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The PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup quarter final round begins on Wednesday, September 28, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium with interesting pairings of the best-of-five series.

BRACKET 1: Sibling rivalry begins; Defense vs Offense basketball

First to battle will be the sister teams TNT Tropang Giga and NLEX Road Warriors.

TNT finished the elimination round as the top team of Group A with a 7-3 slate, while NLEX almost didn't make it to the next round as they only have a 5-5 mark, same with Blackwater Bossing but with superior quotient (+6) in their tie-breaker.

The Tropang Giga might have all the advantage in the game as they ought to defend their Governors’ Cup crown led by their NBA caliber import, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who's been a workhorse since he returned to the PBA hardcourt but scoring champion Robert Bolick and the Road Warriors are hungry to taste a slot in the big stage.

Next will be a battle between teams with two contrasting styles of play.

The Group B's No. 1 team, Rain or Shine is known for its run-and-gun style of play with their roster given the license to shoot anywhere from their front court as long as they are open.

One reason for the success of the Elasto Painters this season is the mix of veterans and young guns thriving together with the likes of Beau Belga and Gabe Norwood paving the way for the rising stars such as Jhonard Clarito, Andrei Caracut, Anton Asistio, Adrian Nocum, Gian Mamuyac, and even rookies Caelan Tiongson and Felix Pangilinan-Lemetti. 

Meanwhile, Magnolia would like to pound inside as they have the tools to do so with Ian Sangalang and James Laput manning the middle, while sophomore Zavier Lucero who's been playing consistently for the squad.

The Hotshots are also known for their identity as a defensive team led by veterans Mark Barroca, Calvin Abueva and Rome Dela Rosa, who always tried to limit their opponents below the century mark every game or even lower than 90's.

RoS might have all the tools this conference as they have shown their dominance in the double-round eliminations plus they are also hungry to taste a championship but Mags would hold on to do old saying that "offense wins games but defense wins championship" even though the team has been ringless since the 2018 edition of the tournament.

BRACKET 2: Brownlee vs Durham IV; David vs Goliath match-up

On the other side of the fence, Meralco will face Ginebra once again in a series and it will feature the Durham-Brownlee match-up for the fourth time.

Though this time, it will be earlier as they will battle each other in a quarterfinal best-of-five series.

In their first three series, Brownlee swept all the streaks including the championship-clinching, buzzer-beating three pointer in 2016 that gave the Gin Kings their first title in eight years.

The next two still went to Brownlee when they trounced Meralco in a hard-fought seven games the next year at the Philippine Arena to defend their title, then got it back against the Bolts in 2019 when Ginebra cruised to a 4-1 series win.

It looks like Brownlee and the Gin Kings have all the advantage against the Bolts but this time is different as they don't have Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle in their roster, whom they traded for Rookie of the Year Stephen Holt and Isaac Go before the season starts.

Another factor is that the Bolts have won their first ever championship last season with an All-Filipino crew after defeating the mighty San Miguel Beermen in the finals. Not only that, they also defeated Ginebra in their semifinals series.

Furthermore, Allen Durham also experienced being a champion in 2013 with the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the Japan B.League.

With all the accolades being said, it will be another thrilling match-up between the two rivals.

Finally, it will be a battle between the veterans and the young guns.

The most successful team in the PBA San Miguel Beermen with 29 titles will rely once again to the eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo to carry them to the Promised Land and capture their 30th championship of the franchise.

On the other hand, Converge will depend on their young guns led by Alec Stockton who's playing his great since last season, and Justin Arana who's been their anchor in the middle, together with their new-import Jalen Jones who led them in their past two victories before coming to the playoffs.

SMB might be the giant when it comes to experience and roster but the FiberXers have a promising line-up with desire to upset big guns like the Beermen. Not only that, this season's top overall pick Justin Baltazar has not played a single game yet as he still has commitment in the other league.

The Blackwater Bossing exits the PBA Season 49 Governors Cup with their heads held high as they defeated the top team in their group, Rain or Shine, 113-118, on Monday, September 23, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

George King led Blackwater with his 64 points — the franchise record for most points. He was 18-of-35 from the field — 3-of-8 from four point area, 2-of-5 from the rainbow arc, and 13-of-22 from twos.

