to distance themselves from the Knights. Sustaining this same energy, they outscored their opponents by 24 points at the end of the third canto.

Letran had several opportunities to cut Mápua's lead at the beginning of the final period but Carlo Litunia only converted two of the five free throws he was given off back-to-back fouls by Andretti Stevens. Kevin Alas managed to get his squad as near as 18 points, 69-51, after scoring five straight field goals but the Cardinals obstinately held on and did not even let the lead go below 15 markers.

Fil-Palestinian Yousef Taha led the Cardinals with 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Jam Cortes, despite of his early exit from the game due to a minor injury, was the highest scorer for the Knights with 14 markers and 10 caroms.

Mápua improved its standing to 2-1 in Group B, while Letran fell to 2-4. The Cardinals will still be facing JRU, Adamson, UE, Arellano and UP. The Knights, on the other hand, only have two more games left. They will be playing UE on May 18 and then FEU on May 28.

FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup week 4 update: San Sebastian spoils clean Ateneo slate, Adamson still streaking

2011-05-16T02:54:00.000-07:00

Two UAAP teams plus two NCAA teams is equal to two different outcomes. Ateneo gets its first taste of defeat from the same team who handed the same fate to the National U Bulldogs, while the Adamson Falcons continue their winning streak in the fourth week of the 2011 FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup.

Spoilers
Meet this preseason cup’s spoilers.

Tainting one UAAP team’s clean win-loss record wasn’t enough for the San Sebastian Stags as this they give the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles their first taste of bitter defeat in this year’s FilOil Flying V Hanes Preaseason Cup. Calvin Abueva’s charities in the last 10 seconds of play and a crucial miss from rookie Eagle Kiefer Ravena became the Stags’ key to their 73-72 victory over the Eagles last May 11.

Abueva logged in a total of 22 points on top of his nine rebounds and two blocks for the defending preseason champions. Ravena, on the other hand, was the top producer for Ateneo with his 15 markers, five caroms, two steals and two assists.

San Sebastian scored eight consecutive points in the 90 seconds of the final period, erasing Ateneo’s comfortable nine point advantage to take the win.

Before that, however, it was a game of spurts for both squads. The Stags capitalized on the Eagles’ poor shooting to seize an early 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter. The Katipunan-based dribblers finally woke up to their senses as they made a 13-3 run at the start of the second period tying the game at 24-all. Ravena owned nine of these 13 points.

Smart Gilas mainstay Greg Slaughter added put the score at 30-33 after his three-point jumper went in. The Stags answered back with a seven to nothing run which put the score at 37-33. A triple by Bacon Austria and two successful free throws from Ravena, however, put the Eagles on top by one, 37-38, before going into halftime.

Abueva, scoring on three straight field goals, spearheaded his team to a 61-58 advantage at the start of the fourth quarter. Ateneo responded with a 14 to 4 run which was highlighted by back-to-back triples from Oping Sumalinog and Eman Monfort. They, however, failed to convert their next five possessions allowing the Stags to get away with the win.

San Sebastian improved their rankings to 3-1, their only loss coming from the University of Santo Tomas last April 16. They still have three more games remaining in the eliminations.

Ateneo, on the other hand, now sports a 5-1 card. They are still, however, the top team in Group A. They only have a game remaining in the eliminations. Ateneo will be playing the De La Salle Green Archers on June 4.

Moving up
Once again, it was Alex Nuyles who made sure the Falcons would go home with the win.

Nuyles scored 12 straight points at the onset of the third quarter, effectively dousing the College of Saint Benilde Blazers’ scoring. Adamson outscored Benilde, 60-45, at the end of the third.

Blazers’ Paulo Taha and Ralph Deles combined for four points at the start of the final period, pulling their team within 11 points. Unfortunately, that was the nearest they would ever get as Nuyles and Jericho Cruz fired back-to-back triples, putting the score at 69-49.

Nuyles finished the game with 22 points, nine of which were from beyond the arc, three rebounds and two assists. A key in the Falcons’ defense, Jan Colina added 11 more points, a steal, a block and an assist.

Adamson relied on their fastbreak and transitions points especially in the third quarter, the turning point of the game, where they got 12 markers from fastbreaks alone. Their tight defense also forced Benilde to turn the ball over more often. The Blazers gave the Falcons 24 turnover points in contrast to the eight the later gave the former.

The win was the fifth consecutive for the Falcons who loss against the FEU Tamaraws last April 16 in their very first game in this year’s FilOil Flying V Hanes Preaseason Cup. They have two more games in the eliminations, one against the Mapuá Cardinals on May 21 and the other against the JRU Heavy Bombers on June 4.

The Blazers, on the other hand, has yet to win a game, falling to 0-4 in Group B rankings. They have four more games in the eliminations including one against the still undefeated FEU Tamaraws on May 20.

FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup week 3: Adamson steadily winning

2011-05-12T03:13:00.000-07:00

Adamson continue their winning streak this week they add two more wins in their slate. The Falcons run pass a disorganized San Juan de Letran Knights, 75-50, last May 4. Alex Nuyles came out of the game with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Eric Camson contributed 12 more markers before he was sent out because of his fouls, while Jan Colina produced 11 points, a steal and a block.

The field was almost even for both the Knights and the Falcons during the first quarter. Adamson ended the first 10 minutes of the game with only a two-point advantage. The game’s turning points was the second quarter as Camson led a 19-5 run, putting the San Marcelino dribblers ahead by an imposing 16 points before going into the second half.

The Falcons looked like they were going to take the win easily but the Knights finally woke up in the fourth quarter. Letran trimmed down Adamson’s 27-point advantage to 11 after they made a 15-4 run at the five-minute mark of the last canto. The Falcons, coming off from a Letran-called timeout, fired back with their own 12-0 rally, putting them ahead again by 28 points, a deficit which buried all of the Knights’ hope of winning and further sank them down, 1-3.

Adamson chalked in their third consecutive win after losing their first game against FEU at the start of this year’s preseason cup as they eluded a determined Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 57-54, last Saturday, May 7.

Lester Alvarez emerged as the hero for the Falcons after he sank in back-to-back baskets from the three point area during clutch time. His baskets gave the whole Adamson squad a comfortable five-point lead in the last two minutes of play. But Arellano wouldn’t just give up that easy. Consecutive baskets from Noube Happi and Claude Cubo shredded the San Marcelino five’s advantage to a single marker, 54-53.

A put back by Austin Manyara from a Janus Lozada miss added two more points to Adamson’s score. EAC, with only 7.6 seconds left, put Alvarez on the free throw line where he split his charities. Jan Jamon had a chance to salvage the match up for the Generals when he extracted a foul from Janus Lozada above the three-point arc. He, however, missed his first and his third free throw thus giving the game to Adamson.

The Falcons go up 4-1 in Group B play while EAC sank to 1-3.

FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup week 3: NU skidding down, Ateneo staying atop

2011-05-12T03:09:00.000-07:00

Although they started the week with a win, the National University Bulldogs’ winning streak is halted after they sustain two consecutive losses.

NU defeated the Lyceum of the Philippines Pirates, 77-70, last Monday, May 2. Glenn Khobuntin, who had been out for most of NU’s April games due to sore eyes, scored the most with 22 points on top of his six rebounds. Bobby Ray Parks’ scoring was off but he made up with five rebounds and team-high eight assists. With the loss, Lyceum fell to 0-3 in Group A play.

Even if main man Parks scored 34 points, the Bulldogs were still unable to hold themselves up to San Sebastian’s 2-3 zone causing them the whole game, 74-81, last May 4. The Stags successfully forced the Bulldogs to commit seven misses in the last three minutes of the third quarter. The boys from Recto then took this opportunity, rallying in 12 points to NU’s four which cut the lead to a single marker at the end of the third.

San Sebastian stuck to their strategy in the last 10 minutes of play. Calvin Abueva orchestrated a 13-0 run in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter putting the score 75-66. Parks finally broke the silence on the Bulldogs’ side as he successfully completed a three-point play. Michael Miranda added four more points to the Stags’ scoring board, putting his team ahead by 13 points. A triple by Cedric Labing-isa and a lay-up by Parks, however, cut San Sebastian’s advantage to eight with a little more than two minutes left of the fourth quarter.

With 42.9 seconds left on the clock, SSC-R got ball possession from a bad pass by Jul-Ashri Ignacio. Parks tried to salvage the game with a basket from rainbow country but his efforts were wasted as Jonathan Semira was put to the line for foul shots which he successfully completed, ending the game in favor of San Sebastian. The winning team goes up Group A play with a 2-1 card.

As if that was enough, Ateneo added one more line on NU’s losses.

Playing without Greg Slaughter who’s out due to fever, and coaches Norman Black and Jamike Jarin who are both out because of their assistant coaching duties for the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters, the Ateneo Blue Eagles had to relied on each member of the team to take home their 71-66 victory against the Bulldogs last Saturday, May 7. Three Blue Eagles scored in double digits at the end of the tiff. Justin Chua finished with 17 points, four rebounds and two blocks. Rookie Kiefer Ravena added 13 more markers alongside his seven assists while Emman Monfort went off the courts with 11 points.

The Eagles held Parks scoreless in the first quarter to take the lead, 17-13. In the third period however, the NU main man burst out with 11 points, leveling the game at 50-all. Glenn Khobuntin added to more points to give the Bulldogs a taste of the lead at 52-50. A 10-2 run led by Bacon Austria and Eman Monfort returned the lead to Ateneo with a little more than six minutes left in the game.

Both squads exchanged baskets in the fourth quarter. A long two-pointer by Gelo Alolino put the Bulldogs behind by only two points with less than 20 seconds left on the clock. NU used their fouls too late in the game and thus had no more time to score as both Nico Salva and Kirk Long sank in their all of their free throws.

The win is the fifth straight for Ateneo in this year’s FilOil preseason tournament. The Katipunan-based squad gored the Arellano Chiefs,70-53, earlier in the week. They remain on top of Group A play while National U goes down to 4-2.

FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup Week 3: UP Getting Back on Track

2011-05-12T03:06:00.000-07:00

After losing two straight games, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroon is back on track after defeating the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers, 80-71, last Saturday, May 6. The Maroons banked on their fastbreak points to take an early lead, 26-8 at the end of the first quarter. This, however, doesn’t mean that the game was an easy one for the Diliman-based dribblers as the Heavy Bombers. Raycon Kabigting spearheaded a 16-4 run for JRU at the start of the second period, pulling his team to within six, 30-24, before going into halftime.

The Maroons retaliated in the third quarter as they rallied in 10 straight points to none from JRU. Back-to-back triples from Mike Silungan and Mike Gamboa furthered the lead to nine a little more than two minutes left from the last canto. The Heavy Bombers had several chances to catch up but they missed half of the eight free throws given to them in the last minute of the game.

Silungan was again the highest scorer for the Maroons with his 22 points while Alinko Mbah produced a double-double of 13 markers and 12 rebounds. Prior to this game, JRU defeated the College of St. Benilde Blazers in overtime, 101-96, last Monday, May 2. Both UP and JRU evened out their win-loss record at 2-2 in Group B standings.

FEU still undefeated in Preseason Cup

2011-05-09T02:47:00.000-07:00

FEU continue their winning streak in week three of the 2011 FilOil Flying V Hanes Premier Preseason Cup as they added the Emilio Aguilnaldo College Generals and the University of the East Red Warriors to their list of victims.

Being undermanned didn’t get in the way of the Tamaraws after they easily get the win from the EAC Generals, 67-51, last May 2nd. FEU missed the services of brothers Mark and Arvie Bringas who were out sick, and big man Aldrech Ramos who sustained an ankle sprain in their game against the Mapua Institute of Technology Cardinals last April 29.

The Tams limited the Generals to a measly eight points in the first 10 minutes of play. EAC tried to stage a comeback in the third quarter, trimming down FEU’s lead to seven. This, however, is the nearest they would get in the whole match-up as he Morayta-based quintet answered them back with a six-point run.

Terrence Romeo finished the game with the most points for FEU at 14 followed by Cameroonian Pipo Noundou’s double-double, 11 markers and 10 rebounds. UAAP Season 70 rookie of the year JR Cawaling had the most assists for the team at six in addition to his 10 points.

If their match-up with the EAC Generals became an almost effortless affair for the Tamaraws, their game against the UE Red Warriors was its exact opposite.

FEU relied on its steady backcourt team to ward off a stubborn UE squad and win 80-77 last Saturday, May 7. The Warriors threatened to take the game away from the Tamaraws all-throughout the game. The opposing team was leading by two points going into the second period where the Green and Gold shirts scored 27 of their 80 points.

