Thursday, September 25, 2008

Ateneo Blue Eagles are the UAAP Champions


After a 6 year drought, the Ateneo Blue Eagles are now back in the top, defeating the long time nemesis La Salle Green Archers, 62-51. Stingy-defense was the key to the victory for the Blue Eagles, as they limited the Archers with only 51 points, its the lowest output by La Salle this season. Chris Tiu, after a 2 point output in Game 1,scored 16 points, 14 of them in the first half as he was responsible of spearheading the attack. After leading 20-17, Chris Tiu unleashes a 7-0 run on his won giving Ateneo the lead 27-17. The Blue Eagles controlled the game and was championship-ready, as they made the largest lead of 15 points 41-26 at halftime. The Green Archers just refused ot give up as they made a huge comeback behind JV Casio and Rico Maeirhofer. The 5th year guard Casio unleashes five of his three pointers in the third quarter pushes La Salle within striking distance. Rico Maeirhofer, also made the damage in the third quarter, the Green Archers gained the momentum. With 1:31 to play in the third quarter, Maeirhofer got the second technical foul of waving a "dirty finger" with the disagreement from the La Salle bench. He was ejected in the game, still the Green Archers cut the deficit to 3 points, 47-50 by the end of the third quarter. In the 4th quarter, the Blue Eagles use their swarming defense, as they held on the lead. With Nonoy Baclao, making key defensive stops, blocking PJ Walsmham's and the offensive foul on JV Casio,the Eagles are roaring for the championship. Baclao was named the Finals MVP. Ateneo also Sswept the Indiviudual awards of the UAAP, Ateneo's Rabeh Al-Hussaini bagging the MVP, Ryan Buenafe for the Rookie of the Year and Nonoy Baclao hailed as the Defensive Player of the year.

Quiñahan Traded to Air 21

Former University of the Visayas Green Lancer, behemoth center JR Quiñahan was traded to Air 21 in exchange for the 6th round pick Mark Borboran. Nickname as the "Baby Shaq", the Cebuano cager will be suiting up in a new team as the PBA resumes its games on October 4. Borboran, in the other hand, might be the good choice for Alaska. He can play both the no 2 and 3 positions, he can shoot from the outside, versatile and has the quickness of a guard. It will give the Aces more speed and agility. Recently acquiring former no 1 pick Joe Devance, the Aces will have a formidable line-up this season. Meanwhile, the Air 21 express will beefed up its front court with the addition of JR Quiñahan. The presence of a big man proved to be the most needed player in the team. Finishing first runner-up in the previous season, the Express will now be tested in this coming season without an import.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Blue Eagles edged Green Archers in Game 1 of the UAAP Finals




Ateneo Blue Eagles prove once again why they were the no 1 team in the UAAP, outlasting the La Salle Green Archers 69-61. Rookie Ryan Buanafe, provided the much needed firepower in the first half as he scored all of his 12 points, grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing out 4 assists. With Chris Tiu and Nonoy Baclao sat out the most of the first half because of foul trouble, Jai Reyes came out blazing and provided the lift, hitting 3 3-pointers. Trailing 26-29 after a La Salle run, the Eagles closed out the first half with 10-to-0 spurt. Back-to-back baskets by their center Rabeh Al-Hussaini in the third quarter, the Eagles were ahead for good as they made the largest lead of 14 points. Al-Hussaini's dominance was the big thorn and problem for the Archers. He scored 20 of his 31 points in the second half and finishing the game with 10 rebounds.Chris Tiu was nowhere to be found as he was affected early by foul trouble and finishing the game with 2 points. Another unsung hero was Nonoy Baclao making 2 straight rejections on James Mangahas and Rico Maierhofer in La Salle's attempt to trim the lead. He finished with 7 block shots.. JV Casio still managed to score 20 points on 8 out of 24 shooting and Maierhofer finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds. With a sellout crowd of 23000 in Game 1, and this would even be better in the next game this thursday. Ateneo Vs La Salle once again..

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Its La Salle vs Ateneo!