King also set another franchise record by shooting 20-of-20 from the free throw line, which also tied the second all-time most foul shots made without a miss in a single game that Wes Matthews first recorded in 1991.

"I went a hundred percent from the free throw line, 20 for 20, but I think within my first couple of free throws, I knew I was like, it's going to be a good night tonight," said King.

"And you know, in a game like this (no-bearing), I had to find motivation, right? And that's what the best players do. And I said, what a great opportunity tonight to play basketball. Essentially, there's no pressure. I know that I'm probably going to play 40 minutes tonight. Let's see what I'm made of," he added.

With the win, the Bossing finished the group stage with a 5-5 slate. Although the team was tied with NLEX in win-loss record, the Road Warriors will be the one to advance to the next round as the fourth-seeded team as they have a superior quotient (+6) in the tiebreaker against Blackwater.

Coach Jeff Cariaso said that it was because he felt that if given the chance, they would have showcased what kind of a team they are made of from this moment on.

"So, the second best (thing) was, regardless of having no chance, I just wanted to challenge them to perform tonight, respect the game, respect the blessings that we are playing. That's what I shared with them and they came out and played well," Cariaso said.

Despite the loss, the Elasto Painters remained as the No. 1 team in Group B and will face Group A's No. 4, Magnolia Hotshots in a best-of-five quarterfinal match-up that will begin on Wednesday, September 25, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

University of the East smeared their campaign with historic feat on Sunday, September 22, after thrashing De La Salle University, 65-47, in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Basketball Tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

UE’s victory ended a five-year streak of winning drought dating back on September 21, 2019, when they escaped University of the Philippines with a slim 68-66 win.

“We finally won. That’s what’s great with this rookie team, all my players are really new, so that’s our only goal, to bring back our UE culture,” longtime head coach Ai Lebornio said in Filipino.

“Since the first day I coached here in 2013, I think that’s what has been lost.”

Jearzy Ganade, who played her first season after a two-year hiatus from UAAP, paced the Lady Warriors with an all-around game of 15 points, six rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block. 

Aliyah Ronquillo helmed the offensive effort with 11 markers and eight dimes, while Rachel Lacayanga also notched a double-double performance with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lady Warriors displayed a defensive effort as they sent the Lady Archers to its worst start since Season 80 to take a comfortable 49-32 lead heading into the final frame. 

Meanwhile, Luisa San Juan top scored for the Lady Archers with 14 markers and five boards, while Patricia Mendoza delivered 10 as La Salle stayed winless at 0-4.

The Scores:

UE (65) – Ganade 15, Lacayanga 13, Ronquillo 11, Vacalares 9, Ruiz 9, Yanez 5, Kone 3, Dalguntas 0, Buscar 0, Cruz 0, Lumibao 0.

DLSU (47) – San Juan 14, Mendoza 10, Camba 4, Sario 4, Sunga 4, Rodriguez 3, Santos 2, Dela Paz 2, Paraiso 2, Delos Reyes 2, Villava-Cua 0, Catalan 0, Bacierto 0.

Quarter Scores: 21-18, 37-26, 49-32, 65-47.

While the quarterfinals cast is already complete for the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup, the game between Converge and Magnolia on September 23 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium will determine the final match-ups in the playoffs.

The two teams are now tied with 5-4 slate, and the winner of their 5:00 pm game will determine which squad will be the No. 3 seed in the next round and will face Group B’s No. 2 seed, San Miguel Beermen in a best-of-five series.

Meanwhile, the loser of the match will face the top-seeded Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

In their first match-up, the Hotshots relied on the steady performances of veterans Ian Sangalang and Mark Barroca, and then-import Glenn Robinson III to pull off a 103-95 victory over the FiberXers.

Converge main man Alec Stockton was limited to his lowest output of the conference in that game, only producing three points off an and-one opportunity with less than three minutes in the game, while former import Scotty Hopson led the team with 26 markers.

Now parading new imports, both teams are eyeing the best possible seed that they can when the next round comes.

The FiberXers will now rely again on Jalen Jones who led the team with his 32 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and two steals in their last win against Meralco Bolts. It was also the team’s third straight victory. 

University of the Philippines reclaimed its winning ways after fending off Far Eastern University, 82-77, in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday, September 22, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The win improved the Fighting Maroons’ record to a 2-2 slate, putting them tied with Ateneo de Manila University for the fourth spot in the standings.

