UAAP

Complete List of the Philippines FIBA World Cup in 2023 Training Pool. Young, can Run and Shoot

Chot Reyes early morning on January 5 announced the 23 players that will be part of the training pool for the upcoming FIBA World Cup that will be held in the Philippines.

If you are following college basketball in the Philippines then most of the names on the list may be familiar to you.  Let’s take a look.
Guards:
1. Robert Lee Bolick, San Beda College
2. Jaymar Perez, Lyceum of the Philippines
3. Juan Gomez De Llano, University of the Philippines
4. Remy Martin, Arizona State University
5. Matthew Nieto, Ateneo University
6. Andres Paul C. Desiderio, University of the Philippines
Wings:
1. Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo De Manila
2. Rodolofo Alejandro III, National University
3. Kenneth Tufflin, Far Eastern University
4. Jeo Ambohot, Colegio De San Juan De Letran
5. Kobe Paras, Cal State Northridge
6. Dwight Ramos, California State University
7. Joshua Sinclair, National University
8. Arvin Tolentino, Far Eastern University
9. Javee Moco, San Beda College
Bigs:
1. Kai Sotto, Ateneo De Manila University
2. Isaac Go, Ateneo De Manila University
3. Abu Tratter, De La Salle University
4. Ariel Jon Edu, Llandovery, college UK
5. Carl Vincent Tamayo, National University
6. Kenmark Carino, San Beda College
7. Will Allen Gozum, Mapua University
8. Troy Rike, Wake Forest University
We are a bit excited and hope these young guys train well for the 2023 FIBA World cup that will pit them against the top players all over the world including NBA players.

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What Mbala’s departure means for La Salle and for the UAAP in general?

Mbala’s decision is final and is taking his talents to Mexico

Ever since coming into the UAAP last season, Ben Mbala has become a force to be reckoned with. Literally and figuratively, he’s a beast on the court and has become the main defensive anchor of the De La Salle Green Archers for the last two seasons. He won the MVP twice and is a member of the Mythical Team for two seasons. He helped La Salle win the first 13 games of the UAAP back in Season 79 before winning the championship against the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles.
Heading into Season 80, La Salle was tagged as favorites to repeat as champions despite losing Jeron Teng to graduation. And despite missing Ben Mbala for the first two games of the season due to Mbala’s commitment to his country’s national team, the Green Archers went on to return the favor to the Blue Eagles by ending the latter’s 13-game winning streak. Both teams went to the Finals again where Ateneo finally won the championship after winning the series, 2-1.
Coach Aldin Ayo has indicated right after the Finals that Ben Mbala will return for Season 81.
That was a few weeks ago.
Unfortunately for Aldin Ayo and company, they will have to figure things out on their own come next season because Ben Mbala has made the hardest and most heart-breaking decision not to return to the Green Archers. According to the reigning two-time MVP, his decision to leave La Salle was motivated by the questions surrounding his eligibility to play next season. This was due to the reports that the “Seven Year out of High School” rule has already lapsed. This rule was imposed by the UAAP to ease the lack of recruitment that was brought about by the implementation of the K-12 curriculum. Additionally, Ben Mbala has said that he felt it was already high time for him take his talents elsewhere instead of staying in Manila, doing nothing. He is now set to play in Mexico.

What Mbala’s departure means for La Salle and for the UAAP in general?

There’s no denying the fact that Ben Mbala is one of the best foreign players to play in the UAAP and La Salle will sorely miss him due to his competitiveness and the fact that he is almost impossible to guard. Replacing Mbala’s numbers would be a big headache for La Salle because it’s not every day that you see a kind of player who can score as if he’s LeBron James.
While La Salle will have headaches due to Mbala’s decision not to return, this could also mean less headache for the rest of the league. They won’t have to defend someone who is virtually unguardable. Also, Mbala’s decision has already made Ateneo’s road to repeating as champions, less complicated. 

Conclusion

Who will lead La Salle come next season and beyond? Like it or not, La Salle still has many players who can take over the leadership role and one of those guys is Ricci Rivero who played tremendously great this season. While losing Ben Mbala will be a big blow for La Salle, this will also allow other players to blossom. 

