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TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the Tropang Giga in their 81-79 win over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters during Game 4 of their best-of-seven finals series of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup held at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum last night, October 16.

The defending champions now have a 3-1 lead in the series and one win away from getting back to the finals. They can grab that chance on Friday, October 18, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Hollis-Jefferson slam dunk in the last 37.3 seconds of play which eventually became the final basket of the game that gave TNT its narrow victory.

RHJ played an all-around game and produced 23 points, 19 rebounds, five assists, five steals, and five blocks.

“It’s kind of tough, because I can’t dunk every play. But I knew we really needed a basket,” said the TNT import.

Rey Nambatac and Calvin Oftana contributed 15 markers each to help in the scoring department.

TNT head coach Chot Reyes said that it was a tough game for them as the defense of the Elasto Painters was so tight but a good thing for them, they never backed down and they brought out the best in them.

"It was a grind and we just kept reminding the players to stick with it. We knew it was going to be a grind, actually," said Reyes.

“That’s far from our minds right now. Our thought is the preparation for the next game. Rain or Shine came up with a great game plan today, But I thought our players fought hard, buckled down, and gave a lot to the effort that they put in,” he added.

Meanwhile, the 22 points and 18 rebounds of RoS import Aaron Fuller were not enough to bring the game to overtime or even steal from the Tropang Giga.

The Meralco Bolts dealt their first loss in the second season of the East Asia Super League (EASL) at the hands of Japan B.League squad, Ryukyu Golden Kings, 77-74, Wednesday night, October 16, at the Okinawa Arena in Japan.

The Bolts fell prey to last year’s B.League runner up despite making a valiant effort to mount a comeback rally. Import Allen Durham, who was playing against his former team for the first time, along with Bong Quinto and DJ Kennedy, steered the team into a late game surge that only fell short.

With 2:50 minutes left, the Bolts were behind 66-77 before they sank eight unanswered points to cut the deficit to three, 74-77, with 41.7 remaining. Durham had the opportunity to force the game into overtime but his game-tying three-point attempt was knocked by Ryukyu import Victor Law.

Law, who once played for the Orlando Magic, helped the Golden Kings to avoid catastrophe as they won their first EASL game to take a 1-0 lead in Group B.

Durham finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in the losing cause that dropped Meralco to 1-1 record after failing to build on its recent home soil victory over the Macau Black Bears, 97-85, at the SM Mall of Asia.

Kennedy paced the Bolts with 30 markers and 12 boards, while Chris Newsome hammered 18.

Law led the Golden Kings with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds, another import Jack Cooley fired the same output along with seven boards, while naturalized player Alex Kirk supplemented 12.

The Bolts' next game is against Busan KCC Egis of the Korean Basketball League on November 13 at Philsports Arena.

The Scores:

Ryukyu (77) — Law 18, Cooley 18, Kirk 12, Eumatsu 9, Matsuwaki 9, Waki 6, Kishimoto 3, Arakawa 2, Onodera 0.

Meralco (74) — Kennedy 30, Durham 18, Newsome 18, Kouame 4, Quinto 4, Bates 0, Almazan 0, Caram 0.

Quarter Scores: 23-18; 51-35; 66-57; 77-74.

University of Santo Tomas unlatched its second round campaign with a dominating win over University of the Philippines, 84-57, in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament Sunday afternoon, October 14, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

Veteran guard Tacky Tacatac showed no signs of ceasing her hot streak as she bolstered UST to a 7-1 record with their fourth straight win. 

Tacatac finished with a game-high 23 points, as three consecutive three-pointers courtesy of Karylle Sierba and Kent Pastrana ballooned UST’s lead to 14 entering the fourth period, 60-46, keeping hold of solo second place. 

“Coach told us in the dugout that we needed to focus on defense because our scoring was useless if we were also letting the opponent score, which is why we couldn’t pull away. Luckily, in the second half, we were able to stop UP,” said Tacatac.