"We're happy that we won in the end. I liked how we won this game because I felt the players had a more calm demeanor during that endgame," said Fighting Maroons head coach Paul Ramos.

"As the season goes, it's a process that we have to really improve on a lot of the facets of our game," he added.

With Favour Onoh sidelined for the entirety of the season due a torn ACL, Achrissa Maw emerged as a key contributor for UP with a standout 25-point performance on 10-of-13 shooting from the field.

FEU’s Shane Salvani delivered back-to-back baskets, forcing the score into a 75-deadlock. Maw led the charge for the Fighting Maroons, sinking two free throws and a crucial layup that supplied the team a four-point cushion with 35.7 seconds left on the clock. 

MJ Manguiat refused to make the steam dissipate for the Tamaraws, trimming the deficit to three after netting two of her three free throws. 

However, Kaye Pesquera sealed the victory for the Fighting Maroons with two clutch free throws of her own.

Maw also had nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals, while guards Louna Ozar and Christie Bariquit contributed with double-digit rebounds, grabbing 11 and 10, respectively. 

Meanwhile, Salvani spearheaded FEU with an exemplary 28-point performance, six rebounds, and three assists in the losing effort.

Max dela Torre and Manguiat also shined in the loss with 11 markers apiece.

UP will aim to add another win in their record when they face off Adamson University next Saturday, September 28, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, while FEU will look to ward off Ateneo de Manila University next Sunday, September 29, at the Big Dome.

The Scores:

UP 82 – Maw 25, Ozar 17, Bariquit 13, Solitario 8, Pesquera 6, Mendoza 3, Lozada 3, Barba 3, Tapawan 2, Nolasco 1, Vingno 1, Jimenez 0, Sauz 0, Quinquinio 0.

FEU 77 – Salvani 28, Dela Torre 11, Manguiat 11, Lopez 9, Pasilang 6, Libor 5, Villanueva 5, Nangma 2, Paras 0, Gavaran 0, Ong 0.

Quarter Scores: 29-24, 41-48, 64-66, 82-77.

University of the East pulled off a shocker when they defeated the defending champion, De La Salle Green Archers, 75-71, in the UAAP’s 87th Season at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Red Warriors also gave La Salle its first loss of the season in front of the 6,946 spectators inside the arena who also witnessed them shoot an astonishing 12-of-30 from downtown.

John Abate led the Recto side with a career game of 20 points while firing a perfect 3-of-3 from the arc, also grabbing four boards, and sinking two-pressure packed free throws with 3.4 seconds left to complete the upset.
Wello Lingolingo had 18 points built on six triples, Gjerard Wilson contributed 10 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists, and Precious Momowei produced only five markers but hauled 12 boards.

“This batch is capable of competing and beating the No. 1 team,” beamed coach Jack Santiago as the Red Warriors improved to 2-2.

“I will give credit to my boys 'cause during our practice, I saw the intensity already. I just told them we have a good start and keep the game close,” he added.

UE actually waxed hot from the very beginning and built an early 28-11 and hold on to it until the end even though the Green Archers rallied from a 71-59 deficit in the final three minutes of the game, and got close within two points, 73-71, after Kevin Quiambao made a bucket with 28.4 seconds remaining.

Quiambao, the defending Season and Finals MVP, had a chance to bring the game to overtime but he uncharacteristically missed two free throws with 15.8 remaining on the clock. The misses led to Abate putting the finishing touches by sinking the free throws of his own.

KQ still led La Salle with 17 points, nine rebounds, and five dimes but his 4-of-10 shooting from the line overshadowed his efforts.

Michael Phillips backed him up with 16 markers and nine boards, while Vhoris Marasigan nabbed 10 in the loss.

The National University Lady Bulldogs crumbled the hopes of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses of retaining their crown with a 75-69 win in the UAAP Season 86 women’s basketball Finals at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, September 21. 

The Growling Tigresses made an effort to rally past NU in the third quarter with seven points, 68-61, anchored from three straight three-pointers courtesy of Karylle Sierba, Eka Soriano, and Kent Pastrana. 

Determined to duplicate their win in Game 3, the Tigresses hauled a 14-point deficit led by rookie Gin Relliquette who basketed a three-pointer to make it 71-64. 