The Tams’ lead was cut down to a solitary point during the first five minutes of the final canto as UE’s Jay-ar Sumido and JM Noble joined forces for a 13-point run. Cawaling broke the silence on FEU’s side, putting in a triple from the corner of the court and giving his team a four-point advantage. A foul by Noundou, however, puts Erwin Duran on the free throw line, allowing UE to cut the lead by two. RR Garcia retaliated with a basket from beyond the arc, putting the score at 75-70 with 1:29 minutes left.

An error on the part of Mark Bringas gave the Recto-based quintet another two points after he accidentally tapped the ball into the opposing team’s basket. Adrian Santos quickly followed that up, putting back a Paul Zamar miss and further narrowing down FEU’s advantage, 75-74, with only 22 second left on the clock.

The last seconds of the match-up was won on the free throw line. UE, who already needed to foul, put two FEU players on the charity line. Garcia and Jens Knuttel both converted their gift shots.

Bringas came out of the game as the highest scorer with his 17 points and nine rebounds, while Garcia and Cawaling combined for nine assists and had 14 markers a piece. Ramos was still out due to his sprained ankle.

With the win, FEU now goes up to 5-0. They are the only team in Group B who hasn’t been defeated. The Tamaraws will have enough time to rest, practice and prepare as their next game will still be on May 14. They will be facing 86th National Colleges Collegiate Association second runners up, the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers. JRU currently sports a 2-2 card, winning over the College of St. Benilde and Collegio de San Juan de Letran, and losing to UE and UP.

FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup: Week 2 rundown (April 25, 27, 29 and 30)

2011-05-02T02:57:00.000-07:00

Significant movements in the team standings, with a number of teams moving up and down, are already visible in the team standings two weeks into the FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup. So far, UAAP teams emerge as leaders in both groups. NCAA teams are not to be left behind however as they continue to slug it out with other participating squads.

On the run
Three UAAP schools are leading the race in this year’s FilOil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup as Ateneo, FEU and National U all remain unbeaten.

Three-time UAAP champions Ateneo had a fairly easy time against the Lyceum of the Philippines’ as they win their tiff by 15 points, 92-77, last Wednesday, April 27. Smart Gilas mainstay Greg Slaughter led the Eagles with 17 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. The Eagles then went on to claim their third straight victory last Saturday, April 30, at the expense of the struggling UST Growling Tigers. Veteran Kirk Long scored the most, contributing 10 points to Ateneo’s 59-46 win.

The Bulldogs came out the winner of a defense-centered game versus the Arellano Chiefs last Friday, April 29. National U and Ateneo are sharing the lead for Group A with a 3-0 win-loss record. Bobby Ray Parks contributed 16 points, eight rebounds, three steals, three assists and a block to help NU’s cause. Arellano, on the other hand, remains winless after three outings.

Meanwhile, the Tamaraws had to get their third straight victory the hard way as they dispatched an indomitable Mapua quintet, 77-65, the same day as the NU-Arellano face-off. FEU loss their five point advantage in the first round and allowed the Cardinals to have the lead in the second and third quarters. UAAP Season 73 ROY Terrence Romeo with fellow sophomore Chris Exciminiano and rookie Cris Tolomia produced 15 of FEU’s 25 points in the last canto. They also played crucial roles to limit Mapua to only seven points in the last 10 minutes.

Pipo Noundou was the leading scorer for the Tams with 17 points, eight of which were from the final period, and 10 rebounds. Prior to their game versus the Cardinal, the Tamaraws won against the UP Fighting Maroons, 80-76, last April 25. Their most recent win gave FEU a 3-0 record to lead the teams in Group B.

Not to be left behind
Adamson, San Beda, and JRU don’t want to be left behind. All three teams, after succumbing to a loss, manage to get themselves back on the right track by winning their games this week.

The Falcons, who were defeated by the Tamaraws last April 16, logged in two wins this week. They prevailed over the University of the East Red Warriors, 70-61, last Wednesday, April 27. Allen Etrone emerged as the Falcons’ top scorer in the said match-up with 16 points, half of which were made during the fourth quarter. Adamson then won their second straight game last April 29 in the expense of the UP Fighting Maroons. Even if UP main man Mike Silungan scored 30 markers, the Falcons successfully limited their opponents to only 27 points to take home the win, 65-57. Adamson goes up to 2-1 while UP, still looking to follow-up their win over Letran last April 15, went down to 1-2.

San Beda is a big winner this week, literally, as they took advantage of new addition to the Premier Cup Lyceum of the Philippines Pirates last April 25. The Red Lions made it clear from the first quarter that they want to win the game after leading by 30 points. The Mendiola-based quintet was only a point away from the 100-mark, handling the Pirates a tournament-welcoming loss, 99-57. San Beda, who already loss against Ateneo and NU and won over Arellano, now sports a 2-2 win-loss record.

Meanwhile, the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers pulled off an escapist act after defeating a tough Letran quintet, 70-65, Saturday, April 30. Both teams came off from losses last April 15, JRU from UE while Letran from UP. Alex Almario was instrumental to the Bombers’ win as he produced 10 markers, four rebounds, six assists and three steals.

50-50 week for La Salle
The Archers split their matches this week after they winning over the Arellano Chiefs, 74-61, last April 25 then losing against the San Sebastian Stags, 81-88, last April 29. La Salle relied on Luigi de la Paz and Joseph Marata, who combined for 21 points, to clinch their first win in this year’s FilOil Flying V Preseason Cup. It was the twosome’s back-t-back triples during the last 4:40 minutes of play which gave the Taft-based quintet the upper hand in the said match-up.

De la Paz tried to do the same thing against the Stags in their game last Friday; however, lacking a support system, he failed to accomplish this goal. He got his team closer to their opponents a few times during the game, first when he orchestrated an 18-4 run with LA Revilla putting the score at 68-70 and second when he fired a triple in the dying minutes of the game giving San Sebastian only solitary point to breathe. The Stags, however, reorganized and answered back with a 6-0 run which finally closed out the match-up. That loss by La Salle was the first win for the Premier Cup defending champs San Sebastian.

A gain for Arellano, a loss for UE
UE just can’t seem to shake off the bad vibes from their loss against Adamson as they continue to skid down with another defeat from Arellano, 49-46, Saturday, April 30. The Warriors were limited to only two points in the fourth quarter. Claude Cubo was the only player in the field who scored in double digits, chipping in 11 points and 11 rebounds to the Chiefs’ scoreboard.

EAC goes up to 1-1, while UE goes down to 1-2 in the Group B standings.

Games are played in The Arena, San Juan City every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Below is the schedule for this week.

May 2 (Monday)
12:30 – EAC vs FEU
2:15 – NU vs Lyceum
4:00 – CSB vs JRU

May 4 (Wednesday)
12:30 – Arellano vs Ateneo
2:15 – Letran vs Adamson
4:00 – San Sebastian vs NU

May 6 (Friday)
12:30 – Letran vs CSB
2:15 – Lyceum vs Arellano
4:00 – UP vs JRU

May 7 (Saturday)
12:30 – EAC vs Adamson
2:15 – UE vs FEU
4:00 – Ateneo vs NU

FEU looking good on preseasons

2011-04-27T04:43:00.000-07:00

The summer seems to be a good season for the Far Eastern University as both its volleyball and basketball squads fare well in their respective preaseason tournaments. The Lady Tamaraws, winning for the first time in four outings in the 8th Shakey’s VLeague, booted out the Lady Stags three sets to one to clinch the last quarterfinals seat April 24, Sunday. The FEU quintet, on the other hand, chalked up their second straight victory in the FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup. The Tamaraws outlived a troublesome UP Fighting Maroons squad in OT, 80-76, last Monday, April 25.

Quarterfinals bound
The FEU Volleybelles limited the production of San Sebastian’s Thai import Jeng Bualee to neutralize their opponents overall offense. Kathlene Magsumbol, Mika Morada, Rachel Daquis, Rosemarie Vargas, and Wenneth Eulalio combined for 72 points to lead the Lady Tams to a 26-24, 28-26, 22-25, 25-13 victory. FEU’s win caused San Sebastian to miss out the medal rounds for the first time in 13 conferences.

The Lady Tams join other Group A qualifiers Ateneo, Southwestern University, and Lyceum of the Philippines. Group B, on the other hand, has University of Perpetual Help, University of St. La Salle – Bacolod, Adamson, and National U on its list of quarterfinalists.

The quarterfinals will be played on a single round format. Winners of the quarterfinals move on to a cross-over semi finals round. Games are played in The Arena, San Juan City.

Second straight
UAAP Season 73’s rookie of the year Terrence Romeo played hero after he sank in a triple 9.9 seconds left in regulation tying the game at 72 points apiece. Sophomore Mike Silungan tried to salvage the win for UP but missed a three-pointer 2.7 ticks more before the fourth quarter ended.

Romeo ended up with 17 points, six rebounds, five assists and a steal for the Tams while Silungan, who single-handedly produced the Maroons’ first points in the game, had 23 markers, two steals and two assists.

UP main men Silungan and Alinko Mbah missed out most of the extension period with the former suffering from cramps while the latter used up all his fouls. The Tamaraws capitalized on this, making an 8-0 run.

The said win is the second straight for FEU in the FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup. Prior to the Holy Week break, the Tamaraws defeated the Adamson Falcons, 66-61. They will be facing the Mapuá Institute Cardinals on Friday, April 29. Games are played in The Arena in San Juan City.

Quarter scores: 16-22, 39-30, 58-51, 72-72, 80-76
Individual scores: FEU 80 – Romeo 17, Cawaling 15, Garcia 15, Ramos 10, Tolomia 8. Noundou 5, Sentcheu 4, Bringas 2, Knuttel 2, Cruz 2, Escoto 0

UP 76 – Silungan 23, Gamboa 11, Mbah 11, Juruena 7, Wong 7, Romero 6, Maniego 3, Weirzba 3, Manuel 3, Fortu 2, Gingerich 0, Montecastro 0, Ball 0, Evangelista 0, Gomez 0

Summer College Basketball Showdown: 2011 FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup

2011-04-18T02:23:00.000-07:00

Summer is always a fun, fun season. With almost 90% of the student population on summer vacation, how can it not be. But, while most of us are out in the sun for some summer fun, our college hoopsters are busy slugging it out in the hard court.

The 2011 FilOil Flying V Preseason Premier Cup started two Saturdays and so far, things seem to be going as expected. I mean, with Kiefer Ravena and Greg Slaughter adding fire power to Ateneo’s line-up and Ray-Ray Parks stabilizing the NU Bulldogs. These guys are just three of the many other new names people will read and hear more often about in the world of college basketball as 17 different schools put up new team line-ups which they could very possibly also utilize in their own respective leagues.

Ateneo won over NCAA defending champs San Beda, 90-87, while De La Salle suffered was handed an upset by an undermanned UST squad, 79-70, to kickstart the FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup last April 9 at the San Juan Arena. The Red Lions got their act back together come second day of the tournament, April 13, as they bested the Arellano Chiefs, 88-74. It was the other way around for the Tigers, however, after the NU Bulldogs took home an eight-point win, 60-52. Letran relied on playmaker Kevin Alas to take their first win in the tournament at the expense of the Arellano Chiefs, 56-52.

Other participating teams also chalk in their fist wins in the third and fourth days of the FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Cup. Mapua powered pass the College of St. Benilde, 82-75, while UE barely escaped JRU, 79-78, last April 15. UP is looking hopeful as they record a come-from-behind win over the Letran Knights, 65-63, that same day.

The UST Tigers clinch their second win the hard way as they go through not only one but two extension periods against San Sebastian. They win, 104-102. Meanwhile, Far Eastern relied on their veterans to suppress a resurgent Adamson squad, 66-61. NU closed off the April 16 games with a win over San Beda, 83-80.

This year’s 17 participating teams are divided into two groups. Teams from the same group go up against one another in a round-robin format, with the top four of each group moving on to the crossover quaterfinals. The winning teams from the quarterfinals then move on to the semis and, finally, to the championship round. All games will be played at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.