Sierba contributed 15 markers, all from the three-point line. Pastrana chipped in 11 points and five rebounds. CJ Maglupay scored 10 and 11 boards, while Brigette Santos tallied eight markers, seven dimes, and six deflections.

In the fourth quarter, Louna Ozar gave the Fighting Maroons a quick boost by scoring four points a row to cut the deficit to 10, 50-60. But that hope swiftly diminished when UST answered with a 17-2 run, taking a dominating 77-52 lead with 5:08 remaining in the game.

The Growling Tigresses will seek for another win when they face Ateneo on Saturday, October 19, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

As the Fighting Maroons dropped to fifth place with a 3-5 slate, they will have to take on  National University on Sunday, October 20, at the same venue.

The Scores:

UST 84 – Tacatac 23, Sierba 15, Pastrana 11, Maglupay 10, Santos 8, Ambos 6, Soriano 5, Reliquette 4, Pineda 2, Bron 0, Pescador 0, Danganan 0, Serrano 0, Lopez 0, Amatong 0.

UP 57 – Ozar 15, Pesquera 10, Bariquit 8, Sauz 6, Maw 6, Tapawan 5, Lozada 5, Mendoza 2, Jimenez 0, Barba 0, Vingno 0, Solitario 0, Nolasco 0.

Quarter Scores: 22-16, 41-38, 60-46, 84-57

National University maintained its flawless record in the second round of the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday, October 13, with a commanding 20-point victory against Ateneo, 82-62, at the Araneta Coliseum.

Rookie Cielo Pagdulagan delivered her usual fine form for the Lady Bulldogs with 16 points along with seven assists, six rebounds, and five steals without committing a turnover to end the match with a game-high plus-27 rating off the bench.

In their first round matchup, Ateneo had given NU everything it had before the Lady Bulldogs clinched 66-58. This time, they had less difficulty, taking control of the game with a 20-point second quarter and winning by a significant margin.

"The one week break that happened between the first round and the second round really helped us in preparing for this game specifically because we had a lot of time processing and laying down the game plan," said NU coach Aris Dimaunahan. 

Banking on the absence of Ateneo’s leading player Junize Calago, who fouled out early in the third quarter at 7:18, the Lady Bulldogs extended their lead to a game-high 22 points, 56-34, courtesy of Aloha Betanio’s layup and triple.

Betanio recorded 11 markers, five boards, three dimes, and four deflections, while May Canuto supplemented 11 points, four rebounds, and two assists. 

Jainaba Konateh and Camille Clarin each provided eight and seven markers, while Angel Surada only managed to score three points on one of four shots but still pulled down eight rebounds.

The Lady Bulldogs hope to keep their record unblemished when they face the UP Fighting Maroons next Sunday, October 20, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Meanwhile, Kacey Dela Rosa tallied her eight consecutive double-double with 22 points and 17 rebounds, as well as an assists and a block, while Nigerian center Sarah Makanjoula was limited to seven markers on 2-of-8 shooting but still managed to finish with 11 boards, two deflections, one rejections, and one dimes.

After fouling out, Calago posted six points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals, but also committed six turnovers. 

Ateneo will strive to end a two-game losing streak against the reigning champions Growling Tigresses next Saturday, October 19, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The Scores:

NU (82) - Pagdulagan 16, Betanio 11, Canuto 11, Konateh 8, Clarin 7, Villanueva 6, Pingol 5, Fabruada 4, Solis 4, Cayabyab 3, Surada 3, Ico 2, Alterado 2, Pring 0, Talas 0

Ateneo (62) - Dela Rosa 22, Makanjuola 7, Cruza 7, Calago 6, Batongbakal 6, Oani 6, Angala 5, Villacruz 2, Eufemiano 1, Nieves 0, Aquirre 0, Olivenza 0, Cancio 0, Lopez 0, Fetalvero 0.

Quarter Scores: 19-14, 39-25, 64-47, 82-62.

Wello Lingolingo saved the UE Red Warriors on Sunday night, October 6, by knocking down a game-winning buzzer beater jumper to take a thrilling 63-62 victory against Adamson Soaring Falcons at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Lingolingo got a timely offensive board off a Nico Mulingtapang miss, then double-pumped in the air before taking a bank shot at the buzzer that sealed the game and extended the University of the East win streak to five games.