However, the Lady Bulldogs weathered the late comeback of the Tigresses as they recreated a 9-point separation off Cielo Pagdugagan’s layup at the 2:22 mark, 75-64, to seal NU’s victory.

“We’re happy with the win but there’s a lot of work to be done in moving forward with this season. We must get better at protecting leads,” said NU coach Aris Dimaunahan, urging the team to fix its lapses.

Jainaba Konateh tallied a game-high 17 points along with nine rebounds, while Camille Clarin paced the team with 14 markers, 5 boards, and 4 assists. 

Angel Surada finished with a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds as NU remained the lone undefeated team in the women’s basketball tournament with a 4-0 record, sending UST down to a 3-1 slate.

Relliquette, on the other hand, finished with a team-high 12 markers. Bridgette Santos also scored 11 along with five assists, four rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.

Meanwhile, the Adamson Lady Falcons overturned a fourth quarter deficit against Ateneo Lady Eagles to claim a 78-72 victory, for a record tie of 3-1 with UST. 

The Lady Falcons recovered a slim 71-70 lead as Elaine Etang sank two crucial free throws. Ateneo was hell-bent on reclaiming the lead but a turnover committed by Kailah Oani after the timeout left Kim Limbago to basket a three-pointer with 42.4 seconds to go.

The Lady Eagles once again lost the ball following another timeout, forcing Junize Calago to foul Etang who sank another free throw to give the Lady Falcons a 75-70 cushion with 36.5 seconds left. 

Kat Agojo sealed the win for Adamson by netting two free throws after a foul from Sandra Villacruz.

Etang paced the team with 15 points and five rebounds followed by Nigerian center Victoria Adeshina with 13 and five boards.

The Scores:

First Game

NU 75 – Konateh 17, Clarin 14, Surada 11, Pagdulagan 9, Pingol 9, Cayabyab 6, Fabruada 4, Betanio 3, Canuto 2, Solis 0, Talas 0.

UST 69 – Relliquette 12, Santos 11, Dionisio 10, Soriano 8, Pastrana 7, Bron 6, Maglupay 5, N. Danganan 5, Sierba 3, Ambos 2, Serrano 0, Pineda 0.

Quarters: 24-16, 41-30, 62-42, 75-69.

Second Game

Adamson 77 – Etang 15, Adeshina 13, Mazo 11, E. Alaba 7, Agojo 7, Limbago 5, Apag 5, Meniano 5, Padilla 3, Ornopia 3, Manlimos 3, Bajo 0, Cortez 0, A. Alaba 0.

Ateneo 72 – Calago 25, Makanjoula 21, Dela Rosa 10, Oani 7, Villacruz 7, Batongbakal 2, Eufemanio 0, Cancio 0, Angala 0, Olivenza 0, Aquirre 0.

Quarters: 16-24, 29-37, 58-55, 77-72.

Finally, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters solved the mystery on how to defeat the mighty San Miguel Beermen as they scored a 122-112 victory on Thursday night and gained a solo lead in Group B of the PBA 49th Season Governors’ Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Now having a 7-2 record, ROS relied heavily on import Aaron Fuller and Beau Belga to solve the puzzle by limiting June Mar Fajardo's efficiency.

"Sa tagal ng panahon, na-tsambahan din namin (For the longest time, we are lucky to win it)," said Guiao as they somehow neutralized Fajardo and ended an 11-game losing streak against SMB.

The league's eight-time MVP was limited to 14 points and 12 rebounds, just enough for the Elasto Painters to secure the win.

"Masyadong mabigat ang San Miguel, at mabigat na panalo ang nakuha na rin (San Miguel is a heavy opponent and this win is huge for us). At may chance kami ngayon mag No. 1 (Now we have a chance to be No. 1). If we finish that job (versus Blackwater), siguro it's a better place in the quarters, better matchup for us," Guiao also said.

If ROS wins their next game against Blackwater at the last day of the eliminations on Monday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, they will secure the top seeding in Group which they already occupied as of now.

A three-way tie ensues if Rain or Shine drops that match while San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra win their respective final assignments. In such a case, the Beermen would salvage pole position.