Here is the schedule of games after the Holy Week:
April 25 (Monday)
1:45 – UP vs FEU
3:30 – San Beda vs Lyceum
5:15 Arellano vs DLSU

April 27 (Wednesday)
12:30 – Adamson vs UE
2:15 – Lyceum vs Ateneo
4:00 – DLSU vs San Sebastian

April 29 (Friday)
12:30 – Arellano vs NU
2:15 – Adamson vs UP
4:00 – FEU vs Mapua

April 30 (Saturday)
11:45 – UE vs EAC
1:30 – JRU vs Letran
3:15 – Ateneo vs UST

May 2 (Monday)
12:30 – EAC vs FEU
2:15 – NU vs Lyceum
4:00 – CSB vs JRU

May 4 (Wednesday)
12:30 – Arellano vs Ateneo
2:15 – Letran vs Adamson
4:00 – San Sebastian vs NU

May 6 (Friday)
12:30 – Letran vs CSB
2:15 – Lyceum vs Arellano
4:00 – UP vs JRU

May 7 (Saturday)
12:30 – EAC vs Adamson
2:15 – UE vs FEU
4:00 – Ateneo vs NU

May 11 (Wednesday)
2:15 – CSB vs Adamson
4:00 – San Sebastian vs Ateneo

May 13 (Friday)
2:15 – EAC vs UP
4:00 – Mapua vs Letran

May 14 (Saturday)
12:30 – UE vs CSB
2:15 – Lyceum vs San Sebastian
4:00 – FEU vs JRU

May 18 (Wednesday)
12:30 – JRU vs Mapua
2:15 – CSB vs EAC
4:00 – UE vs Letran

May 20 (Friday)
12:30 – JRU vs EAC
2:15 – CSB vs FEU
4:00 – Arellano vs San Sebastian

May 21 (Saturday)
12:30 – UST vs Lyceum
2:15 – UP vs UE
4:00 – Adamson vs Mapua

May 25 (Wednesday)
1:30 – Mapua vs UE
3:15 – DLSU vs NU

May 27 (Friday)
1:30 – UP vs CSB
3:15 – Arellano vs UST

May 28 (Saturday)
12:30 – Mapua vs EAC
2:15 – FEU vs Letran
4:00 – San Beda vs DLSU

June 1 (Wednesday)
12:30 – UP vs Mapua
2:15 – Lyceum vs DLSU
4:00 – San Sebastian vs San Beda

June 4 (Saturday)
12:00 – JRU vs Adamson
2:00 – San Beda vs UST (will be broadcasted live over Studio 23)
4:00 – Ateneo vs DLSU (will be broadcasted live over Studio 23)

June 6 (Monday)
11:00 – A2 vs B3
2:00 – A1 vs B4 (will be broadcasted live over Studio 23)
4:00 – B1 vs A4 (will be broadcasted live over Studio 23)
6:00 – B2 vs A3

June 8 (Wednesday)
2:00 – A1/B4 vs B2/A3 (will be broadcasted live over Studio 23)
4:00 – B1/A4 vs A2/B3 (will be broadcasted live over Studio 23)

June 12 (Sunday)
4:00 – FINALS (will be broadcasted live over Studio 23)

***
Preseason tournaments such as the FilOil flying V Cup is a good avenue to check out (and start speculating) about the future of the participating schools once they’re all playing in their own leagues (UAAP and NCAA for almost all of the teams). Though, for me, it’s not really that enough of a gauge to measure up how each team will perform once college b-ball season start since there are players in some schools’ line-up who are playing in preseason tournaments like this but are not yet allowed in their mother league (probably due to residency requirements or some other thing) but, nevertheless, it is a very good teaser YES.

People see new players make their debut in these preseason competitions. I already mentioned Slaughter and Ravena for Ateneo, and Parks for NU. Slaughter, of course, is the 7-foot center of Smart Gilas. He’s a transferee from the University of Visayas. Ravena, dubbed as “The Phenom” because of his phenomenal performance while he was in the RP Under 18 team, now crosses over to the Seniors’ ranks this year. He was also UAAP Season 73’s Juniors MVP.

NOW, Ray-Ray Parks.

I’m just confused as to where he really is going but, with him already donning the NU jersey, I think we sort of know where, at least, for now. He was supposedly flying over to the States to play for Georgia Tech. He had given them his verbal and written confirmation according to the US NCAA website and other reports. What agreements went down between him and the NU management, I don’t know. Well, he’s already playing for the Bulldogs (and he is playing great) so I guess, let’s just wait and see. That sort of sounded like a telenovela’s preview to its next episode. Whatever.

From the Tamaraws’ side, FEU-FERN standouts Russel Escoto and Christian Tolomia make their debuts, while Christian Sentcheu and Arvie Bringas, finally completing their residency requirements, officially join the Green and Gold squad. Both Escoto and Tolomia were, like Ateneo’s Ravena, former members of the RP Under 18 team. The older Bringas, Arvie, played one season (Season 72) under La Salle. He follows younger brother Mark, who already started playing for the Tams last year. I’m sorry, I don’t know much about Sentchue, all I know is that he is also from Cameroon, same place were Pipo Noundou came from. We will all get to know him more for sure in the coming months.

Kevin Ferrer also steps up to the Seniors’ ranks for the UST Tigers. UST will also have import Karim Abdul playing on their side. The other teams have their own new recruits as well but, as of the moment, I don’t have much information yet about them. I’ll get there soon and I will surely post something about them too one of these days.

Let’s talk COACHES now…

Usually, changes are on team line-ups, with players graduating or moving to another team (rare, for the UAAP at least). This year, however, college basketball fans will be seeing new coaches sitting at the helm of some teams as well, and there seem to be some kind of trend --- former players returning to their respective alma maters to coach.

Robert Flores is again the head coach for FEU after being a team consultant for nearly five years. Flores already has a championship under his belt as a coach. He replaced Koy Banal and was at the coaching helm when the Tamaraws won the Season 68 UAAP title in the year 2005. Glen Capacio took over coaching duties for the Tams in 2007. He resigned late last year after a dramatic season for FEU. Richie Ticzon was given the position temporarily, coaching the Tams through their 2010 UNIGames and Philippine Collegiate Champions League stint.

I guess, some people were not happy with Ticzon, plus FEU management did say that they will still try out their options for the position Capacio vacated. Lo and behold, Coach Bert’s back. I’m actually happier FEU chose him. I will reserve my own head coach suggestion for the time when my alma mater needs it again, you know, just in case. Clue, he’s also from FEU. There, enough said.

Ricky Dandan takes over the head coach position for the UP Fighting Maroons, succeeding Boyet Fernandez who succeeded Aboy Castro. This, finally after the UP College of Human Kinetics and UP Alumni Association wrestled over the control of the whole squad. Dandan, a former Maroon himself, will try to resuscitate the UP basketball program. The Maroons had only won 10 games in the last five seasons.

A member of the 1984 and 1985 UE champion team, Jerry Cordiñera, returns to the Red and White and takes over Lawrence Chongson’s position as head coach of the Warriors. Chongson handled the UE team for two consecutive seasons and almost won the UAAP title in 2009. UE decided to not renew Chongson’s contract after different groups and departments in the said university petitioned that they want an alumnus to coach their team. Prior to being named UE head coach, Cordiñera was an assistant coach for the UP Fighting Maroons.

SO…

It looks like an exciting preseason for all of us to watch. Of course, I am praying for my squad but I’m a basketball fan and I’d actually greatly appreciate any good game given by any of these good teams.

SB 2741: A Debt to the Filipino Athlete

2011-04-11T03:13:00.000-07:00

Top photo: 1964 Olympic Silver Medalist Anthony Villanueva
Bottom photo: 1988 Olympic Bronze Medalist Leopoldo Serrantes

A few months ago, I remember watching ABS-CBN’s Krusada episode about Olympic boxers Anthony Villanueva and Leopoldo Serrantes. I am not that big of a boxing fan but the name Anthony Villanueva sounded familiar to me so I turned on my computer, rummaged through my old files, and sure enough his name appeared on old scanned copies of FEU Advocate. Villanueva spent his college days and played for FEU.

Villanueva gave the Philippines its first silver medal in the 1964 Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. Serrantes, on the other hand, won a bronze medal in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Now, both boxers are suffering from sickness and are living in obvious poverty. Villanueva endured several strokes which left part of his body paralyzed while Serrantes is struggling to survive each day, when he should be getting more from our government after serving in the army.

Even though they lack the monetary (and sometimes, moral) support they need, these people go out into their respective playing fields proudly wearing the Philippine colors. They do their best, they win us titles. They put the Philippines up there on top with all the other countries, proving that the Filipino race can also produce world class talents.

But what happens after the awarding ceremonies? The hero’s welcome? Where do they go after the spotlight has been taken away from them?

Answer, well, most of the time, they are forgotten. They fade into the background. Sometimes, the names of these athletes are mentioned once in a while by journalists just to give their articles a little historical background. But, do we really care about what happens to our athletes after they win?

It is such a sad reality that while these athletes spend a good part of their lives bringing recognition to our country, we remain apathetic to their needs.

But, somehow, there’s a glimmer of hope.

Just last week, Wednesday, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago filed a bill which, if passed into law, will give Filipino athletes who have won international titles benefits when they retire. This is a good move following the amendments that Sarangani Representative, and boxing champ, Manny Pacquiao made to Republic Act 9064 otherwise known as the Sports Incentives Law earlier this year.

I have read the proposed law and I must say that it’s a good one. I mean, it covers a professional athlete’s retirement, health care and death provided that they won an international competition. That, plus the strong explanatory note of the bill which says “This bill shall give more than lip service to the lives that our athletes have dedicated for our nation. It will also serve to encourage our citizens to engage in competitive sports, giving a much-needed push to the Philippine Olympic effort.”

Senate Bill 2741, or the Professional Filipino Athletes Retirement, Health Care and Death Benefits Act of 2011, seeks to provide professional Filipino athletes who have won in international sports competitions retirement benefits when they reach the age of 50. Athletes who have participated in individual events will be receiving a lifetime monthly pension of at least P15,000 while those who have participated in team events will be receiving a monthly pension of at least P10,000.

The bill also aims to provide our professional athletes with health care benefits immediately upon winning in any international tournaments or competitions. These insurance benefits will be covered by the National Health Insurance Program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). Athletes who have reached the retirement age shall be an honorary member of the said program. In the event that the cost of hospitalization exceeds PhilHealth benefits, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) through its Individual Medical Assistance Program (IMAP) will shoulder the expenses.

The primary beneficiaries of a professional Filipino athlete will be entitled to a lump sum death benefit of P30,000 upon their death.

The benefits which SB 2741 accords are the least that we could give our professional athletes after they have dedicated their lives to giving our dear country recognition in the field of sports. I am personally happy with everything that’s happening. Slowly, we are being made more and more aware about the plight of our athletes, about the lack of support, the lack of budget, equipment and other materials which have hindered the development of sports in this country.

Nowadays, we hear news of our teams/athletes winning international tournaments left and right. Just recently, the Azkals qualified for the 2012 Asian Football Challenge Cup after beating Bangladesh and getting a draw from Palestine and Qatar. Smart Gilas placed second in the Dubai Invitational last January. Of course, Pacquaio’s name is a mainstay in sports pages both inside and outside the country.

But, the Philippines is not just about football, or basketball, or boxing. We have so much talent here which, if given the right training and a good amount of exposure both locally and internationally, could reach the ranks of boxing champs Gabriel “Flash” Elorde and Pacquiao, or Asia’s fastest woman Lydia de Vega or Elma Muros-Posadas, or chess grand master Eugene Torre. The list is almost endless.

Yes, we are happy whenever they win but let us not forget them after they win. Let’s prove to the world the us, Filipino people don’t have a short-term memory loss. Let’s continue to honor our athletes even after they win. It is what’s right. It is what they rightfully deserve.

May the president and the other government officials who will look over this bill for its approval have this in mind.

***
You can also read or download a copy of SB 2741 from this link:
http://www.senate.gov.ph/lis/bill_res.aspx?congress=15&q=SBN-2741

Codiñera is new UE coach | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

2011-01-12T01:37:00.000-08:00

Codiñera is new UE coach | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

A Look Back at Game Two

2010-10-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

I guess we all just got to wait another year.

The elusive UAAP Men’s Basketball title once again escaped us. For a while, everyone thought that FEU will be the one celebrating after the basketball tiff ends. Apparently, not; we were so close to it, what happened?

Well, a lot of things actually.

The Tamaraws led throughout the eliminations round with a 12-2 record. The team lost against the Adamson Soaring Falcons and the De La Salle Green Archers both in the second round. Ateneo, on the other hand, closed the eliminations with a 10-4 record. They were defeated twice by FEU, and once by La Salle and UE.

If the Tamaraws beat the Eagles twice in the eliminations, how come they didn’t win the championship?