UE finished the first round of eliminations with a 5-2 record to place solo third.

“Yung nakita ko yung oras, hindi ako nag-dala­wang isip. Luckily, pumasok yung shot,” said Lingolingo off his game-winning basket.

“Sinasabi ni coach Jack (Santiago) na hindi dapat hinahanap ‘yung laro, ha­yaan mo ‘yung laro ‘yung pupunta sayo. ‘Yun lang yung ginagawa ko wala akong tinitake na forced shot. ‘Yung game-winning shot hindi ko talaga ini­-­expect, parang nandoon lang talaga ako tapos na-make ko lang salamat kay God,” he added. 

Precious Momowei led UE in scoring with 14 points, together with 11 rebounds and three steals, while Devin Fikes added 11 markers and three boards.

The Red Warriors only led twice in the game, the first being a 53-52 advantage at the 7:53 mark of the fourth period on a Lingolingo three-pointer before the Soaring Falcons answered back. 

UE’s second lead was the game-winner.

Meanwhile, Adamson suffered their second straight loss and fell to fifth place with a 3-4 slate.

The Scores:

UE 63 – Momowei 14, Fikes 11, Lingolingo 10, Galang 10, J. Cruz-Dumont 8, Mulingtapang 4, Maga 4, Abate 2, Wilson 0, Spandonis 0, H. Cruz-Dumont 0.

ADAMSON 62 – Montebon 12, Erolon 11, Mantua 9, Manzano 9, Yerro 7, Calisay 6, Fransman 5, Anabo 2, Ojarikre 1, Barasi 0, Ramos 0, Ignacio 0, Barcelona 0, Dignadice 0.

Quarters: 18-23, 34-39, 48-50, 63-62.

The PBA Commissioner’s Cup will feature a one-import format with unlimited height.

There will also be a guest team in Hong Kong Eastern which is close to finalizing their entry for the said conference.

Each team will be allowed to field one import with unlimited height, including HKE as the 13th team of the tournament after they formalized their entry.

"Imports natin for the Commissioner's Cup isa lang with unlimited height. Pinag-usapan din namin sa Hong Kong Eastern yun. And pumayag din sila doon," said PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial.

Marcial added the league and the Hong Kong-based ballclub already agreed in principle about the team's coming participation in the mid-season conference which comes off the wraps on November 27.

"Kontrata na lang. Pero in principle ok na kami nung team owner (chairman Frankie Yau). Kausap ko siya nung isang araw nasa Europe siya. Gagawa na lang ng kontrata," said Marcial.

The guest team can also change imports but could only field one at a time and import-change should be according to the PBA's regulation.

It means that the original import can be replaced, but had to be relegated in the injury/reserved list in order to be eligible to return if ever his team decides so.

But the replacement import could no longer return once he's been supplanted by the original reinforcement.

Hong Kong Eastern is also eyeing a two-year stint with the league but Marcial said they have to discuss it first after the season finished.

One more thing, the Hong Kong team will not have a home game this conference and they will play their entire schedule in the country.

Adamson University ended the first round of the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Basketball Tournament, securing a solo third place following a 63-51 win against University of the East on Sunday, October 6, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Lady Falcons delivered a stellar performance for their Season 87 campaign, closing out the first round with a 5-2 record. The last time they achieved this much success was when they finished third place after losing against De La Salle University back in Season 75 in 2012.

“I’m very happy with how the first round went for us. It’s all about the effort of the players. On our part, we’ll just guide them,” said Lady Falcons head coach Ryan Monteclaro.

The third quarter became a challenge for the Lady Falcons as they had to weather UE’s charges. The Lady Warriors kicked off the second half with a 16-6 run fueled with Ivy Yanez’s eight-point surge to cut the deficit to 47-37.

However, Adamson was able to quickly regain their composure with nine unanswered points in the final period as their lead ballooned to 56-37 advantage eventually sealing the game to secure their fifth win of the season. 