Andrei Caracut top-scored the Elasto Painter with 20 points, while Fuller delivered 17 points and 11 rebounds, Belga logged in a season-best 16 markers that was matched by Adrian Nocum as Gian Mamuyac and Gabe Norwood chipped in 12 and 10, respectively.

CJ Perez scored a game-high 27 points even as he fouled out with over four minutes left to play, with San Miguel trailing 104-116.

SMB's final game will also be against the Bossing on Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Scores:

RAIN OR SHINE 122 - Caracut 20, fuller 17, Belga 16, Nocum 16, Mamuyac 12, Norwood 10, Lemetti 8, Clarito 7, Santillan 6, Ildefonso 5, Tiongson 3, Asistio 2.

SAN MIGUEL 112 - Perez 27, Romeo 24, Adams 24, Fajardo 14, Trollano 6, Cruz 5, Manuel 4, Lassiter 3, Ross 3, Teng 2.

QUARTERS : 33-32, 61-59, 97-88, 122-112.

Being the number one team in the league right now, the TNT Tropang Giga was expected to dominate the winless Terrafirma but the Stanley Pringle and the Dyip have other plans.

Pringle led the bottom team to upset the top team to notch their first win of the tournament, 84-72, on Thursday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The shifty guard produced 15 of his total 18 points in the fourth quarter including 10 straight that inspired his teammates to give their best until the final buzzer.

"We all stood together. At first everybody gets frustrated. Then after a while, we kept losing. And we were just like, 'hey were losing.' We might as well have fun and keep working hard," said the 37-year-old Pringle.

Terrafirma has now ended an 18-game losing streak against TNT. The last win of the franchise against the Tropang Giga was eight years ago already when then-Mahindra Enforcer defeated the KaTropa, 107-104, in the 2016 Governors’ Cup on August 26.

What made the win sweeter for the Dyip was the run they did in the game was the time that import Antonio Hester sat on the bench dealing with a hand injury. Hester still wound up with 22 markers and 10 boards.

Meanwhile, the Tropang Giga succumbed to their second defeat of the tourney in a virtually no-bearing game for them as they already secured the top spot in Group A and is set to face the seed fourth team from the other bracket come quarterfinals.

As usual, import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led TNT with his all-around game producing an almost triple-double performance tallying 25 points, 11 rebounds and nine steals.

Roger Pogoy, the only local player who supported RHJ with double-digit scoring added 23. 

Terrafirma will have their final say of the conference on Saturday when they face the Meralco Bolts at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, while TNT is set to battle NorthPort Batang Pier on Sunday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The scores:

TERRAFIRMA 84 – Hester 22, Pringle 18, Sangalang 10, Cahilig 8, Ramos 7, Hanapi 7, Hernandez 6, Ferrer 2, Olivario 2, Carino 2.

TNT 72 – Hollis-Jefferson 25, Pogoy 23, Oftana 5, Erram 4, Varilla 3, Nambatac 3, Payawal 3, Williams 2, Castro 2, Khobuntin 2, Vosotros 0, Heruela 0, Exciminiano 0.

Quarters: 15-18; 32-36; 50-57; 84-72.

Converge is not yet letting go of its original import Scotty Hopson. 

The FiberXers interim coach Franco Atienza said that they will continue to evaluate the health condition of Hopson especially that they are moving closer to clinching a quarterfinals berth in the PBA Season 49 Governor's Cup.

Because of the injury that Hopson suffered that he even played through in the past three games, Converge was forced to change its import and tapped the services of Jalen Jones.

Jones proved that he is a worthy replacement import as he produced 32 points and 10 rebounds, and helped the FiberXers in their 105-97 win against Meralco on Wednesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Though there's a new reinforcement in town, Hopson still watched the game over at the Converge bench while trying to recuperate from a hurting hip flexor.

"Right now Scotty is in the injured/reserved list and he's day to day for us," said Atienza of the import who led them to four wins including two historical victories.

Hopson became the first player who made a four-point game-winner, not just once but twice. And as of writing, he is the only one who has done the feat.

"We want to keep him there as an option, so we will continue to evaluate yung prognosis niya."

However, Franco gave the 31-year-old Jones an A+ on his PBA debut.

"Of course, Scotty is a different specimen and ito naman si Jalen brought a different aspect of the game," Franco said. "But we are very happy. Hopefully, he (Jones) sustains it."