A good elimination round finish does not guarantee any team a title. Once you step into the Finals, it’s a different game all together. The intensity of the Finals is higher than that of the eliminations. I don’t know how else to emphasize that point.

Simply put, Ateneo peaked at the right time. They were, I think, at third after the first round. Adamson was even a notch higher than the eventual champs. Come second round, the Eagles steadily climbed up the team rankings.

Yes, FEU may have defeated Ateneo twice in the eliminations. However, both wins were deadly close. In the first round, the Tams won over the Eagles by just three points, 72-69 and then by two points, 74-72, in their second round match-up. It could have gone the other way. As Sid Soler put it in his column, the Tamaraws’ 12-2 record could have easily turned to 10-4 if the Eagles won those two games.

Now, let’s go to the Finals.

Game One is a different story. The team that played that match-up wasn’t my team. They were not themselves that day. To cut the guys some slack, the pressure to win is undeniable; game jitters may have gotten them. I did not, however, feel the desire to want to come back in the game from the team. All I saw were shots made out of desperation; a lousy, messed up (sorry for the words) squad.

Game Two was, of course, heartbreaking. Just like the wins we had over Ateneo in the eliminations, it could have gone the other way. FEU actually had better numbers (shooting percentage) compared to Ateneo in that match-up.

3 pt FG 2 pt FG Total FG
FEU 5/19 (26.3%) 18/40 (45%) 39%
ADMU 3/18 (16.7%) 16/40 (40%) 32.8%

Here’s what us.

Free throws Steals Fastbreak (attempts/made) Turnovers Turnover points
FEU 11/21 (52.4%) 2 4/2 17 3
ADMU 24/36 (66.7%) 6 5/8 5 10

No regrets though. I love the way the whole team played. You can feel that they wanted to win just as much as Ateneo wanted a three-peat. We were just too aggressive I guess. Factor in the fact that this is FEU’s first Finals appearance in five years. No one, not even the veteran core group of Reil Cervantes, JR Cawaling, Jens Knuttel, Paul Sanga and Alrdrech Ramos, had experienced playing in the UAAP Finals. Our opponents had been in the exact same place three years in a row.

We may have lost but we did not go down without a fight. At least we already have the experience. Overall, Season 73’s still a good one for FEU (although it could’ve been better). The progress is going up. If you can recall, the whole team was ‘disbanded’ in 2006 after failing to reach the Final Four. In 2007, we played with 10 rookies and a new head coach. There were no Final Four that season because UE swept the elims and went straight into the Finals. FEU settled for fifth that year. We were at third place in 2008 and 2009.

What’s next? Still a lot of things.

We still have a chance next year. Paul Sanga is the only member of the team expected to leave. I think Christian Sentheu, Cris Tolomia and Russel Escoto, all of whom were from the RP Youth team, will be gearing up come Season 74.

NU, DLSU and especially Ateneo all remain strong. Ateneo will have the services of Greg Slaughter. Slaughter is also a member of the Smart Gilas-RP team. I’m not yet sure about UAAP Junior’s MVP Kiefer Ravena. I doubt he’ll play for another UAAP team. Ateneo does not scout players, they breed them.

We will definitely have a new head coach next season. Coach Glen Capacio resigned a week after the Tamaraws lost the title. While I’m not exactly a fan of his coaching, I respect the man. I mean during the four years that he held the helm for FEU, the squad did not fail to appear in the Final Four. I am one with the many people hoping for the best for him. He is a talented coach and I’m sure there’ll be more and better opportunities laid out for him.

The 15th University Games will be opening later today. Coach Ritchie Ticzon will be doing the coaching chores for the Tams. Management said that he is still not the new head coach and that the U-Games stint will sort of be like a trial period for him. Let’s just see how it turns out. Ticzon was one of Capacio’s assistant coaches.
Here’s me hoping for the best for my beloved FEU. Season 73 ain’t over yet. We still have the second semester events coming up. We’re doing great in the overall medal tally so let’s continue supporting all our teams.

FEU at third in UAAP total tally after first semester

2010-10-22T03:06:00.000-07:00

Even if it did not join all the events, the Far Eastern University still closes the first half of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ 73rd season at third place. FEU garnered a total of 111 points after participating in only 11 events, and is currently tied with the University of the Philippines.

The Tamaraws took home the women’s badminton, men’s beach volleyball and women’s table tennis titles. FEU also had a number of runner-up finishes in other events including men’s and women’s basketball.

The University of Santo Tomas remains unchallenged in the top spot with 154 points, while this year’s host De La Salle is at second with 141.

The UAAP awards 15 points for every title won, 12 for every runner-up finish, and 10 for third place finishes. Each school’s points are tallied at the end of the season to determine the league’s overall champion.

Below are the points garnered by each school:

U-Games to open this Sunday

2010-10-21T04:19:00.000-07:00

50 of the best collegiate teams from all over the archipelago will once again meet as they vie for supremacy in the 15th University Games which starts this coming Sunday, October 24. Siliman University will be handling the hosting chores this year.

Athletes will be competing in 13 events including volleyball, football, badminton, chess and table tennis. Both Far Eastern University Tamaraws and Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles, recent protagonists in the UAAP Season 73 Men's Basketball championship, are expected to take the limelight in the same event.

The San Beda Red Lions, National University Bulldogs, University of the East Red Warriors and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons are among the other teams participating in this year's UniGames.

Pressured Tams loses Game 1

2010-09-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

The pressure to win seemed to have taken over.

The Far Eastern U Tamaraws will have to work double-time to keep their title bid alive after losing big against defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles, 49-72, last Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Losing Pace
The Tams started out weakly as they’ve let the Eagles take an early lead, 2-6, only four minutes into the first quarter. The squad’s flat opening persisted until the end of the second period.

FEU tried to trim down the deficit in the third canto. Ateneo, however, would answer back with baskets of their own whenever the team was able to score. The closest the Tamaraws got to the Eagles was by 17 points.

Desperation further got the better of the Morayta-base dribblers who are looking for their first championship title in five years. By the end of the final quarter, the gap had already ballooned to 23 points creating the lowest score any team produced in the Finals since 2003.

FEU will have to win Game 2 come this Thursday to be able to forge another do-or-die duel for the title.

Back to the drawing board
The Tamaraws would have to re-think a lot of things again after the heartbreaking loss. Ateneo totally dominated Game 1 and it is pretty much demonstrated by their statistics.

The Tams’ offense was really off that day as they only shot 27.5 percent, or 17 out of 63 attempts. The Eagles, on the other hand, was 47.8 percent from the field. The opposing team greatly relied on their two-pointers. Ateneo was 60 percent from the said area. They got 54 points from their two-pointers alone. FEU, in comparison, was only 27.1 percent from the same area. We’ve missed 35 of our 4 attempts from the two-point field.

Rebounding is another factor missing from the Tamaraws’ game last Saturday. Although the Morayta-based outfit had more offensive boards, they were still out-rebounded by their opponents. The team only had 40 rebounds compared to the opposing team’s 46. This is a big plunge if you’re going to compare it to the 64 they got in that semis game against La Salle.

Defense definitely needs to be improved. During the game, FEU’s focus was totally on offense. That part is understandable, being down by a huge margin. This, however, opened and gave Ateneo space to take shots. The Tams went wherever the ball was thus leaving the man they’re guarding alone.

We would also need other guys to take care of the other essentials. FEU only had three blocks, three steals and 15 assists, while Ateneo had six blocks, three steals and 18 assists. I’ve noticed that there’s no one manning the area under the basket to block the Eagles’ shots.

We probably have the tallest line-up in the league today. If there’s one thing we can definitely do good at that’s blocking. FEU makes an average of four to five blocks every game. We have the season’s best shotblocker in Aldrech Ramos. Ateneo doesn’t have a legit center and this is something we can take advantage of in the second game of the Finals.

The Eagles are the best fast break team this season. They were able to exact 15 points from their 10 fast break attempts. FEU, on the other hand, wasn’t able to complete any of their three attempts. If we could only limit the opposing team’s steals, we would be able to also lessen their fast break attempts. Better ball handling would do us a very big favor in this area.

We would do better if we can limit our turnovers although our number’s almost the same as the Eagles’. From our 14 turnovers, Ateneo got 16 points. Compare that from the seven points we got from their 13. If I’m not mistaken, the Eagles also turn the ball over a lot of times. I hope we can use that to our advantage.

FEU and Ateneo are both offensive-oriented teams. FEU’s strength is their three-point shooting. Ateneo is more of a two-point team. Since both squads can go head-to-head in terms of scoring, the Tams would need to start strong and finish strong to win the next games.

The first quarter was what really got us last game. The Tamaraws scored only eight in the first, 13 in the second, 17 in the third, and 11 in the fourth. The other team produced 26 big points in the opening period, 16 in the second, 18 in the third, and 12 in the last. We could’ve won the game if only we had a good start. We badly need consistency.

Pressure, support and school pride
Even with more veterans in the line-up, this is still FEU’s first Finals appearance in five long years so pressure definitely is a factor. Our opponents have been in the same situation three consecutive years. They know all about the pressure and they know how to make it work for them. Ateneo surely has the psychological edge in this Finals match-up.

I still believe in this team. We have the talent; I know we also have the heart to win. We’re hungrier for the title compared to our opponents.

I guess Saturday was just not FEU’s day. The Lady Tamaraws also got defeated by the Lady Falcons in the first game of the Finals in the Women’s division. The Finals will always be the Finals. It’s a different level all together. It is always more intense.

The good thing about the Tams is that they know how to bounce back. No one has ever defeated them twice this season. La Salle tried to but was unsuccessful. Come Game 2 they’ll once again prove they’re champion material.
To be quite honest, I was disappointed and frustrated with the loss myself. The idea of losing by 23 points never even came near my imagination. Believe me, until now it hasn’t fully sunk in. I’m convinced that the team I’ve watched last Saturday wasn’t FEU at all. But then again, just like the rest, I have to move on and accept it.

What frustrated me more, however, was seeing a great percentage of the FEU crowd leave before the game ended. They didn’t even stay to sing our school hymn. It’s a very discouraging sight.

Are we just supposed to support our teams if they’re winning? No, win or lose we should show our support and our pride for our school. It took a lot of hard work before the Tamaraws reached this level. Being in the Finals is already an achievement in itself.

We’re only a few more steps away from the crown. This is our time, our year; let’s claim it.

Tams destroy Archers in OT, book Finals ticket

2010-09-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

FEU IS BACK!

After five long years, the Far Eastern U Tamaraws finally score a ticket to the Finals after prevailing over hosts De La Salle, 69-59, in an overtime match-up last Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum. The Tamaraws will be facing the winner of the Ateneo-Adamson game in a best-of-three title series.

Sending out a Loud Message

The Tamaraws started the game strongly. Point guard duo RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo combined for six points in the first three minutes of play. The Tams finished the opening period with an eight-point lead, 20-12.

Things, however, began to turn a bit sour for the Green and Gold in the second quarter as the whole team was hounded by fouls. Head Coach Glen Capacio was given a technical for stepping inside the court near the sixth minute. Then, around the four-minute mark, a near-brawl incident involving JR Cawaling and Simon Atkins momentarily stopped the match. After reviewing, officials gave Cawaling two fouls, an unsportsmanlike for trying to stop a player from the other team during a fastbreak and a technical for trash talking, throwing him out of the game. The other guy, Atkins, was also given a technical. Distracted, FEU only scored six points in the said quarter compared to the Archers’ 20.

After being down by six in the first half, the Morayta-based outfit slowly but steadily crawled back to life in the last 20 minutes of regulation. They came as close as 40-41 in the third canto after Gryann Mendoza successfully made a two-point basket a minute and 54 on the clock. The biggest shot, however, belonged to Paul Sanga as he buried a triple with 30.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter putting the match into overtime at 55-all.

The Tams’ maturity and experience came out in the five-minute extension. They were able to force La Salle to commit very costly errors especially in the last two minutes. FEU capitalized on the opposing team’s fouls shooting five out of eight from the free throw line. Pipo Noundou made a statement as he closed down the semis contest with a classic dunk which marked the Tamaraws’ return to the UAAP Finals.

A Coach’s View

Looking jubilant after their win, fourth year head coach Glenn Capacio stated that he is proud of his team and the way they handled the Archers’ pressure. He, however, feels the opposite way towards the game officials, “Medyo hindi ako happy sa officiating pero di ko na lang ipinakita sa mga bata.” Capacio, who is also a former FEU standout himself, had already led the Tamaraws to three Final Four appearances. This is the first time he will be going to the Finals of the UAAP as a coach.