Monteclaro fielded all of 16 of his players, with 13 of them getting on the scoresheet.

Kim Limbago tallied 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting with three assists, two rebounds, and one steal for the Lady Falcons. Kim Adeshina supplemented seven markers, 11 boards, three blocks, one deflection, and one dime, while Angela Alaba contributed seven points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Yanez led the Lady Warriors with 16 markers, six boards, three dimes, and one block, while Katherine Ruiz and Aliyah Ronquillo supplied 12 and 10 points, respectively, in the losing effort.

San Miguel averted disaster after dispatching the Converge FiberXers in the toe-to-toe Game 5 of their quarterfinals match-up, 109-105, on Sunday night at the Ynares Center, Antipolo.

June Mar Fajardo showed why he's an eight-time MVP by producing a monster double-double of 40 points and 24 rebounds to lead the Beermen in entering the semis of the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup.

Fajardo went 15-of-27 from the field and shot 10-of-12 from the free throw line to carry much of the load in SMB's triumph.

Though having a lot of contributions, JMF said that they all step-up in their do-or-die victory.

"Nag-step up kami lahat sa game na ito. Do-or-die na ito, kapag natalo kami, uuwi na. Ayaw pa naming umuwi," said Fajardo.

"Lagi kaming sinasabihan ni coach (Jorge Gallent) na laruin ang 'San Miguel basketball' at 'yun nga ang ginawa namin para makuha ito," he added.

The FiberXers might have fallen down in the series but they made a gallant stand against the mighty Beermen led by their import Jalen Jones who also had a double-double of 29 points and 17 rebounds.

Alec Stockton produced 22 for Converge, while Bryan Santos and Alex Cabagnot contributed 16 and 14 markers, respectively.

They were still in the game until Schonny Winston misfired a four ball then Jones fumbled a kick-out from Cabagnot in the closing seconds.

SMB now set a best-of-seven semi-finals match-up against Barangay Ginebra that will begin on Wednesday, October 9, at the PhilSports Arena.

Rain or Shine advanced to the semi-finals of the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup after defeating Magnolia in the Game 5 of their grueling battle, 113-103, on Saturday night, October 5, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

Andrei Caracut rose to the occasion by scoring six of his 14 points in the final two minutes of the game.

Aaron Fuller produced his usual contribution by knocking 26 points and grabbing nine rebounds, while Jhonard Clarito and Adrian Nocum added 17 markers each.

Leonard Santillan and Keith Datu were also vital in the Elasto Painters’ win as they chalked up 12 and 11 points, respectively.

RoS head coach Yeng Guiao said that he is proud of how his young team fought against a veteran team like Magnolia.

"Proud ako as they competed and fought it out and hindi sila bumigay under pressure. It's the fighting heart that these guys showed," said Guiao.

Javari Bird led the Hotshots with 23 points and 15 rebounds, while Calvin Abueva added 16 and Jerrick Ahanmisi contributed 15.

Rain or Shine will now face the TNT Tropang Giga in a best-of-seven semi-finals series that will start on Wednesday, October 9, at the PhilSports Arena.

Converge surprised the mighty Beermen once again as they dragged them to a winner-take-all showdown after having a 114-110 victory in Game 4 of their PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup quarterfinals match-up to tie the series on Friday night, October 4, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The FiberXers put the pressure on SMB by making clutch plays in the end including Bryan Santos' back-to-back triples that gave them a 101-95 lead in the home stretch.

“We just bank on hope in Game 3 because we were down 2-0. And now we banked on grit. We’ll bring that hope and grit to Game 5,” said Converge head coach Franco Atienza.

Deschon Winston steered Converge in scoring with 26 points, including 16 in the third canto, while Justin Arana contributed solid 25 markers.

Import Jalen Jones added 22 for the FiberXers but had to sit down in the precious minutes of the game when he was called for a flagrant foul penalty on a landing spot rule.

Good thing for Converge, Santos stepped up when he came in to give the FiberXers the boost they needed to erect a 14-point lead that virtually sealed the game for them.