Converge will have their final elimination game against Magnolia on September 23 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Far Eastern University earned its first win under Raiza Palmera-Dy’s mentoring after denying University of the East’s comeback attempt, 62-52, at the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, September 18.

The Lady Tamaraws held their ground despite missing Josee Kaputu, who suffered an ACL tear in her left knee during their game against National University last Saturday.

FEU established a pivotal run of 43-21 at halftime courtesy of Maxene Dela Torre, MJ Manguiat, Shane Salvani, and Rea Ong, who combined for eight three-pointers as opposed to UE who missed all of their 11 attempts after grappling with their perimeter shooting. 

Despite stumbling in the first half, the Lady Warriors pushed through and withstood the might of their opponents in the fourth quarter, propelled through the efforts of Rachel Lacayanga, Dominique Vacalares, Kate Cruz, and Aliyah Ronquillo.

It was almost but not quite for UE as their late-game surge proved to be too late when Salvani’s free throws with 13.1 seconds left sealed the victory for FEU. 

“It feels good to be here. This is what winning feels like. I will look for this feeling. But of course, this win is because of what the players did inside the court,” said FEU head coach Raiza Palmera-Dy, who saw her team improve to a 1-2 record and occupy sixth place in the standings.

Dela Torre top-scored for the Lady Tamaraws with 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal, while Manguiat and Salvani scored nine and eight, respectively.

Ong and Erica Lopez, on the other hand, produced seven apiece in the breakthrough victory.

The Lady Warriors remained winless in three games and the loss marks their 40th consecutive defeat dating back to Season 82.

Rachel Lacayanga fueled UE with 19 markers on 7-of-25 shooting from the field with eight boards as well. Ronquillo chimed in with 11 points, while Cruz and Vacalares scored eight and seven, respectively.

FEU will seek to overcome University of the Philippines on Sunday, September 22, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, aiming to capture another win, while UE will attempt to secure its first win against De La Salle University slated to play on the same day.

The Scores:

FEU 62 – Dela Torre 16, Manguiat 9, Salvani 8, Ong 7, Lopez 7, Pasilang 5, Nagma 2, Paras 2, Villanueva 2, Gavaran 2, Pagtielan 2, Libor 0, Mendaros 0.     

UE 56 – Lacayanga 19, Ronquillo 11, Cruz 8, Vacalares 7, Kone 6, Yanes 3, Ganade 2, Buscar 0, Ruiz 0, Delig 0, Lumibao 0.

Quarterscores: 24-16, 43-21, 54-32, 62-56.

University of the Philippines continued its strong campaign in the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball tournament as they demolished National University to record their third straight victory on Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The Fighting Maroons delivered haymakers after another to suffocate the Bulldogs from the beginning and finished the game with an 89-62 victory.

An early onslaught by the State U's wards made the people forget that the game was expected to be a close encounter as the two squads had been in the Final Four last season.

The game seemed like it was already over in the first half alone as the UP already erected a 31-point lead, 53-22 at the end of it.

Same scenario happened in the second half of play as the Fighting Maroons continued their dominance and even reached the peak of their lead at 39 off Harold Alarcon's three-pointer.

Mark Belmonte and JD Cagulangan led the domination with their combined 27 points. Belmonte also collared three boards and dished three assists, while Cagulangan had four dimes and two rebounds.

On the other side, only Jake Figueroa finished in double-figures with 11 markers for the Bulldogs.

The National University Lady Bulldogs powered its way to a 76-44 victory after clamping the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball tournament on Wednesday, September 18, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Lady Bulldogs unleashed a strong third quarter after settling for a tied 41 points at the half-time break, tallying 16 unanswered points for a 62-43 cushion heading into the final frame. 

The Lady Maroons endured the scoring drought and just managed to basket two points from the free-throw line courtesy of Alex Mendoza and Achrissa Maw. 

“We never look at the past things already. We move forward and we play UST in the next couple of days, we prepare for them and no emotions. It’s just playing the same basketball that has to be played the right way,” said NU coach Aris Dimaunahan.

"This game was a game of runs. Luckily, in our third quarter, we stepped on the gas, we clamped down on defense after the halftime break.”