Matt Nieto – A Superstar in Waiting

Matt Nieto rose to the occasion given this environment.

MATT NIETO Ateneo- a superstar in waiting

Close to 5 years ago, when I was involved in a sports marketing company handling athlete management functions, I was introduced to the Nieto twins, Michael and Matthew.

They were highly recommended by Coach Jamike Jarin who was then head coach of the Batang Gilas  basketball program..  Though not big a name as Jolo Go, Andrei Caracut, Prince Rivero, Aljun Melecio and Thirdy Ravena,  Coach Jamike asked me to consider representing them.  He described the boys as responsible and hardworking and somehow he knew that the boys had a huge future in the game of basketball.

Admittedly, the other players were more sought after.  Their statistics and athleticism were outstanding and most were obviously headed to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).   However, I valued Coach Jarin’s recommendation enough to scout the two Ateneo players.

At first glance, both boys were not specially gifted as athletes.  One had to watch them several times to truly appreciate their potential.

Matthew, then was playing under the shadow of his brother Michael when they were playing for their high school team.  The latter was a dominating big forward and center and was aptly given the monicker, “Big Mike”.  Matthew was trying to find his place in the team competing for playing time for the 1-2 guard position.

Matthew was not particularly flashy nor did he have a mean jump shot.    He was a play maker looking to pass first than to shoot.    He had however a relaxed demeanor while playing obviously confident about his ball handling skills.

I did eventually sign them up because of two reasons:  both boys were above average and were posting consistent numbers, Traits that a coach would definitely consider when filling up his roster.   The second reason was more a marketing one.  There will be a brother story somewhere somehow in the future, I thought.

I kept them close and tried to follow their careers up to their rookie years in Ateneo University.

There were times that we had discussion which  revolved around the idea that each of them will get their time to shine, that they cannot always expect to do well at the same time.  What was remarkable was that each boy was willing to play support for the other when it is called for.

Mike, who was born 1 minute before Matt, had his time in high school.  But as it turns out, Season 80 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)  seniors basketball tournament was Matthew’s time.

Unfortunately, I had to let them go early in 2015.  I do remember one of the things I suggested to Matt as we were saying our goodbyes.  I simply said that he had to start shooting the ball.  An advice any decent basketball enthusiast would give to a developing point guard.

At that time, Girlie Nieto, their mom intimated to me that Coach Tab Baldwin spoke to Matthew and told him that he will soon be his starting point guard.   The Ateneo team then was in the process of rebuilding as the superstars of the 5-peat series were slowly graduating.    It was a perfect situation for Matt.  What he would do with it would definitely define his basketball future.

Fast forward to last Sunday, December 3,   Matthew Nieto led the Blue Eagles to a championship beating erstwhile rival and defending champion De la Salle University.   Matt was making shots, shooting  threes successfully while directing play for Ateneo.

Ateneo was playing like a well-oiled machine, going back to basics when they found themselves in trouble.  Watching closely will reveal that the players  “restart” their offensive motions when DLSU somehow disrupts their flow.  Several strong penetrations with double picks behind the basket were executed perfectly, a play that the boys from Katipunan kept going to.

Ateneo had no superstar nor were they made up of marquee players .  The system was however running smoothly allowing all to contribute.  Matt Nieto rose to the occasion given this environment.

He was reportedly shooting 44 % from the field a vast improvement from the past seasons where he was shooting below 40%.    He was making clutch 3 pointers and converting all important free throws.

More than that, his demeanor remained the same, a trait which I saw when I first saw him play.  Despite the elbow he took from Mbala in a previous game, Matthew never showed any emotion and instead went ahead doing what was expected of him.

A post series interview quoted Matt Nieto as saying that the summer extra practices truly paid off.  Sowing hardwork truly reaps good results.

I guess both Coach Jamike and Tab are both beaming knowing that they were right about this young basketball player… a superstar in waiting.

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Contributed/ Written by:

Mike Ochosa was  President of Viva Sports Management. He is a sports analyst for television and a freelance sports writer.  He is an international boxing analyst for Ringstar Promotions of Singapore and has called 12 of Pacquiao’s fights at ringside for local Philippine TV.  