The Tams are just awaiting the results of the other F4 match-up. The first game of the Finals will be on September 25, a Saturday. Asked whether he has a preference between Ateneo and Adamson, Capacio said he has none. Instead he pointed out what they would need to do, which is to improve their defense and further strengthen their offense. “Parehong disciplined team ‘to, so dapat kami disciplined din,” the coach said.

FEU played without forward JR Cawaling after the second quarter due to his fouls. “Ginawa n’ya yun kaya kailangang panindigan n’ya,” Capacio stated. The coach furthermore added that all of them are just abiding UAAP rules. Commissioner Ato Baldonato, however, cleared last Friday that Cawaling’s fouls “does not merit a suspension,” thus the Smart Gilas-RP team member will still suit up for the Tams for the Finals’ game one.

Rookie of the Year awardee Terrence Romeo, who has been instrumental to FEU’s last two wins, is one of the expected guys to standout. “Lalong gagaling pa yung bata,” the coach said about the former Baby Tam. Romeo contributed 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and steals, and a block to the Tamaraws’ total output in their semi-finals win.

FEU is looking forward to end its five-year title drought this Season 73. The last time the Tams won the championship was in 2005 with an Arwind Santos-led team. If ever they win this season, the plum will be FEU’s 20th Men’s Basketball title.

Better officiating please

Vengeance tastes so good.

I won’t deny it; beating the team who gave us that 14-point defeat feels so good. But I also do not deny that for a fraction of a second there I thought we would lose again. It was a good game though; props to the Archers too for giving us quality college ball.

I was exchanging text messages with a friend, who was also watching live from Araneta, during the game. She said she does not want a repeat of last year’s F4 experience but that she still believes we can win. I texted back saying I also want to end the semis now and that I believe we will win.

There’s a big difference between the two modals.

Can, for me, means that there’s just a possibility that the desired outcome will happen. Will, on the other hand, means (well) the desired outcome WILL HAPPEN no matter what.

Borrowing a line from my former sports editor, our semi-finals win showed that we can win against adversity.

I share Coach Glen’s sentiments. Officiating was so bad during the game. In the first quarter alone, FEU had seven fouls as compared to DLSU’s two. I’m not saying that our team did not make any errors; they had a lot, however, the bad calls by the referees furthermore added to that. How can you call that a charge when the defender is not even in position?! It was not five against five; it was five against three – our players against the referees. What did I say about getting someone to officiate the officials?! I am praying that the Finals will be played honestly.

I think Coach Glen and the whole team knows what they need to do, the things they need to work on. Defense, as usual, must be improved and turnovers. During the last game, FEU had 20 turnovers; from these La Salle got 11 points. Of course, our team got more turnover points at 20 but the Finals will always be the FINALS, and it’s a different level all together.

One thing we’re very good at – scoring. The Tams were 17.95 percent, or seven out of 39, from the perimeter, while the Archers were only at 13.95, or six out of 43. That’s a pretty good number; however, taking higher percentage shots is better.

Almost everyone knows that the Tamaraws’ is a team of scorers but someone, or some individuals would also need to perform other tasks. FEU averaged 3.71 steals after the eliminations, while La Salle averaged 5.43. During the game, we had eight compared to the opposing team’s three.

Another thing we did right in our semis match – rebounding. The Tams averaged 39.14 rebounds (13.43 offensive rebounds) in the eliminations, while the Archers averaged 41.64 (16 offensive rebounds). Our squad totally out-rebounded their opponents. We had 64, 25 of which are offensive, while the other team only had 46, 12 offensive ones. From the 25 offensive caroms, we were able to produce 15 second chance points, while DLSU only had 10.

Now, I’m predicting Ateneo to win the game later. Though Adamson is a great defensive team, they don’t have a consistent shooter. This would cause them the semis since the Eagles can defend and shoot 18-footers as well. Plus, they have the advantage of having Eric Salamat, the league’s best in steals. He is one of the reasons why Ateneo is the best fastbreak team this Season 73.

***
That game gave my heart a real workout. It was nice to see Araneta with more yellow (since the team wore their light-colored uniform) than green. It was also a very pleasing experience talking and exchanging high-fives with people who I don’t know, FEU graduates from more than 10 years back.

We’re just a few steps away to the 20th title, so hang on. Let’s continue supporting ALL our teams. Let’s all show our TAMARAW PRIDE!

Jens Knuttel: Crossing Over

2010-09-17T05:21:00.000-07:00

I was going through my old school stuff trying to look for an old COR (Certificate of Enrollment) since I needed to know what my FEU email is. I mostly keep them in between the pages of my notebooks and books. Aside from finding my lost CORs, I found other things – old articles and other write-ups.

This one in particular was written in 2007, my last year in FEU-IN. That year we had a new coach and 10 rookies in our roster following FEU's dismaying performance, which led to the reformation of the whole squad, in Season 69.

I was able to unearth Jens Knuttel's and Paul Sanga's profile articles. I can't find the other ones since they're most probably typed straight into my laptop, which crashed early last month. Since it's Jens' birthday today, I'm publishing this profile article about him. He is already in his fourth year of playing for the Tamaraws and is the current team captain. Of course, many changes occurred so pardon me for that. Anyway, here’s the article.

***
Jens Knuttel: Crossing Over

Fresh from the FEU –FERN College in Diliman, Jens Dieter Knuttel is all set and ready to take on bigger responsibilities as he joins the Seniors’ league this UAAP Season 70. The feisty 5-foot-10 point guard is best known for his big contributions in the Baby Tamaraws fourth and second place finishes in 2005 and 2006.

Before he donned the Green and Gold jersey, Jens studied and played for Ateneo de Zamboanga’s high school program. He was then recruited to be part of FEU’s recently-revived Baby Tamaraws squad in his third year there. To fulfill UAAP’s residency requirement, he had to sit out one year to repeat his junior year in FEU-FERN. He says it’s all worth it though.

Indeed, the decision to go to Manila was worth it for the Zamboangueño point guard s he became the first Baby Tam to join the seniors’ ranks after seventeen years. Ateneo de manila offered him a slot in their team but he declined it thinking he will just be relegated to team B. “Dito na yung puso ko (sa FEU),” Jens explained further.

Fondly called Bunsoy by his team mates, Jens Knuttel is the youngest member of the new FEU Tamaraws team at 17. Even with his youth, the former FERN standout is quite willful and determined. “Kayang-kaya kong i-lead yung team kahit na sabihin pa nilang 17 years old lang ako,” he expressed.

Jens is confident that FEU can still make it to the top even with 10 rookies in its roster. “Goal naming mag-champion. Nasa team work lang naman yan,” he said. Well aware of his role in the team, expect this crafty point guard to take the driver’s seat for the Tams especially during crucial minutes.”

Other things you may not know about him:
• He used to swim. His friends were actually the ones who convinced him to try basketball out.
• He was MVP for Milo Passarelle.
• Aside from the Baby Tams, San Beda also tried to recruit him for their high school team.

FEU cagers bag top individual awards

2010-09-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

Sophomore sensation RR Garcia’s efforts were not wasted as he is hailed as UAAP Season 73’s Most Valuable Player. Garcia, who has been a key player in almost all of FEU’s games, garnered a total of 59.2 statistical points. He is the league’s top scorer with 16.8 points. The cunning 5-foot-10 guard also recorded an average of 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steal.

A native of Zamboanga City, Garcia edged National U’s Emmanuel Mbe by only 0.2 points. Mbe produced an average of 13.4 points, 11.7 boards and 1.2 blocks for a total of 59 statistical points.

Garcia follows the footsteps of another Tamaraw ace guard, Johnny Abarrientos, who took home the MVP plum in 1991. He is also the only player in the league who was named UAAP Player of the Week four times.

Terrence Romeo, on the other hand, bags the Rookie of the Year award. He was able to amass 37.78 statistical points, and averaged eight points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists. A former Baby Tamaraws standout, Romeo is best known for scoring an amazing 83 points in a single game last season.

Smart Gilas-RP team member Aldrech Ramos, and UE Red Warriors Paul Lee and Ken Acibar completes the league’s top performers this season. Ramos garnered a total of 58.7 statistical points. He also contributes about 11.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks to the Tamaraws cause.

The UAAP based solely on individual statistics and the team’s won-game to determine the winners of the said awards.

UP Pep Squad tops UAAP Cheer Dance Competition - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2010-09-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

UP Pep Squad tops UAAP Cheer Dance Competition - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

FEU shows dominance over Ateneo

2010-09-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, they are up to any challenge.

Amidst speculations of having a preference for their semis opponents, the FEU Tamaraws proved and showed everyone in the Araneta Coliseum that they are ready to face any team after a come-from-behind victory over defending champs Ateneo, 74-72. A 7-0 run highlighted by an RR Garcia three-pointer in the last two minutes of play pushed the Tams to salvage the game

The Eagles were up by as much as six points with a little more than three minutes left in the fourth quarter. FEU’s tight man-to-man defense prevented the shooters from the opposing team to complete their plays. Nico Salva and Kirk Long tried to halt the Tams’ momentum by fouling but only ended up giving Reil Cervantes and rookie Terrence Romeo two sets of gift shots.

With team captain Jens Knuttel and Carl Cruz out due to sore eyes, and Garcia in foul trouble early in the game, other members of the Morayta-based squad stepped up to fill the gap. Terrence Romeo, however, shone the brightest as the former Baby Tam score 15 points, three of which are from beyond the arc, nine rebounds, and an assist.

FEU remains as the number one team in the league. They will be facing this season’s hosts De La Salle come this Thursday, September 16, still at the Araneta Coliseum.

Let the numbers speak

The match-up was very even in the first half with Ateneo ahead only by a single point after the first 20 minutes. The Eagles capitalized on the Tams’ turnovers. FEU turned the ball over 10 times as compared to the opposing team’s five. The Green and Gold squad, however, was flawless from the three-point area. They were able to put in three baskets from beyond the arc, while Ateneo only made two out of nine.

Things went the other way around in favor of the Tamaraws in the second half. It was the Eagles turn to make more turnovers as they added six more to their five from the first and second quarters. The Tams only turned the over three times in last two periods. They also dominated the boards with a total of 45, 15 of which are offensive rebounds.

The Tamaraws also won against the back-to-back champs in the first round, 72-69, last July 11. FEU breaks their record of losing their final assignment in the eliminations round with this particular win.

No Preference

Prior to the game, I was reading a few of my friends’ statuses in Facebook. Most of them would rather face Adamson in the semi-finals. I can’t question them; everyone’s entitled to their own opinions. I actually had the same wish two weeks ago, then woke up to the realization that it really doesn’t matter who we face in the Final Four.

Each team in the Final Four earned their way to get where they are at right now. They’ve proved themselves; worked hard to top the league’s team rankings. Every team has its own strengths, and each also have their own weaknesses.

There is no need to be scared of any particular team.

Don’t get me wrong. I totally respect each team in the league. What I’m trying to say is that no matter who we are facing, we should always give our best and play like it’s our last game. I think that’s the best way to show your opponents that you also respect their abilities.

Here’s how I see it, going against La Salle in the Final Four will further build us up and get us ready for the Finals. Imagine going against two tough teams with different game styles consecutively. It’s bound to give you mental toughness, not to mention it will prevent us from getting rusty.

Let’s just hope that no one gets injured. We need every single man in the squad. Every game is a must win.

It’s been five long years. The last time FEU won the title was in 2005 with an Arwind Santos-led squad. I was second year then; I’ve been out of college for almost three years. I believe this is our year. Let’s claim it!

BTW,
The UAAP, as far as I know, will announce the winner of the MVP award this Monday.

Garcia, Ramos lead MVP race

2010-09-08T19:12:00.001-07:00

FEU's very own RR Garcia and Aldrech Ramos, together with National U's Emmanuel Mbe, leads the race for the UAAP Season 73's Most Valuable Player plum.

Garcia averaged 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 13 games. Playing about 32 minutes per outing, he is the only player in the league who has been able to come out of every game in double figures.

Ramos, who also plays for the Smart Gilas-RP team, is the top shot blocker in the UAAP today with 2.2 every match-up. He also contributes 11.2 markers and 8.1 caroms to the Tams' cause. The Cebu native almost won the MVP award last year but lost it to UST's Dylan Ababou.

If either Garcia or Ramos wins, they'll be the first FEU cager to pocket the coveted plum after Arwind Santos. Santos was UAAP MVP for two consecutive seasons, 2004 and 2005.