The biggest,loudest and the popular rivalry in the UAAP will entertain the nation once again as the newest basketball showdown is coming. La Salle and Ateneo will again square-off in the finals at the 71st UAAP Mens basketball this September 21. Disposing their respective counterparts of Far Eastern University and University of the East in the semifinals,respectively, the two teams are aching for the much awaited and historic match-up in the UAAP Finals.
La-Salle was the first to enter in the finals with a squeaker of a win against the talented Far eastern University. The Tamarraws held off the lead and once led 10 points in the first half, only to lose the lead in the closing 2 minutes in the fourth quarter. James Mangahas provides the spark for the Archers in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 of his 20 points, including the go-ahead three point-play in the dying seconds of the game. FEU has the chance to send the game into overtime with Marc Baracael shooting 2 free throws. Under extreme pressure, Baracael missed the first and eventually missed the second. That was the last hope for the Tamarraws as they have missed the Finals once again. The Archers is 12 out of 12 when capturing the twice-to-beat advantage barging into the finals.
In the next game, Ateneo Blue Eagles showed why they are the number one team in the eliminations as they clobbered University of the East 70-50. It was a hard fought battle in the first quarter as the Red Warriors led by five points with James Martinez making 5 straight points. They even led by 6 points 11-5. That would be the last ditch effort for the Warriors as the Blue Eagles finally found their mark. Jai Reyes and Eric Salamat provide the explosion in the first quarter as they combined for 13 points in the first quarter alone. Back to back treys by Reyes and a basket by Salamat, brought the lead back to Ateneo 13-11 and eventually stretched their lead to 11 points 32-21 as Al-Hussaini provides the added lift for the Eagles. In the third quarter, Nonoy Baclao takes over. His all round performance was very evident in the third quarter, providing hustle points and key defensive stops as the Eagles have the lead of 28 points 56-28 bridging from the third to the fourth quarter. The Ateneo Blue Eagles never look back as they barged into the finals once again after a one year absence. They will face their long time nemesis La Salle University.
Ateneo de Manila University vs De La Salle University Green Archers will resume its finals showdown on September 21, 2008. This would be an exciting and grueling match-up!!!

Pennisi to San Miguel

Red Bull traded its big man Mick Pennisi to San Miguel in exchange for the 1st round pick in the 2010 PBA draft. With Samigue Eman fit to play in this coming PBA Season, San Miguel is expected to have a solid frontcourt. Only Danny Ildefonso will not play within 3 months. the two-time MVP undergo surgery in both knees. Pennisi will be teamed up with his former teammate Lordy Tugade.And he is expected to have a big impact on the team, not only in the court but also in teaching valuable lessons for the young players in the team. The experience that Pennisi will provide a plus factor for San Miguel. San Miguel also beefed up its lineup by signing rookie Bonbon Custodio in solidifying their backcourt.

Monday, September 8, 2008

High School Player Scores 82 points

Keith Agovida of the Jose Rizal University Light Bombers fired a stunning 82 points in a win against Mapua Red Robins, 127-49 in the 84th NCAA juniors basketball tournament. He was deadly from the field making 36 field goal conversions out of 50 attempts and 10 made free throws out of 16 attempts.Agovida scored on nearly every possession,tallying 23, 13, 20 and 26 in the first, second, third and fourth quarters respectively during the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) game. The 18 year old, 6 foot 1 scoring machine, has beaten the 79 point performance of Allan Caidic in the PBA in 1987. He also shattered the scoring record of 81 points set by Kobe Bryant in the NBA. Agovida, played for only 37 minutes in the game,also eclipse the previous high of 71 points posted by Letran Squire Marlon Bola Bola in the 70s. However, he did not surpass the record of 100 points by Wilt Chamberlain and the 105 point performance by the Swift Import Tonny Harris in the PBA.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Jason Castro will be back soon to join the Phone Pals

Jason Castro will be back in town soon as he was still playing in the Malaysian Invitational for his second tournament with the Singapore Slingers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Castro played his first tournament with the Slingers in the recent Brunei Cup. He was named league MVP in that tournament, leading the team to the championship.He is also under contract with the Slingers in the National Basketball League in Australia. Since the Slingers withdraws from the tournament, Castro wants out and will be expected to join the Phone Pals soon. The standout and versatile guard of the Philippine Christian University, was picked 3rd overall by the Phone Pals in the recently concluded PBA draft. Negotiations is still in progress while the player is abroad and he is likely to get an P8.7 million package in three years. He is plan to practice with the Phone Pals after the Malaysian Invitational.