Follow him on his FBpage: https://www.facebook.com/coachmikeochosa/,  and his You Tube channel, https://www.facebook.com/coachmikeochosa/,   on his Twitter account, https://twitter.com/mikeochosa 

Champion Ateneo will Receive Expensive Gifts from MVP

Ateneo Blue Eagles is special to me – Manny V. Pangilinan 

The Ateneo Blue Eagles is once again the UAAP Champion but the Lasalle Green Archers put up a great fight and the proof is in the final score. 88-86 Ateneo is the Season 80 champion.
The hard-earned championship did not come unnoticed as one of the biggest supporters and patron of the school, Manny Pangilinan, is giving these young kids an I phone X and a trip to Hong Kong.
“This is a team that’s quite special to me. I’ve been exposed to a lot of basketball in my life, and this team has been special to me since my first game,” said Pangilinan, according to a tweet by The Guidon.

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Manny Pangilinan is also the main sponsor of the national team and the owner of  Talk n Text, Meralco and NLEX basketball teams in the PBA has been an avid supporter of sports specifically basketball.


Check out the photos of the game here.

Basketball God Prepared a Winner-Take-All Game 3 Between DLSU and Ateneo

The game 2 of the UAAP 80 men’s basketball between the arch-rival Ateneo Blue Eagles and the De La Salle Green Archers is one for the ages. Another great story was added between the rivalry of the two teams as the Green Archers had their biggest comeback in the biggest stage of the competition.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles looked poised and eager earlier in game 2 of the UAAP 80 men’s basketball as they took a lead as high as 20 points in the first quarter. The Blue Eagles took a 32-15 lead against the Green Archers as they shot the lights out and the Green Archers had a slow start. Ricci Rivero and Ben Mbala were forced to sit down as they picked up 2 early fouls individually. The Blue Eagles took advantage of the absence of Mbala from the inside and also executed their plays very well that made their shooters open.

In the second quarter, the Green Archers bounced back as they made a run and they outscored the Blue Eagles 27-19. However, the struggle continued for the Green Archers as Mbala had 3 fouls and Ricci Rivero had 4. Andrei Caracut and Kib Montalbo took the game into their hands as both led the defense and offense for the Green Archers and they were able to cut the lead to just 9 at the end of the first half.
It is in the second half that things got interesting. The hot hands of Ateneo that shot 6 for 12 from the three-point line got cold as they only made one of their eleven attempts beyond the arc. The Green Archers took advantage of the struggling Ateneo and Ricci Rivero whose eyes were filled with tears when he committed his 4th foul during the first half is now filled with fire. The Green Archers ignited their run with an alley-oop made by Mbala. The Blue Eagles struggled and only scored 8 points while the Green Archers scored 26 big points.
The Green Archers did not look back in the fourth quarter and sealed the game. DLSU won 92-83.  Ben Mbala finished with 20 points while Ricci Rivero finished the game with 18 points. Andrei Caracut and Aljun Melecio had 13 and 12 points respectively.
Thirdy Ravena led the scoring for the Blue Eagles with 20 points and Aron Black contributed 15 points. Asistio and Isaac Go also had 13 points and 11 points respectively.
The game 3 will happen on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum and the rivalry between this two schools will just get better. Only the basketball god knows what is destined and Ateneo and De La Salle are both ready to meet their destiny. 

Rumor of Ayo’s Move to UST Continues to Make Noise

A Wheeler’s Opinion: Aldin Ayo to UST: Will it Happen?