To determine the winner of the MVP award, the league will be basing on statistics alone. This is the second season that the UAAP will be using the said rule. Previously, votes from players, coaches, league officials, and media was also taken into consideration.

The Green and Gold squad is looking forward to remain in the top spot of the team standings. They will be facing back-to-back champions Ateneo this coming Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Tams clinch twice-to-beat advantage

2010-09-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

The Far Eastern U Tamaraws clinched the first twice-to-beat incentive after winning their two games this week. FEU shook off a resilient NU squad, 72-57, last Thursday. They furthermore strengthened their hold on the number one spot in the team rankings by sinking the still winless UP Fightint Maroons, 70-48, yesterday.

Bouncing off from a big loss last week, the Tams relied on fourth quarter man and leading MVP candidate RR Garcia to close down the final four doors on the NU Bulldogs. The Morayta-based squad started hot and led by as much as 14 points early in the game. The Bulldogs tried to come back in the third quarter but was still short as the Tamaraws tightened their defense and shot better.

FEU completed their mission this week after they remained superior over the UP Fighting Maroons. Their excellent shooting percentage was the key to the squad’s win. The Tams’ scoring was very balanced. Starters Garcia, Jens Knuttel, Aldrech Ramos, Reil Cervantes, and Chris Excimiano all combined for 34 points, while players off the bench produced 35.

Time to focus

This will be short.

So, we’re already in the Final Four with a twice-to-beat advantage. That is a good feat but not impressive enough yet. We’ve also made it to the Final Four last year with the same advantage but we failed to deliver during the most crucial time.

We have a balanced Final Four cast this season. You have offensive-oriented squads in FEU and ADMU, while DLSU and AdU are strong defensive teams. All four schools still have a game each before the semi-finals officially start. A lot of things can still happen.

The Falcons will be up against the Archers this coming Thursday. Both teams are at an 8-5 win-loss record. The winner of the said game will go up to the third spot and will be facing the second seed team.

Now about that…

We will be playing Ateneo come this Saturday. Ateneo is currently at second with 10-3. FEU improved its record to 11-3 after finishing off UP yesterday. The Eagles still have a chance to depose us from the top spot; that is if they win over the Tamaraws by at least four points. We certainly would want to remain where we are right now and face the number four team.

The Tamaraws still need to work on a number of things. Defense is one. Limiting our turnovers is another. We were able to do that in our last two outings. I think we are highly capable of doing those again.

I would love to suggest plays but I think I’ll save that for the semis. Besides, I am no coach.

Personally, I don’t want any upset to be pulled over our squad. These times are crucial. We have no time to be complacent; no time to relax. Every team in the Final Four are very much competitive.

We have the talent. I know we also have the heart to win. All we need to do is play up to our full potential.
Going a little sideways from the topic, is it possible to have referees to officiate referees? You know to kind of just check if they are giving out the right calls on the right team/individual. That's just me wondering. I hope that the games will be played honestly.

Former Blue Eagle tops 2010 PBA Draft

2010-09-01T04:09:00.001-07:00

Former Blue Eagle standout Nonoy Baclao emerged as Air21's top draft pick in the recent 2010 Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft last Sunday at the Market! Market! in the Fort.

Rabeh Al Hussaini and Rey Guevarra formerly of the Letran Knights were picked by the same team as their second and third picks. Fourth pick Elmer Espiritu was drafted by Alaska. Espiritu played for the UE Red Warriors during his college years.

Other UE products Pari Llagas, Robert Labagala, and Val Acuña were chosen as ninth, 12th, and 13th respectively, Llagas and Acuña will be suiting up for B-MEG Derby Ace, while Labagala will be playing for Ginebra.

Ateneo's Ford Arao was picked up by Meralco. 18th pick Jai Reyes was selected by Powerade. Khasim Mirza is the only pick from the University of Santo Tomas. He will be suiting up for Bolts.

Luckless Tams falter against Archers

2010-08-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

It’s back to the drawing board for the FEU Tamaraws after they falter against the DLSU Green Archers, 66-80, yesterday at the Araneta Coliseum. The said loss is only the second for the Morayta-based dribblers and they remain on top of the team standings of the 73rd UAAP season

The Tamaraws were ahead by four points at the end of the first half. Things changed; however, come the last two periods as they were outscored by their opponents. FEU was limited to only nine points in the fourth quarter, while DLSU scored 26.

RR Garcia was held scoreless in the last 10 minutes but still ended the game in double digits, 18 points, three assists, and two rebounds. Aldrech Ramos, on the other hand, contributed 14 points, five rebounds, seven blocks, and a steal.

FEU, who is the best offensive team in the league this season, shot poorly from the two-point field. They were only able to convert 14 out of their 35 attempts, or 40 percent, while La Salle had 48 percent, or 24 out of 50 attempts.

Missed free throw shots was also a factor as the Tams only shot 17 out of the possible 26 gift shots. This translates to only 65.4 percent as compared to the opposing team’s 76.9. Both squads were awarded the same number of gift shots.

Time to rethink

I’ve been trying to analyze things since last night. I ended up putting off writing until the results of today’s games were out.

Our team is certainly not invincible. Our losses this second round had already proven that. Just like any other team, the Tamaraws also have their own set of loopholes and flaws. Giving up too many turnovers and their inconsistent defense seem to be the Tams’ favorite mistakes.

FEU gives up 12.4 turnovers every game. In their recent outing against the Archers, they gave up 20 turnovers. The Archers were able to exact 12 points from our turnovers. These are big numbers considering that we’re only three games away from the semi-finals.

Before the match-up last Saturday, the biggest number we gave up was 18. That was during the game against Ateneo in the first round. We badly need to limit our turnovers before we go to the semis.

The Tamaraws failed against defense-oriented squads Adamson and De La Salle. The Falcons are the leaders in the said department, while the Archers, if I’m not mistaken, are either at third or fourth. DLSU’s defense actually forced our squad to commit numerous unnecessary fouls and turnovers in the fourth quarter, furthermore contributing to the Tams’ end game collapse.

We still have to face NU,UP, and Ateneo before the Final Four starts. As far as I know, National U comes next to the Falcons when it comes to defense. We had a tough time getting rid of them in the first round. I expect the same level of intensity from the Bulldogs this Thursday.

Ateneo may not have the same game, they’re also offensive-minded, but they are dangerous. The Blue Eagles are systematic, and their system has been effective for them so far. In addition to that, they are defending the title. Ateneo will surely put up a very good fight to retain the championship trophy.

If we are to strengthen our hold of the number one spot, and bag a twice-to-beat advantage, we need to work on these areas. RR Garcia needs assistance. He can’t do it alone. The guy’s already being guarded heavily. So far, it’s been Terrence Romeo who’s been providing Garcia the assistance he needs. Someone else needs to stand up aside from the usual guys.

I’m also worried that Coach Glen Capacio may be putting too much strain on our team’s starters. During the Tamaraws’ last outing, our starters Garcia, Aldrech Ramos, JR Cawaling, Jens Knuttel, and Reil Cervantes produce most of our points. The five of them combined for 49 markers. Our bench only produced 17. The Archers’ starters, on the other hand, made 35 while their bench produced 45. We have a deep bench. I hope that Capacio uses that to his advantage.

Knocking on F4’s door

I’m looking at the team standings right now. FEU’s still number one with 9-2. ADMU takes second with 9-3 after winning against AdU today. At third are the Falcons with 8-4, and the Archers takes fourth with 7-4. These teams are pretty much this season’s Final Four cast.

NU may still have a chance to contest the fourth spot with La Salle if they win all their remaining games. The Bulldogs just dropped UE today from the F4 contest. I think UST will not be able to make it also.

FEU will want to win all their remaining games so they go automatically to the semis with one of the two twice-to-beat advantages. The worst thing that could happen to us right now is to go down to number two, that is if we lose two of our remaining three games. A triple tie between Ateneo, AdU, and FEU is also possible. All teams will be at 10-3 if (1) Ateneo wins over UST and losses against us; (2) Adamson wins all their remaining games; and (3) we win over UP, lose against NU, and win over Ateneo again.

The recent defeat we suffered was a big one. But, as much as I hate losing, the game’s done and we can’t undo the results anymore. Our bid is very much alive. We have to perform better now more than ever.

I believe this is our season. We will bring home the title to Morayta after five long years.
A final note to my fellow Tamaraws…
No matter what the result of the game is, I hope you stay until we finish singing our school hymn. I’ve just noticed that many people from our side immediately left right after the final buzzer last Saturday. I hated the seat I got (duh! La Salle side) but I stayed. Singing our school hymn only takes a few minutes. It will not hurt to stay.

Let’s continue supporting our team. Let’s just bounce back, shall we.

Tamaraws Quiet Growling Tigers

2010-08-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

They may be missing one man but this did not stop the Tamaraws from still winning.

Team play was Far Eastern U’s key to clinching their victory over the University of Santo Tomas, 76-67, today at the Philsports Arena. Aldrech Ramos le the squad with 20 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists.

The score of the two opposing teams were close throughout the first 30 minutes of the game. It was in the fourth quarter where the Tamaraws gained a more comfortable lead as RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo ganged up to produced 10 points within the first five minutes.

FEU was up by as much as 14 points near the two-minute mark but back-to-back triples from Jeric Fortuna and Clark Bautista, and a two-pointer from Jeric Teng trimmed this lead down to only six. The Tigers, however, just couldn’t finish as Teng and Chris Camus committed three consecutive fouls in the drying seconds. This put Romeo, Garcia, and Ramos to the charity line for free throws. The three converted four out of the six gift shots.

Final Four Here We Come

Even with big man Reil Cervantes sitting out from the game and Pipo Noundou still not a 100 percent after his injury, the Tamaraws still had put up a good fight. It was team effort that won us the game. There were a lot of unselfish plays. They moved the ball around and looked for that open man to take the shot. That’s the kind of game that I’m expecting from them. We just can’t really on one guy.

Aldrech Ramos went double-double with his performance today, Terrence Romeo as well. Ramos averages 10 points per game, while Romeo averages six. If other team members would start doing the same, our semifinals bid would be stronger. Right now, FEU clinched the first Final Four berth after winning their ninth in 10 outings.

The Tamaraws would still need to lessen their turnovers though. They had 11 turnovers in the first half alone compared to the Tigers’ seven. Another key thing that the team still needs to work on is defense. Yes, we were able to contain UST’s shooters, which is a good thing, but how about the other better defensive teams. We still have to face La Salle, National U, UP, and Ateneo. The Bulldogs are the second best team when it comes to defense. La Salle, in the first round, forced us to go through two overtime periods using their press defense. Ateneo, well, let’s just say that they will try to defend the crown with all their might. It was tough last time; it will be tougher this second round.

Every game, even the other seven teams’ games, will be crucial in determining the two teams who will walk into the Final Four with twice-to-beat advantages. Earlier, the UE Red Warriors broke the Adamson Soaring Falcons’ winning streak via their 71-63 victory. La Salle will be playing Ateneo tomorrow. As of the moment, our squad is two games away from the second ranked team. A win by Ateneo would only put as a game ahead of them. On the other hand, if the Arches win, the Eagles and the Falcons will be tied at 7-3.

Things are getting more and more exciting in the UAAP. Make me wonder what’s gonna happen next.

BTW,
Happy birthday to Carl Bryan Cruz! Funny, the game barker really had to announce it loud and proud. =)

Current team standings
WIN LOSS
FEU 9 1
ADMU 7 2
AdU 7 3
DLSU 6 3
NU 3 6
UST 3 7
UE 3 7
UP 0 9

Cervantes suspended, leaves rotation problems

2010-08-19T02:41:00.001-07:00

Looks like the Tamaraws' defensive frontline will be put to another test as center Reil Cervantes gets a one-game suspension from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Cervantes will be sitting out from FEU's game in Saturday against UST. He earned his second unsportsmanlike foul this season after tackling University of the East's Paul Lee in their last game. As per UAAP rules, an automatic one-game suspension is given to any player who incurred their second unsportsmanlike foul.

Cervantes is know for playing hard in every single game. Aside from the points that he contributes to the team, he is also a defensive player who contributes largely to the whole game of the Tamaraws. This leaves Glen Capacio with a lack for players playing center. I am not sure if Pipo Noundou is already a 100 percent after the injury he sustained a few games ago. Rotation will certainly affected by Cervantes' suspension.