Friday, September 5, 2008

2008 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame


Patrick Ewing, a 17-year NBA player, was an 11-time All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and three-time collegiate All-America. He totaled 24,815 points and 11,607 rebounds during his pro career.

Pat Riley is a three-time NBA Coach of the Year and ranks third on the NBA all-time wins list behind Lenny Wilkens and Don Nelson. Riley has five titles as a coach, four with the Lakers and one with the Heat, and is a member of the NBA's Ten Best Coaches of All-Time.

Hakeem Olajuwon led the Houston Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995, was named NBA MVP in 1994 and was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Olajuwon holds the NBA record for blocked shots (3,830) and is the only player to record more than 3,000 blocked shots and 2,000 steals in a career.

Adrian Dantley, a 15-year NBA pro with seven different teams, was a six-time All-Star, won a gold medal with the 1976 Olympic team and was Rookie of the Year in 1977. His 23,177 career points ranks 23rd all-time in the NBA.

William Davidson has been the owner of the Detroit Pistons since 1974 and the WNBA Detroit Shock since 1998. His Pistons have garnered three NBA titles to go along with two WNBA championships for the Shock. Davidson was elected to the Hall of Fame as a contributor.

Dick Vitale, in the midst of his 28th season as an ESPN college basketball analyst, will be inducted as a contributor. A former high school, college and professional basketball coach, Vitale has become one of the most well-known commentators in all of sports. Hall of Fame contributors are recognized as those who have made contributions to the game and its growth.

Cathy Rush, a pioneer in women's basketball, led Immaculata College to three consecutive AIAW national championships from 1972 to 1974. She won 149 games in seven seasons and lost only 15, for a .908 winning percentage. Rush made six consecutive appearances in the AIAW Final Four (1972-1977).

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Britons Lose a Close Fight in Israel


Great Britain , who only secured Deng's NBA release last Saturday suffered an agonizing 102-92 defeat at Israel in their opening EuroBasket 2009 qualifying clash. Luol Deng scattered 30-points and manage to give the Britons a one point lead, 84-83, In the ensuing play, the Israelis used the shot clock only to miss a three pointer by their veteran guard Meir Tapiro. The Britons grabbed the rebound and called a timeout with 4 seconds remaining.When play resumed, Tapiro fouled Nate Reinking with three seconds remaining. Reinking made the first free throw but missed the second to leave Britain leading 85-83. However, Reinking was then whistled for a foul on Tapiro with just one second left. Tapiro calmly sank both free throws to send the game to overtime.The lead changed hands four times in the first three minutes of overtime with Deng twice making jump shots - one a three-pointer - to give Britain the lead. But after Brit Flinder Boyd converted just one of two at the charity stripe to make it 91-91, Yaniv Green hit a jumper to put the Israelis in front for good. And the Israelis coast for the win in the dying minutes.

Devance to Alaska

Joe Devance of the Rain or Shine was traded to Alaska in exchange for the 2008 5th pick Fil-Am guard Solomon Mercado and Eddie Laure. Rain or Shine will also give away two future draft pick for Alaska. Devance, a Honolulu, Hawaii native, son of an ex-US Armyman and a Filipina mom from Escalante, Negros, led the Dragons in scoring with 16.1 points a game in the Philippine Cup. He also normed seven rebounds, one assist, 0.7 steal and 0.8 block a game in the same tourney. Alaska will have a formidable lineup with the addition of Joe Devance. However, Rain or Shine will have a different lineup in this coming soon, bringing the veteran Eddie Laure, TY Tang and the first pick Gabe Norwood in the helm. Watch out for the Alaska Aces and Rain or Shine for this coming PBA season.