Rumor has it that some alumni of La Salle have grown “unhappy” with Ayo. 
Aldin Ayo came to the De La Salle Green Archers right after leading the Letran Knights to an NCAA championship in 2015. And Coach Ayo wasted no time as he led the Archers in winning the first 13 games of the UAAP Season 79 before surprisingly dropping the last game against the equally-surprising Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles that denied La Salle an outright Finals berth. 
Both teams went on to meet again in the Finals which was won by La Salle of course, in two close encounters. That made Aldin Ayo the first coach to win two consecutive championships from the NCAA and the UAAP. 
Fast forward to Season 80 of the UAAP, Ateneo and La Salle will meet again in the Finals which kicks off with Game 1 this Saturday. 
Ateneo, like La Salle did last year, blew the chance of sweeping the 14-game elimination rounds after dropping the final game against La Salle. Then, the Blue Eagles had to survive a do-or-die game against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws before sealing the ticket to the Final dance with Ben Mbala and the rest of the defending champions.
As both teams are busy preparing for another Finals clash between two fierce rivals, a rumor came out from various media outlets. The rumor: Aldin Ayo will take over the head coaching job at the helm of the UST Growling Tigers- a team that dropped its first 13 games before holding on to a win during the final game against the UE Red Warriors.
Wait! What? Aldin Ayo to UST? If you are to believe the rumor, yeah. The current La Salle coach is on his way to Espana.
But will it happen?

Impossible

Let’s be realistic, folks. You’re winning in La Salle. You’re about to coach in your 3rd consecutive Finals in 3 seasons and you are poised to win another championship. And as far as La Salle officials are concerned, Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco- the man who was behind bringing Ayo to Taft, is happy with Ayo at the helm of the Green Archers- that he is very happy with the huge amount of success that the team is currently enjoying despite notable losses this season. So generally speaking, it’s impossible for Aldin Ayo to make the move to Espana anytime soon. There’s simply no reason for him, at the moment, to make such a move.

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But

Nobody thought that Aldin Ayo would move to La Salle until it actually took place. Having said that, La Salle fans can only pray that this rumor will stay as a rumor because whether we like it or not, anything can happen.

Conclusion

UST is in need of a new coach to make the Tigers competitive again. And assuming the Ayo move materializes, it will need more than just a coaching change for UST to become competitive again come Season 81. But the question is: will the move materialize indeed? We’ll need to play the wait-and-see game. 

A Wheeler’s Opinion: Will the Blue Eagles Recover?

Or will the Tamaraws bury Ateneo’s 13-1 season for good?

Can FEU prevent another Ateneo-La Salle Dream Finals?
The Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles had a chance to go straight to the Finals had they swept the elimination rounds. They failed to do so. They also had the chance to go to the Finals during their first Final 4 match-up against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws. And yet, they failed. Horribly. Now? The Tamaraws have the one chance to do something unique: eliminate an Ateneo team that swept the season’s first 13 games before losing to the De La Salle Green Archers in their final game.
The question is:  Can the wards of Olsen Racela finally overcome the twice-to-beat disadvantage?
The answer is:  Yes.
If you look back at how FEU defended Ateneo in the first game, Ateneo did make 10 shots from three but missed 22 shots. All in all, the Blue Eagles shot 36% from the field and that was one of the things that lost them the game.
Another thing that enabled FEU to forge a sudden-death match later was the notable contributions from Arvin Tolentino and Hubert Cani- both used to play for Ateneo before transferring to FEU. Tolentino, a Rookie of the Year awardee, scored 13 points while Cani provided the additional firepower off the bench to score 11 points. If anything, both former Eagles caused the biggest problems for Tab Baldwin and they will be a problem anew should Ateneo fails to defend later.

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The question now for the Blue and White: Can they recover from their 2-game losing streak?
The answer is: Yes. Assuming they go back to how they won the season’s first 13 games- by scoring more and shooting more efficiently.

Don’t Count Ateneo Out. Just Yet.

After FEU handed out Ateneo its second consecutive defeat last Sunday on an 80-67 victory, some people were saying that Ateneo has already lost their killer instinct. While this may be true, we shouldn’t be throwing Ateneo out of the picture. Just yet. Why? 
Sure, Thirdy Ravena and company shot mostly bricks during the first game but once the shots start to drop for Anton Asistio and the rest of the shooters, they will be hard to stop. The key for Ateneo is really simple: Take as many open shots as you can. Build up confidence as they say.
For FEU, defense is an important key to beating an offense-oriented team like the Blue Eagles. 

Conclusion

Ateneo fans can only hope that their team will rediscover how good their team was during their 13-game winning streak. Why? It will help them win later. And it will help them against La Salle in the Finals- should both teams meet again.