“Wala na 'yong stats, wala na 'yong mga (previous games). Everything is out of the window. It’s just one game,” added Franco ahead of Sunday’s do-or-die encounter.

SMB was led by EJ Anosike with 35 points and 11 rebounds, while June Mar Fajardo added 17 markers and 20 boards.

Game 5 will be held on Sunday, October 6, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. The winner will then face Barangay Ginebra in a best-of-seven semifinals series.

The Elasto Painters team is now ready for their competition against Magnolia Hotshots in another do-or-die game tomorrow, Saturday, October 5, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Coach Yeng Guiao firmly believes that through this match, their desire to end the eight-year hunger for a title will be strong and soon to get hold of it.

It can be remembered that last Tuesday in their intense Game 4 against the Hotshots, Rain or Shine failed to get the third win and they were dumped by Magnolia, 129-100. Guiao said that his team's stability as well as their resiliency and character will be tested in their clash tomorrow (Saturday) against the Hotshots.

“Yung experience of playing a Game 5, of being in a winner-take-all situation, sa akin, kasama na ng build up yun. We're always getting better every playoff game that we played,” said the head coach of Rain or Shine.

“So investment namin ito sa future ng team na para lalo kang tumitibay pag ka ganitong sitwasyon. So a Game 5 would be good for us as a team. This Saturday pag balik namin kailangan mas prepared kami for a very physical game, noting how the Hotshots played physically in the previous game.” Guiao added. 

“On our end, siguro kailangan kaming mag step up in terms of being a little bit more aggressive defensively and medyo yung transition game namin, yung running game namin, I don’t know if we’re tired or we’re a little slower or not able to get into the pace that we would usually be playing,” told Guiao. 

The winner of the series will play TNT Tropang Giga in the best-of-seven semis that begins on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

Meralco tamed the new team Macau Black Bears and gave them a rude welcome in the East Asia Super League (EASL) Home and Away Season 2.

The Bolts, just recently eliminated from their PBA Governors’ Cup campaign, poured out their frustrations against Macau with a 97-85 win on Wednesday night, October 2, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Chris Newsome led Meralco with 18 points and six assists, while import Allen Durham produced double-double numbers, 17 markers and 11 boards.

The other Meralco import, DJ Kennedy contributed solid numbers by scoring 17 points, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing off eight dimes.

Another Chris also tallied double-digit in scoring as Banchero shared 14 for the Bolts.

Naturalized player Ange Kouame added nine points and nine rebounds for Meralco, which led by as many as 19 points.

"It's nice to win our first game in the country. We played with a lot of pride, although we didn't play our best game, at least we got one over here in our home turf," said coach Luigi Trillo after the game.

On the other hand, Will Artino and Jeantal Cylla both scored 23 for Macau while grabbing a combined 21 rebounds.

Meralco will be in action again on October 16 against Ryukyu Golden Kings at the Okinawa Arena, Japan.

The scores:

Meralco (97) -- Newsome 18, Durham 17, Kennedy 17, Banchero 14, Kouame 9, Almazan 7, Quinto 7, Hodge 4, Caram 2, Bates 2.

Macau Black Bears (85) -- Cylla 23, Artino 23, Chongqui 21, Leung 10, Deguara 8, Chao 0, Li 0, Zeng 0, Lao 0, Chan 0.

Quarter Scores: 24-17; 43-39; 73-64; 97-85.

San  Miguel Beermen failed to protect home court in the opening game of the East Asia Super League (EASL) Home and Away Season 2 as they succumbed to Suwon KT Sonicboom of the Korean Basketball League, 87-81, on Wednesday night, October 2, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The 6-foot-9 import of Sonicboom, Rayshaun Hammond dropped 39 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Korean squad in defeating the reigning PBA Commissioner’s Cup champion.

Hammonds even scored seven in the 9-0 blast made by Suwon at the tail end of the fourth period to give their team an 87-75 lead.