The Tigers is another defensive-oriented team. Their style is similar to that of the Archers. Hopefully Capacio finds a way to remedy the big hole cause by Cervantes' one-game suspension.

FEU's faces UST this Saturday at the PhilSports Arena, 4 pm.

Tams 50-50 Start in Round 2

2010-08-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

They say a win, no matter how lousy it is, is still a win. Same thing goes for a defeat. A loss is still a loss no matter how close the scores are.

The Far Eastern U welcomes the second eliminations round with a 50-50 start. FEU absorbed its first loss of the season courtesy of a highly defensive Adamson Soaring Falcons last Thursday. They, however, bounced back as they stop the University of the East Red Warriors in their Sunday game.

Week in Review

The Tamaraws failed to duplicate their first round performance over the Soaring Falcons as they drop their first second round assignment by a solitary point, 63-64, last Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum.

FEU struggled from the field in the final period missing their first 12 shots. Aldrech Ramos, with 12 ticks left on the clock, shot the Tams’ only basket in the fourth quarter and leveled the score at 63-62. Chris Excimiano, however, failed to complete a steal as the ball was tapped by Alex Nuyles 6 seconds left of the game. Nuyles then converted the possession into a successful fieldgoal shooting Adamson into victory in the expense of the Tamaraws.

The Green and Gold squad redeemed themselves in their Sunday game at the PhilSports Arena. They dominate this season’s Battle of the East after winning over rivals UE Red Warriors in overtime, 83-77.

The boys from Morayta were up by 9 points three minutes left in the final 10 minutes of regulation. This was, however, erased by the Warriors as they rendered the Tams scoreless for the remaining minutes of the fourth. UE’s Ken Acibar tied the game at 72-all a minute and 27 still on the clock. RR Garcia had the chance to end the game but missed his shot.

Reil Cervantes ramped up his game in the overtime period scoring 6 of the 11 markers that FEU got from the five-minute extension. The Tamaraws effectively stopped and limited the Warriors to only 5 points. Rookie Terrence Romeo finally closed the game after he split his gift shots from a Paul Zamar foul.

Bye-bye Step-ladder

FEU just kissed their chance to skip the whole Final Four ordeal and go straight to the Finals after absorbing that loss from Adamson last Thursday. According to UAAP rules, if a team wins all 14 games in the eliminations, they go automatically to the Finals. The third and fourth teams in the rankings will then face each other in a knockout match. Whoever wins will face the second seed, who has the twice-to-beat advantage.

The last time a team swept all their games in the eliminations happened 2007. Well, we know what happened that year, right? Though that loss hurt us, it’s still better to be defeated now than when we are already in the semis or finals. Besides, it’ll take for FEU to loss all their games in the second round before they get kicked out of the number one spot of the rankings. We have save enough wins to save for ourselves an F4 seat.

However, that’s still no reason to relax. There’s no place for complacency. What the Tams need to do this second round is to strengthen their hold of the topseed and make sure that they get one of the twice-to-beat advantages for the semis. The Final Four contenders are becoming more and more obvious with each game. My bets? FEU, ADMU, AdU, and DLSU.

NOW why did we loss?

To be quite honest, I was left stunned after that game with Adamson. I know they are a very strong team but I expected the Tamaraws to have a plan to counter their defensive style. They did have a plan. It did not work.

FEU was out-rebounded by AdU. We had 9 offensive boards, while the opposing team had 13. This difference all the more shows itself in the second chance points of the two teams. The Tams only had 5, while the Falcons scored 10 markers.

The stingy defense of the Falcons forced the Tamaraws to commit more turnovers. We were forced to commit 3 team turnovers as compared to Adamson’s single turnover.

Were the boys of the Green and Gold overconfident going to that particular game? I don’t think so. It’s just that we really need to improve on our defense.

Interestingly, the Tams shot a whooping 81 percent from the field in the third canto. However, in the fourth, they dropped to a miserable 8 percent. And, mind you, both teams were shooting poorly in the fourth; Adamson was just slightly better than us. What made the difference was defense. A crucial part of FEU’s defense, Pipo Noundou was out in that game due to an injury; Garcia was tightly guarded by Janus Lozada; no one else held up the defense for FEU.

We’ve been relying too much on our offense that sometimes we leave out the other crucial parts of our game. What we should do, in my opinion, is to beef up our defense, take better percentage shots and avoid rushing things.

Alright, so that’s done, just charge it to experience. We did not lose our championship bid in that loss. Let’s learn from that defeat and draw inspiration from the other 8 games we won. We still have the rest of the second round ahead of us.

BTW,
Happy birthday to JR Cawaling (August 15) and Reil Cervantes (August 16). Wishing all the best for both guys.

Miami Heat coach visits FEU

2010-08-09T03:52:00.001-07:00

Filipino-American Erik Spoelstra, current head coach of the Miami Heat, will be paying the Far Eastern U a visit tomorrow. The said visit is a part of the NBA Fit Week in the Philippines. Spoelstra will be leading a coaching clinic and a hydration seminar with event partner, Gatorade. A fit challenge will also be conducted by Jama Mahlalela, former Toronto Raptors assistant coach.

NBA Fit is the largest program ever held in the Southeast Asia, lasting for nine consecutive days, from August 6 to 15. It is NBA's comprehensive health and wellness program which encourages physical activity and healthy living for children and families through events, programs, and products.

Aside from the NBA Fit Clinics, there's also the NBA Fit Development Camp where some of the Philippines top basketball players will learn the latest NBA techniques and fitness training. The 80 prospects are selected by the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The said camp will be in August 11.

The FEU leg of the NBA Clinic will be held at the FEU gym, 9 a.m.

Sources:

http://ph.yfittopostblog.com/2010/07/30/miami-heat-fil-am-coach-coming-to-rp/
http://www.feu.edu.ph/node/313

Tamaraws finishes round 1 with flying colors

2010-08-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

If the UAAP was an exam they have to pass, the Tams would all be getting an A+ grade.

Far Eastern U completes their round assignments after warding of a resurgent Santo Tomas squad, 65-57, yesterday at The Arena in San Juan. The Tams banked on second chance points and offensive rebounds to catch up with the Tigers. Sophomore sensation RR Garcia gets first honor credits with 22 points, 2 steals, and 4 rebounds, while silent Alrech Ramos finished with 12 markers, 10 boards, 7 of which are from the offensive end, 2 assists, and a block. With the win, the Morayta five stays on top of the team standings with a perfect 7-0 record.

The Tamaraws had a slow start, allowing the Tigers to see through the loopholes in their defense and post a five-point lead over them at the end of the first 10 minutes. Back to back triples from Clark Bautista a little after the 7 minute mark of the second quarter furthermore increased the Tams’ deficit to 11. Things, however, started to turn around in favor of the Green shirts from that point onwards.

FEU made a 15-5 run after the Bautista triples. The scoring run extended to the first two minutes of the third canto. A trey from Chris Excimiano tied the game at 30 9:07 on the clock. The score changed directions four more times until both teams ended the third quarter with 45 apiece.

Garcia and JR Cawaling combined for 10 points to open up the final period and give the Tams a more comfortable edge, 55-45. Chris Camus and Melo Afuang tried to salvage the game for UST but Pipo Noundou added six more points to FEU’s lead. Garcia knocked in both his gift shots to close the game at 65-57.

Sweet Sweep
At this point, FEU just showed the rest of the UAAP that they are the team to beat this season. Having a clean record in the first round, however, doesn’t mean that things were all easy-breezy for the squad.

The Tamaraws had their moments at the clutch. They also played catch-up basketball in some of their games. They even had some really, really close calls (Remember La Salle?). I think, what made the difference was that the Tams played as a team.

Every game it was a different face – you have Reil Cervantes in the NU match, Paul Sanga for UE, Terrence Romeo for UP, Carl Cruz for DLSU, and Jens Knuttel in the Adamson tiff. Then you have the regulars, Garcia and Ramos. Mark Bringas and Chris Excimiano always deliver every time they’re inside the court. Cawaling is still so-so on the scoreboards but he contributes on defense.

FEU is the most cohesive team in the league this season. Its core has been playing in the UAAP for four years; suffice to say this squad knows how it feels like to be under pressure. Our line-up is also one of the deepest. Coach Glen Capacio has been using this to his advantage, changing his starting five every game. Offense? No problem there; the Tamaraws are still the top team in that area.

The points that need a little more sharpening, in my opinion, are our defense and turnovers. Defense is improving but we could do better. May be we can adjust our system with that of the opposing team. FEU also has the tendency to relax whenever they have a big advantage. This allows the other team to catch-up. You look at the scoreboard and you see the Tamaraws ahead by 16; then, the next time you look you’ll see the lead cut down to just two possessions and you’ll see the whole squad scrambling to get the lead up again.

Turnovers, that’s always been a problem. We had 16 against the Archers and then 20 when we faced the Falcons. Thankfully, we had a few when we played UST yesterday. Turnovers can kill a team, especially at the endgame. They give the opposing team chances to produce points for themselves. If those turnovers were converted into our own baskets, then we would have won most of our games by bigger margins (Think: double digits). Well, at the end of every game, a win by a single point is the same as a win by 10 points but if you know you can finish the game better, then why not.

We have the talent; we have the maturity, all we need to do is to execute and bring those goods into use. We still have the second round and that’s seven more games for every one. I’m sure (or is this just me being paranoid) the other seven teams have prepared game plans to bring us down.

A 7-0 first round finish is sweet but a championship title will be the sweetest.

Final four?

I’ll bet on it, FEU will be playing in the semis. If we win our next seven games, we could even skip F4 and utilize the step-ladder format. Right now, we have three teams – Ateneo, Adamson, and La Salle - with a 3 4-2 record. That will change later as all three of them have games this afternoon. Assuming that the Eagles and the Archers win their match-ups, we’ll have two teams tied at 5-2; then, the Falcons will be at 4-3, so on and so forth, you know the deal.

UST and NU are steady at 3-4 for now. UE and UP will only be playing to have, in UE’s case add, something on their win list. May be they’ll pull up an upset or two over the top teams. Let’s be realistic, it’s hard to catch up with the other teams if you have lose all of your games in the first round. Not unless, by some form of miracle, you win all your games in the second round.

This season most of the teams are almost on the same level; may be after four games in the second round, the other three teams that will be part of the Final Four will be more obvious. As of the moment, I’m sticking with my earlier bets just tweaking it a bit – FEU takes spot number 1, and Ateneo at 2. La Salle, NU, Adamson, and, probably, UST will slug it out for the 3 and 4 spots.

FEU now at 6-0

2010-08-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

The FEU Tamaraws continue to dominate Season 73 after chalking their fifth and sixth win in the expense of hosts De La Salle Green Archers and Adamson Soaring Falcons. The squad now sports a 6-0 unblemished record and is only a game away from sweeping the first round eliminations.

DLSU vs. FEU (July 29)

FEU survived a resilient De La Salle team in double overtime, 84-80, in their Thursday game at the Araneta Coliseum. Rookie Carl Bryan Cruz, a transferee from Metro Manila College, broke out of his shell and contributed 16 points.

The Tams played catch-up basketball for a greater part of regulation. They were down by as much as seven points a few second after the five minute mark but Terrence Romeo and JR Cawaling shot crucial baskets and trimmed down the opposing team’s lead to a solitary point. With 9.2 seconds left on the clock, RR Garcia ran away with the ball and sunk the trey that tied the score at 68.

Pipo Noundou, who finished with 14 markers, completed a three-point play to close down the deal.

AdU vs. FEU (August 1)

Good team play and an exceptional shooting percentage lifted the Tamaraws over the defensive-minded Falcons, 74-65, in their Sunday showdown at the PhilSports Arena. Sophomore guard Garcia once again topped the scoreboard with 16 points. Not far behind are Aldrech Ramos, who contributed 13 markers, 7 rebounds and a couple of blocks, and team captain Jens Knuttel with 10 points, 4 boards and 3 assists.

FEU posted a 10-2 run at the start of the final quarter, putting the score at 68-53. This was after a four-man substitution made a little after the nine-minute mark of the fourth canto. Alex Nuyles tried to rescue his team from collapsing, scoring seven points during the last three minutes but a Jeric Cañada infraction erased all hope for them as they turn the ball over to the Tamaraws.

***
57% field goal shooting, 21 assists from an average of 14, 41 rebounds and a six-game winning streak--- things seem to be coming together now for FEU.

What got us through our last two games? Maturity and unselfish plays.