FEU forces do-or-die game versus Ateneo with a 80-67 win.

The fourth-seeded Far Eastern University Tamaraw showed their composure by beating the top-seeded Ateneo Blue Eagles 80-67 on their UAAP Season 80 Semifinals match-up at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 
Ron Dennison led the Tamaraws with 17 points and 8 rebounds. 
Blue Eagles have the edge coming in the Semifinals Round  with a twice to beat advantage. But the Tamaraw forces a do-or-die game on Wednesday 4:00PM at Mall of Asia Arena.

Boxscore:

FEU Tamaraws 80 – Dennison 17, Tolentino 13, Cani 11, Orizu 10, Escoto 9, Inigo 8, Trinidad 5, Parker 4, Ebona 3, Comboy 0, Bayquin 0, Ramirez 0, Stockton 0, Tuffin 0.

ADMU Blue Eagles 67 – Ravena 17, Mi. Nieto 13, Ma. Nieto 11, Go 9, Tolentino 5, Mendoza 4, Asistio 3, Tio 3, Verano 2, Ikeh 0, Black 0, Mamuyac 0, Mallillin 0.

Quarters: 21-15, 38-35, 59-48, 80-67.

Ben Mbala playing on a higher level towards Final Four

UAAP reigning MVP Ben Mbala of De La Salle University Green Archers is living up to the expectations from the green side by posting incredible numbers towards entering the Final Four on UAAP Season 80. Mbala posted a double-double performance by scoring 28 points and grabbing 19 rebounds to lead the Green Archers with a win over arch-rivals Ateneo Blue Eagles on their second round meeting at the Araneta Coliseum. Mbala also added 6 steals and 6 blocks on the defensive end.

The Archers won 79-76 over the Eagles. The win avoided Ateneo in sweeping the UAAP Season Elimination round. La Salle ended Ateneo’s 13-game winning streak. Mbala made sure that a Final Four will happen this season and no step ladder to Ateneo straight to the Finals.

The UAAP Season 80 Final Four is now set. The #2 seed DLSU Green Archers will face the #3 seed Adamson Falcons on Nov 18 Saturday at Araneta Coliseum. While the top seeded Ateneo Blue Eagles will face #4 FEU Tamaraws on Nov 19 Sunday at Araneta Coliseum.

By the Numbers: What Doomed the Blue Eagles Against La Salle?

Ateneo had the chance for an automatic Finals berth but failed. Miserably

De LaSalle Green Archers Fans
The fans of the Green Archers have many reasons to cheer about after yesterday’s win.

If you will recall what happened last season, the De La Salle Green Archers, then led by Jeron Teng and Ben Mbala had the chance to sweep the elimination round heading into game number 14 which was against none other than the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles. 
To everyone’s surprise, the Blue Eagles, a team nobody else expected to make the Final 4 that season, did the unexpected and handed the Green Archers their first and only loss of Season 79 as both teams went on to face each other in the Finals which was won by the Green Archers.
Yesterday, it was a complete reversal of roles. The Blue Eagles headed into their final game of the elimination round with a 13-0 record. 
In fact, the Blue Eagles even held a 12-point lead in the 4th quarter until La Salle Coach Aldin Ayo removed his Ralph Lauren jacket and threw it on the floor in frustrations. 
The result: the Green Archers went on a 10-0 run en route to a 79-76 victory over the Blue Eagles which restored a Final 4 platform which will start this coming Saturday to determine who will face who in the Finals.
How did La Salle’s spoil the fun for the Blue Eagles in a game that wasn’t decided until the final possession? Check the numbers below:

Big Ben with Big Numbers

Let’s start with the obvious one. If there’s one guy who could lead La Salle to victory as we saw last season, it’s the big guy in the middle, the reigning MVP, Ben Mbala. 
In yesterday’s game against the guys in blue, Mbala scored 13 points in the 2nd quarter alone en route finishing the game with 28 points, 19 rebounds, 6 steals and 6 blocks for another MVP-worthy performance and he was unchallenged for most parts. 
In fact, Mbala’s defensive presence in the dying seconds of the game prevented Ateneo from taking the lead. Mind you, #23 was hurt during the game but came back and scored crucial points down the stretch. 