Pringle Fabruada led the offense with 16 points and five rebounds for the Lady Bulldogs. Aloha Betanio contributed 13 markers, four boards, and four steals, while Jainaba Konateh scored 12, six rebounds, and a deflection. 

The UP Lady Maroons, meanwhile, were paced by Christie Bariquit with 14 points, in which 13 of those came in the first half. Maw posted 12 markers, three rebounds, three steals, and two blocks, while Kaye Pesquera chipped in 10 along with seven boards in the losing cause. 

NU’s victory arranged them a highly-anticipated duel with the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigresses on Saturday, September 21, at the Big Dome. 

On the other hand, UP will aim for a bounce back performance on Sunday, September 22, when they lock horns with Far Eastern University at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Scores:

NU 76 - Fabruada 16, Betanio 13, Konateh 12, Pingol 9, Cayabyab 7, Surada 6, Canuto 5, Pagdulangan 4, Clarin 2, Solis 1, Ico 1, Talas 0, Pring 0, Alterado 0.

UP 64 - Bariquit 14, Maw 12, Pesquera 10, Barba 6, Ozar 5, Mendoza 5, Nolasco 4, Jimenez 3, Solitario 3, Vingno 2, Tapawan 0, Lozada 0, Sauz 0, Quinquinio 0.

Quarterscores: 25-12, 41-41, 62-43, 76-64.

After an embarrassing 49-point beating from SMB, Barangay Ginebra bounced back big through a boost by RJ Abarrientos to deliver a 112-96 victory against Phoenix on Wednesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Abarrientos produced a career-high 24 points highlighted by a four-pointer and three triples, together with five rebounds and five assists to lead the Gin Kings in clinching a quarterfinals berth.

Japeth Aguilar joined the fray by firing 21 points, while Scottie Thompson added 20. Justin Brownlee and Maverick Ahanmisi contributed 13 and 12, respectively to balance the scoring for the crowd-favorite team.

Ginebra now has a 6-3 win-loss record, half-game behind the joint leader San Miguel and Rain or Shine which both 6-2 slates.

"We really started doing our thing and got control of the game early and kept it the whole way," said Ginebra head coach Tim Cone. "There were moments that weren't pretty, but for the most part, we played a solid game tonight."

On the Phoenix side, Jason Perkins and Sean Manganti paced the Fuel Masters with 18 markers, while import Brandone Francis added 17 and rookie Kai Ballungay produced 16.

Alec Stockton came out clutch for Converge, scoring seven of the team’s last nine points in their victory over the Meralco Bolts, 105-97 in the PBA Season 49 Governor’s Cup on Wednesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Stockton scored 12 of his 27 points in the payoff period including a big three-pointer in the final two minutes of play to put the FiberXers ahead for good, 99-97.

The Fil-Am guard also grabbed 11 rebounds to record a double-double performance and complement the game-high 32 points and 10 rebounds of their new import Jalen Jones, who came in to replace the injured Scotty Hopson.

"I just really want to give my best for the team to win. We really wanted it bad, this game," said Stockton.

The FiberXers (5-4) now hold the solo third place in Group A after the win, which was also their third straight victory. They are now ahead of Magnolia (4-4) and NorthPort (3-5) in the standings and are inching their way to have a quarterfinals berth.

“We want to prepare for the playoffs, but we want to get in there first,” said interim coach Franco Atienza.

Meanwhile, Allen Durham paced Meralco with 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while rookie CJ Cansino had a career-high 21 points together with six boards.

Chris Newsome added 14 markers and 11 rebounds before fouling out with 2:41 remaining on a contested call and the score still tied at 94.

Meralco will have their last elimination round assignment on September 21 when they face Terrafirma at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, while Converge will battle Magnolia on September 23 at the same venue.

The Scores :

CONVERGE 105 - Jones 32, Stockton 27, Arana 12, Winston 8, Caralipio 8, Delos Santos 7, Santos 6, Ambohot 3, Nieto 2, Melecio 0, Andrade 0, Vigan-Fleming 0, Fornilos 0.

MERALCO 97 - Durham 25, Cansino 21, Newsome 14, Quinto 12, Banchero 10, Caram 6, Hodge 5, Bates 2, Almazan 2, Jose 0, Mendoza 0, Rios 0.

QUARTERS: 29-30, 51-53, 79-77, 105-97.