NU exacts revenge against La Salle, extends win streak to 13
National University avenged their last season loss over De La Salle University, 72-63, in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, November 13, at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The Lady Bulldog’s victory turned out to be sweeter than usual as they finally banished the ghost of their past, avenging their devastating defeat in the hands of the Lady Archers at the same UST venue on November 23, 2022.
Far Eastern University is the lone team standing in the way of NU’s elimination round sweep.
If the Lady Bulldogs win, it will be their first since Season 82 in 2019, but it would be their seventh elimination round sweep in nine seasons.
"We're happy that what happened before didn't occur. Same venue, I just don't remember if it's the same jersey color, but I'm really happy because we weren't really making our shots from the outside," Lady Bulldogs head coach Aris Dimaunahan said.
"Every time we play here, we cannot find our mark in terms of shooting from beyond the arc, but there were times when we needed it the most, we shot," added the former Blackwater head coach as NU shot just 8-of -35 from deep.
The first period ended in a 20-all standstill after NU had fallen behind as much as eight points. It demolished La Salle with a 13-4 run, led by rookie Cielo Pagdulagan, who scored seven unanswered points, to establish a commanding 33-24 lead at the half.
The Lady Bulldog’s powerful 26-17 third quarter performance gave them the moment they needed to increase their lead to 15 points, 56-41.
Ann Pingol’s inside hit and Camille Clarin’s late triple gave NU a decisive 63-47 lead in the final frame, allowing them to secure their 13th straight win and repeat their 64-49 first-round victory over La Salle on September 8.
Pagdulagan led the Lady Bulldogs with 11 points, three rebounds, and one block, while Aloha Betanio scored nine markers, pulled down five boards, and dished out five dimes in an overall strong performance.
In addition to her nine points, Gypsy Canuto recorded two rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Tin Cayabyab also contributed nine markers, six boards, two dimes, and one deflection.
The Lady Bulldogs will face the FEU Lady Tamaraws in an attempt to achieve the coveted elimination round sweep.
The DLSU Lady Archers, who had won their previous two games, dropped to a 4-8 slate with one game remaining in their Season 87 campaign.
Luisa San Juan top scored for La Salle with 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals, while Lee Sario finished with 14 markers, four boards, three deflections, and two assists.
In addition to Kyla Sunga’s 12 points, five rebounds, one assist, and one steal, Patricia Mendoza added six markers, seven boards, and one dime.
The Lady Archers will square off with the UST Growling Tigresses, the reigning Season 86 champions, in an attempt to close out the season on a high note.
The Scores:
NU (72) - Pagdulagan 11, Betanio 9, Canuto 9, Cayabyab 9, Clarin 8, Surada 7, Pingol 6, Konateh 3, Fabruada 3, Villanueva 3, Solis 2, Ico 2, Pring 0, Alterado 0, Garcia 0, Talas 0.
DLSU (63) - San Juan 19, Sario 14, Sunga 12, Mendoza 6, Bacierto 4, Paraiso 4, Binaohan 2, Dalisay 2, Dela Paz 0.
Quarter Scores: 9-15, 33-24, 56-41, 72-63.
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For the 13th time in league history, the NBA has named an international player as its Most Valuable Player — a growing trend that speaks volumes about the sport’s global evolution.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has officially been named the 2024–25 Kia NBA MVP, beating out a stacked field and extending the streak of international MVPs to seven consecutive seasons.
He also becomes the fourth player in Thunder history to win the award, following in the footsteps of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden — a trio that helped establish OKC as one of the premier breeding grounds for elite talent in the modern NBA.
The international MVP legacy traces back to Hakeem Olajuwon, who won the award in 1993–94 while representing Nigeria. It continued with the quiet dominance of Tim Duncan from the U.S. Virgin Islands, who secured back-to-back trophies in 2002 and 2003. Steve Nash, Canada’s first MVP, also went back-to-back in 2005 and 2006, before Dirk Nowitzki of Germany claimed his own in 2007.
Following a stretch dominated by American stars, the MVP conversation shifted again in the late 2010s. Giannis Antetokounmpo earned his two titles in 2019 and 2020, and then Nikola Jokić launched his own historic run with three MVPs in four years. In between came Joel Embiid, who broke through in 2023 for Cameroon.
The Denver Nuggets pushed the West No. 1 seed, the Oklahoma City Thunder, to a thrilling Game 7 match-up after defeating them 119-107 in Game 6 on Thursday, May 16 (PH time) at the Ball Arena in Denver.
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His partner, Jamal Murray, backed him up with a strong performance, putting up 25 markers, eight boards, seven dimes, and a crucial rejection. Christian Braun also made his presence felt, delivering a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds, while adding five assists, three steals, and a block to the stat sheet.
The Nuggets’ bench came alive with Julian Strawther providing the spark they needed, finishing with 15 markers and two boards to help maintain the team’s momentum throughout the game.
In this Player Profile Series, we look back at the career of Benjie Paras—“The Tower of Power”—the only player in PBA history to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.
Paras was drafted by the Shell Turbo Chargers in 1989 and made an immediate impact. With his strength, mobility, and basketball IQ, he brought a complete inside presence—shot-blocking, rebounding, mid-range shooting, and post scoring. Shell didn’t win a title that year, but Paras’ dominant rookie season stood out above the rest.
In 1990, Paras led Shell to its first PBA championship, defeating Anejo Rhum in six games in the Open Conference Finals—a series remembered for Anejo’s controversial Game 6 walkout. The following year, Shell and Ginebra met again in the Reinforced Conference Finals. Shell took a 3–1 series lead but couldn’t close it out. Ginebra forced a Game 7 and won it on Rudy Distrito’s buzzer-beater.
Paras bounced back in 1992, helping Shell win another title—this time over San Miguel. But the team struggled with consistency after that. In 1993, Paras sat out one conference due to a contract dispute and requested a trade to Anejo, which didn’t materialize. He shifted focus to his acting career before returning to Shell. The team wouldn’t make another Finals appearance until the 1996 Commissioner’s Cup, where they pushed Alaska to seven games but came up short. Paras was back in the MVP conversation that season.
In 1998, Paras returned to the Finals in the Centennial Cup but lost to Mobiline. The rematch came later that year in the Governor’s Cup. Shell trailed 2–3 in the series but fought back to win in Game 7, with Paras and Gerry Esplana stepping up in crunch time.
His final championship came in 1999, leading Shell past the Tanduay Rhum Makers in six games. Facing a tough frontcourt that featured Fil-Ams Eric Menk and Sonny Alvarado, Paras held his own and steered Shell to the title. He won his second MVP that year—ten years after his first.
In the early 2000s, Paras battled injuries and eventually joined San Miguel in 2003. He retired at the end of that season, finishing his PBA career with 10,322 points in 574 games.
Paras also represented the Philippines in the 1990 Asian Games, where the national team brought home a silver medal after falling to China in the final.
In 2013, he returned to basketball as an assistant coach for the San Beda Red Lions and played in the PBA Legends Asia Tour the following year.
After his playing days, Paras transitioned into showbiz. He appeared in a range of TV dramas, sitcoms, and fantasy series, and also hosted game shows. Known for his versatility, Paras became a familiar face both on screen and on stage.
He is married to Lyxen Diomampo and has three children with her. He also has two sons from a previous marriage with actress Jackie Forster—Andre, who pursued both basketball and acting, and Kobe, who played college basketball in the U.S. and later for the UP Fighting Maroons before turning pro in Japan.