21 Points from Ricci Rivero

Sure, Ateneo failed to contain Ben Mbala but Ricci Rivero? If anything, Ateneo’s equally costly failure to defend Ricci Rivero is another thing that cost them an automatic Finals berth in the first place. The younger Rivero scored 21 points- on an efficient 7 of 13 shooting, to compliment Mbala’s 28. 

La Salle’s Experience Prevailed in the 4th

The Green Archers outscored the Blue Eagles 25-13 in the final quarter alone. Even though they fell behind by as much as 12 points, they kept their composure which enabled them to hold onto the lead. 
Overall, it was La Salle’s defensive pressure that kept Ateneo from sweeping through the elimination round. They clamped down on defense. They forced Tab Baldwin’s boys to take low percentage shots and commit silly turnovers (22). 

Conclusion

Sweep or not. We all know that Ateneo and La Salle will meet again in the Finals unless both FEU and Adamson can overcome the twice-to-beat advantages that both Ateneo and La Salle are holding heading into the Final 4. 
For Ateneo, absorbing their first loss of the season will help them in the Final 4 as it will motivate them to do better in the semifinal round especially if they want to contend for another championship.
For La Salle, beating Ateneo, again, should not be a big deal for them because what should matter more is the championship. Beating their archrival is only a bonus if anything. 

Deja vu: Another thrilling game between La Salle and Ateneo but this time the Green Archers takes home the W

Ben Mbala scored a game high 28 points against Ateneo Blue Eagles in their 79-76 victory.

DEJA VU!

For Ateneo and De La Salle it was a little bit of deja vu. But this time in favor of the Green Archers. 
And it led to De La Salle University denying Ateneo de Manila University of sweeping the UAAP Season 80 elimination round. The Green Archers took home the W with the score of  79-76. 
Like their first meeting, the Ateneo vs DLSU matchup ended with a pair of clutch free throws but this time it was Ricci Rivero of the Green Archers who sealed the game. The Blue Eagles and the Green Archers started the game with so much physicality. The Green Archers were able to execute their mayhem defense but the Blue Eagles matched it with better offense. 
The Green Archers only led 37-35 at the half. However, at the start of the second half, the Blue Eagles turned the tables as they took a 9 point lead, 63-54, at the end of the third quarter by sticking to the good game plan by coach Baldwin. 
However, DLSU tightened their defense at the fourth quarter. Led by Ben Mbala, the Green Archers clawed their way back into the game. Despite the non whistle calls by the referees like the no travel call of Ateneo, La Salle kept their composure and they were able to make eight straight points before a nice spin move and a floater from Kib Montalbo with 40.3 seconds left which gave the Green Archers the lead. The DLSU crowd erupted as the ball fell at the bottom of the net. The Green Archers took a 77-76 advantage and forced Ateneo to take a time out. 
The mayhem defense by the Green Archers almost did not work against a play drawn by coach Tab Baldwin which set up Isaac Go for a wide open basket but Go blew the semi-hook and missed the shot as Mbala tried to contest the shot. Rivero was able to get the rebound and was then fouled. This led Ricci Rivero into the line.
Ricci Rivero finished the game with 21 points as he scored both free throws. Ateneo tried to tie the game but Asistio was blocked by Ricci. 
Ricci rushed to the bench as the buzzer sound and pounded his chest with joy as they handed Ateneo their only lost for the elimination round of UAAP season 80.
Ben Mbala led  all scorers with with 28 points, 19 rebounds, 6 steals and 6 blocks while Ricci Rivero also contributed 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks along with his 21 points.
Thirdy Ravena led Ateneo with 15 point while Isaac Go and Matt Nieto scored 13 and 12 points respectively.
Box Scores:
DLSU 79 – Mbala 28, Rivero R 21, Tratter 8, Santillan 7, Melecio 6, Montalbo 6, Go 3, Caracut 0, Rivero P 0, Baltazar 0, Paraiso 0
ATENEO 76 – Ravena 15, Go 13, Nieto Ma 12, Verano 9, Mendoza 7, Asistio 6, Tolentino 6, Ikeh 4, Porter 3, Nieto Mi 1, Mamuyac 0, Black 0

No Automatic Finals Birth: La Salle stunned Ateneo to Force a Final Four

We will have a Final 4 as La Salle denies Ateneo’s attempt to sweep the eliminations by winning their match up earlier, 79 to 76.
A win by Ateneo will send them directly to the Finals but La Salle crashed the party.