The maturity part is already given. You have guys like Ramos, Cervantes, Knuttel and Cawaling who’ve been with the squad for four years now. Yes, you read it right. I did include Cawaling there. Though he only averages, as of the moment, 3.8 points per ballgame (a far cry from his 8.33 from Season 72) this season, he gives the other team members that much-needed leadership on the floor. If you noticed, in that match-up against La Salle, every time he and Knuttel goes back to the court the whole squad becomes more organized and their defense tighter. He guarded Jason Webb, one of the Archers’ scorers, in that game. Webb wasn’t able to score while he was there. I just wish JR makes better shot selection in the games to follow.

Mark Bringas and Chris Excimiano --- now, these two may not be that noticeable but they deliver crucial numbers for FEU. Those extra passes, assists and rebounds greatly contribute to the Tams’ whole game. Whenever someone misses a shot, they’re readily below the basket to retrieve the ball and try to put it back in.

Every game it’s a different guy breaking out. Every game we’re playing more and more like a team.

Still, FEU’s not invincible. The La Salle gig was a close call.

What almost got us were our turnovers. We had 16 against the Archers and then 20 against Adamson. It’s a good thing that our offense is good. If it wasn’t, well, you know what’s going to happen. We can’t keep on giving away the ball to our opponents. For sure the second round will be tougher and the Tamaraws will be the target of the other seven squads (Think: game plans made just for us).

Our last game for round one will be against UST on Thursday, August 7 at the Fil-Oil Flying V Arena, San Juan. The Tigers are a tough team. They can press; they can shoot 18-footers. Hopefully, after Thursday, we’ll end up at 7-0. I’m positive we will.

Current team standings
FEU: 6-0
DLSU: 4-2
ADMU: 3-2
AdU: 3-2
UST: 3-3
NU: 2-4
UE: 1-4
UP: 0-5

FEU still unscathed, leads at 4-0

2010-07-25T10:34:00.001-07:00

The Far Eastern U Tamaraws remain on top of the UAAP team standings unscathed with a 4-0 record, recently adding the UP Fighting Maroons and UE Red Warriors to their growing list of victims. Hosts De La Salle ascends to the number two spot after their come-from-behind win over defending champs Ateneo last July 24.

Battle of the East, UE vs. FEU

Consider it a delayed vengeance.

FEU regained their supremacy over perennial rivals UE, 91-81, in their match-up last Thursday, July 22 at the Araneta Coliseum. Paul Sanga scored a career high 18 points all from rainbow territory, to lead the Tamaraws.

The final score, however, doesn’t tell the whole tale. The Morayta quintet dominated the first quarter establishing a 16-point advantage over their opponents. That lead was trimmed down to seven by a persistent UE squad led by Paul Lee at the end of the second quarter.

Lordy Casajeros gave the opposing team their first taste of the lead after his shot came through 1.08 left in the third canto. There were three more lead changes and two deadlocks as the Warriors tried to continue their inspired run. RR Garcia and Reil Cervantes nailed back-to-back baskets giving FEU a four-point breathing space. Lee, clutching his calf, left the ballgame and left his team scrambling for points at the 4.37 mark of the final quarter. Terrence Romeo finally drew the blanket over the Warriors when he sank in both his free throws.

UP vs FEU

Both looked good on paper, most preseason forecasts picked and hailed both teams as Final Four contenders for Season 73 but after their match-up it was the Tamaraws who proved that they can bring all that preseason hype to the basketball court.

FEU shot down a lethargic UP squad, 94-70, today at the PhilSports Arena. Tamaraw rookie Terrence Romeo bested the rest of his teammates with his 21 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals.

It was all FEU the whole game. The Maroons got as near as seven points after a Mark Juruena-sparked 6-0 run. Martin Reyes shot a two-pointer in the 4.05 mark of the third canto, putting the score to 59-52.

Meanwhile, UP’s main man, Woody Co, might be out for the rest of a season because of a foot injury, which was earlier reported as a pulled right calf muscle. Co went down during 4.30 left in the second quarter.

***

You’re guaranteed a quality game whenever FEU faces UE. Both teams just can’t help but bring their A-game every time they play against each other. Paul Lee earned my respect. He tried to lift the Warriors but one man alone can’t do every thing for his team. He needs assistance, a back-up. Basketball is a team sport. Hopefully, Lee finds that needed assistance soon. I’m not used to seeing UE at the bottom of the team standings. Oh well, things change.

Now going back to FEU…

The Tamaraws won their two recent games by a big margin. That’s an improvement from their first two games, which they won by three points (vs Ateneo) and by four points (vs NU). It’s good but it could be better. The Tams have a tendency to relax whenever they have a comfortable lead and this enables their opponents to close in on them. During the UE game, FEU posted a 16-point lead after the first ten minutes but UE caught up on them come the second quarter and even took the lead during the third. The same thing happened in the UP game, when Juruena, Mike Silungan and Martin Reyes combined for a 6-0 run in the third quarter.

The Morayta boys need to keep this tendency in check. Every game counts, whether they’re against the next top seeded team or facing the cellar-dwellers, there’s just no time to relax.

FEU’s right now the number one team when it comes to offense. The team’s laden with scorers; from the starting five to the bench, every one can score. Glen Capacio will not have a problem rotating his players. However, what’s the use of that offensive arsenal if we don’t play solid defense. Right now, Adamson’s leading in the defensive department limiting their opponents to 60 points per ballgame. RR Garcia’s a marked man on the list of the seven other UAAP teams. They’re already pressing on him hard. While that can be a distraction (at times), it’s a disadvantage for the Tamaraws. Garcia averages 19 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. If this continues, that’s how much we’ll lose. Other team members should step up. Garcia, Cervantes, Romeo and Pipo Noundou have been the consistent ones. Sanga, Mark Bringas and Chris Excimiano are now coming alive.

I remember reading from one of the major broadsheets prior to the game against the Warriors that Capacio is worried about his two national players, JR Cawaling and Aldrech Ramos, because they are still haven’t played as well as expected. Ramos, in my opinion, is already back in his element. He picked up loose balls, turning trash into gold for FEU, during the UE game. Ramos silently made for himself 17 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals and a block in that match-up. That leaves Cawaling still struggling. To be quite honest, the last time that I saw him play well was last season against the Warriors during the semis and we were eliminated. It’s as if his good games are something that comes only once in a blue moon. Someone needs to prove that he deserves to be part of the Smart Gilas program (tsk, tsk, please, please perform).

The Tamaraws will be up against a young De La Salle squad. Though young and still raw, the Archers will be one tough cookie for FEU. They have good defense and their press can force you to turn the ball over more times. Hopefully, we get through their chinks and I hope we don’t become too complacent for being the league leader.

On a last note…

We haven’t had this good a start in the UAAP after the Arwind Santos period. The last time that FEU started with a 4-0 record was in 2005. That year the Tamaraws swept DLSU in the Finals and brought home Morayta FEU’s 19th basketball championship. Let’s make it 20 this 2010, shall we.

CHEER ON FELLOW TAMARAWS!

FEU escapes NU

2010-07-17T07:50:00.000-07:00

The FEU Tamaraws managed to escape the NU Bulldogs, 76-62. Center Reil Cervantes led the Morayta quintet with 20 points, 6 rebounds and a block. They stay on the number one spot with a 2-0 record while the opposing team drops to 1-2.

FEU lead by as much as 7 points but Kokoy Hermosisima's accurate three-point shooting enabled the Bulldogs to close down and eventually steal the lead. For a while, it looked like NU woould pull an upset win when they downed the Tams by 6 points 4 minutes left from the fourth quarter. A 9-point run sparked by sophomore RR Garcia turned things around, giving a three-point advantage to the Yellow shirts. National U tried to recover by fishing a foul less than 10 seconds left on the clock . Their attempt, however, did not work as Hermosisima failed to convert his gift shots into points.

If for the last couple of years the Bulldogs have been tagged as chronic cellar dwellers (along with UP), this year whoever x's them out as a possible F4 contender is definitely blind. NU's acquired some good freshies in Emmanuel Mbe and Glenn Khobuntin, plus they also still have Joseph Terso, Jewel Ponferanda, Mervin Baloran and Hermosisima. National's got a competitive and talented team however; their youth may force them to make critical errors especially during the end game like what happened today with FEU. Still, expect them to make their presence felt this season and improved (greatly) their Season 73 record of 3 wins and 11 defeats.

NOW FEU...

Our turnovers almost cause us the game. During the first half alone the Tams already had 6 turnovers. It's a good thing that our defense stayed tight for a bigger part of the match. NU could've converted those turnovers into points. FEU lacks a consistent three-point shooter. The main reason why the Bulldogs were able to gain a big lead were those Hermosisima threes (the other one being them challenging our guys on man-to-man defense). Sure almost every one from the team can shoo beyond the arc but not during the time when we need it the most. Consistency, that's something we need.

THE POSSIBILITIES...

Right now I'm eyeing FEU, ADMU, NU and AdU to get into the Final Four. DLSU and UP are my wild cards. FEU will get number one, Ateneo gets number two, and NU and AdU will be on three and four. It's still early to close things down on other teams. I think Season 74 will be pretty much dynamic. Changes will still occur (I'm actually waiting for UP to step up) and we just got to watch them as they happen.

AND BEFORE I END THIS...

UAAP commissioner Ato Baldonato suspends three referees who officiated the Ateneo-Adamson game last Thursday, July 15. Dominique Pomar, Lucio Dela Torre and Glen Cornello are suspended for two days due to "some bad calls" they made during the match-up. The Eagles won the tiff only by three points, 69-66.

MY SAY...

It's the right thing to do. They (referees) should be careful with their calls all the time. Bad officiating has been a persistent problem in the league. It robs the teams and the players oppurtunities to win the game.

Suspending the three refs is the correct thing to do but the damage has been done. The calls were made and someone already won. I don't want to continue because I can sense that I'll start ranting. Let's just hope that the games will be played fairly and that this ("some bad calls") will not happen again. May the Heavens hear me.

UAAP, career shift and switching blogs

2010-07-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

Missing school

The wave, cheering (rather, screaming) and winning; school pride - that's what I miss most about the UAAP. The opening weekend was crazy. Students and alumni alike flocked Araneta to watch the games live.

FEU won its first game against Ateneo, 72-69. It was tight. The Tamaraws committed a number of crucial turnovers that gave the other team chances to score. RR Garcia and Reil Cervantes improved their games. Garcia ended up with 25 points while Cervantes had 13. Terrence Romeo is someone to watch for. He was the person behind the Baby Tams 88-point win last season. JR Cawaling and Aldrech Ramos look like they'll be needing some more time to jell up with the team. As far as I know, the two hadn't practiced with the team since December because of their commiments with Smart Gilas. They were only able to return late summer.

Hopefully, Season 74 will be "the time" for the Morayta squad. Since 2007, after team manager Anton Montinola restructured the whole team installing 10 rookies in the process, FEU had been a top contender for the UAAP titlem but contenders they still remain.

This early, I'm alredy going to push my team to the spotlight. They will be part of the Final Four. They will win the championship, if only they will not have to face another controversy this year (oh, pretty please!)

Changing paths

So, I'm a registered nurse; a non-practising registered nurse. I'm sure I'm not the only one (I can drop names now. haha!) I can't exactly say that I was forced to take it. I was told to take it but still I made the decision to follow what I was told to do. I took the course, finished it with goo grades, took the boards, passed it and got my license. However, I can't really imagine myself doing a nurse's job. It's not my thing. I can do it but my heart will not be in it.

It's about passion now. I want a job that will make me go home happy and fulfilled. I know what I want and I'm going to pursue it. It'll be hard, especially if one of your parents disapproves it, still I don't want to be looking back to these years wanting to kick myself because I didn't do anything once I'm old and wrinkled.

I'll be writing. If that means living more tightly, going back to school or being jobless for a whilem then so be it. But I'm going to do something about my situation.

Decisions, decisions; they're hard to make but you have to make one. Even not making a decision is a decision in itself, a decision of inaction.

Switching blogs

I haven't wrote blogs for a couple of months. I maintained one under Multiply. Last Friday, wanting to post something on it, I tried to get in it. For the life of me, I've tried several passwords (I only use five on all my accounts - Facebook, emails, messenger, Jobstreet) but still can't log in. My Multiply was tied up to my Yahoo email. I haven't used Yahoo for a long time because of Gmail. I tried to recover my password but Multiply sends it to the inactive email. I've already gone through the lenghts of reactivating back my Yahoo email.

I've given up. That's why I'm on blogger now. I guess I'm not much of a techi. I'll write my passwords down now. *Sigh*