Meanwhile, Beermen import EJ Anosike led the team with 34 markers and seven boards, while PBA reigning MVP June Mar Fajardo produced 19 and 9.

At the end of first half, SMB was still leading at 43-39 but the team did not sustain their good start.

"In the first half of this game, everybody played well, everybody played hard. It was just those small things coming to the end game that really cost us the game," said San Miguel coach Jorge Gallent.

On the side of the visitors, Suwon KT coach Son Young-jin uttered, "We execute well our game plan."

Next game for the San Miguel Beermen will be on November 13 against the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots at the PhilSports Arena.

A resounding recommendation from Kiefer Ravena undeniably fuelled the NLEX Road Warriors with American DeQuan Jones joining the team in the remainder of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup.

Prior to replacing Myke Henry and donning the shades of blue, orange, and white for his first ever PBA stint, Jones played alongside Ravena, who was a former Road Warriors, for the B. League team Shiga last season.

In spite of having no experience playing for Filipino teams, Jones had a minimal to none adjustment period as he insinuated that it is fun to play in a country that really loves and respects the game of basketball.

“The Philippines is a great place,” Jones said during an exclusive interview with Dribble Report. “I can tell the love for the game is deeply rooted in the culture and in the people. It has been a fun experience so far.”

His scorching performances propelled the Road Warriors to book a ticket into the quarterfinals of this year’s Governors’ Cup and even earned a gleaming nod from Filipino basketball enthusiasts.

As the road towards the crown became suffocating, Jones complimented his squad saying despite there might be times that the game would not play out the way they had hoped for, they still fought through the adversity.

“I think to some extent they didn't beat us. We beat ourselves with turnovers,” told the alumnus of University of Miami.

“I think that speaks to what type of talent and what kind of team we have. I don't think they beat us. I think we beat ourselves,” he added.

Jones also did not forget to take pride in his relationship with his teammates and an incredible amount of compliments were showered to their head coach, Jong Uichico who boasts a wealth of experience that steered them to where they are today.

“Our relationship is really good. Coach Jong as a coach, his skill set, he does a great job with keeping everybody poised,” praised Jones with regards to the veteran tactician. 

The 6-foot-8 forward also added that Coach Jong does a great job with managing emotions and handling temperaments within his wards.

“He does a great job regardless of what the circumstances are. Keeping everybody focused. Keeping everybody engaged. I think that's a testament to his experience and his tenure as head coach.”

Coach Jong took the reins of leading the NLEX Road Warriors after Frankie Lim stepped down from the position after two years with the ballclub.

As of writing, the NLEX failed to establish a roadblock that would prevent TNT from securing a semifinal spot. 

The firepower of Tropang Giga prevailed as they pounced the Road Warriors with a 125-96 victory.

TNT booked the second ticket in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup semi-finals after dispatching the NLEX Road Warriors, 125-96, in their game last night, October 1, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The Tropang Giga got the 3-1 triumph in their best-of-five series with a 29-point blowout to continue its journey to their title defense bid.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson once again led TNT with his 35 points and 11 rebounds, while Rey Nambatac delivered 19 markers on a 7-of-12 shooting from the field, and RR Pogoy also contributed 18 on 6-of-10 shooting.

Calvin Oftana had his own share by manufacturing 11 points and grabbing 10 boards.

At the end of first quarter, the Tropang Giga already erected a 10-point lead. Then, they started the second period with an 11-0 blast, and never looked back from that moment to finally seal the deal at the end of the game.

With the quick series win against the Road Warriors, TNT will enjoy some rest while awaiting the Rain or Shine-Magnolia knock-out matchup on whom they will play in the best-of-seven final four.

"In basketball, it's about playing defense and putting the ball in the hoops. In the quarterfinals, we finally hit some shots," said TNT coach Chot Reyes.

"Whichever we play will be a much different team, and it will be a test for our flexibility and adaptability. It will be a big test for our defense," he added.

Robert Bolick and DeQuan Jones had 25 and 21 markers, respectively, for NLEX, but TNT’s hot 57.5 percent shooting from the field was too much for the Road Warriors to overcome.