Ateneo was in cruise control and was able to lead as much as 12 points and had enough lead midway 4th quarter but it’s La Salle’s MAYHEM defense which helped them to inch closer.
Only down by 1, La Salle gave the ball to their co-captain, Kib Montalbo who drove to the paint once then dropped a floater to give them the lead.
Ateneo had a chance to take back the lead but Isaac Go missed a semi-hook shot over the outstretched arms of Ben Mbala. Then Ricci Rivero sunk 2 crucial freebies to seal the deal for the Green Archers.
Ben Mbala led La Salle with 28 points, 19 rebounds, 6 steals and 6 blocks while Ricci Rivero managed to chip in 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Thirdy Ravena, Isaac Go and Matt Nieto combined for 40 points for Ateneo.
Box Scores:
DLSU 79 – Mbala 28, Rivero R 21, Tratter 8, Santillan 7, Melecio 6, Montalbo 6, Go 3, Caracut 0, Rivero P 0, Baltazar 0, Paraiso 0
ATENEO 76 – Ravena 15, Go 13, Nieto Ma 12, Verano 9, Mendoza 7, Asistio 6, Tolentino 6, Ikeh 4, Porter 3, Nieto Mi 1, Mamuyac 0, Black 0
Quarter Scores: 17-22, 37-35, 54-63, 79-76
ADDITIONAL:
~ Ben Mbala hurt his elbow midway through the 3rd quarter.
~ Too many missed calls from the referee including a tripping incident involving Ateneo’s Mamuyac and La Salle’s Ben Mbala.
~ Final four will begin next weekend.
~ It was a highly physical game that resulted to 49 total fouls and 48 free throws.

Ateneo Drops 9 Threes to Defeat Archrival De La Salle

The Ateneo Blue Eagle needed 9 triples to defeat archrival De La Salle Green Archers with the score of 76-75 in UAAP Season 80 Men’s Basketball at MOA Arena. The win secured the top seed for the Blue Eagles and sweeping the first round of the elimination with an undefeated record 7-0.

 Matt Nieto was named best player of the game, scoring 16 points in the win.

Combined 9 threes from Anton Asistio (4), Matt Nieto (3), and Jolo Mendoza (2), the Blue Eagles started the game with a 28-16 scoring in the 1st quarter mostly hitting from the three-point line while De La Salle Green Archers only shot 6/23 FG from the three-point line. 

First Round Sweep: Ateneo Blue Eagles Outlasted La Salle Green Archers

When defense matters the most. 

Ateneo’s defense saves them on losing their first game of the tournament as they made back-to-back crucial stops together with clutch free throw shooting from Matt Nieto to give them a narrow 76 to 75 win against the defending champions, DLSU Green Archers.

Matt Nieto drained 2 crucial free throws as he was fouled by Kib Montalblo after they force a steal on La Salle.
La Salle actually attempted 2 short-range shots to try to steal the game but no avail.
It was all Ateneo in the first half as Anton Asistio and Matt Nieto waxed hot from the outside and they led as much as 13 points. But La Salle came back at the second half and took a 1 point lead with few seconds remaining in the game but it was not enough.
Ateneo remained as the only undefeated team in the tournament with a record of 7-0 while La Salle is still in solo second with 5-2 record.

UAAP Season 80: Here Comes Big Ben!

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Coming off from a great stint in AfroBasket, DLSU’s main man is back and it seems he’s a lot better now. Playing with Adamson today, he posted a monstrous stat line with 32 Points, 10 Rebounds, 4 Blocks, 11/16FG, 2/4 3pt FG, helping them to win the game via 85 to 73 scoreline.
Green Archers are now tied with Ateneo Blue Eagles with a 3-0 standing. Their next game will be on Saturday.

Green Archers Sets to Defend Their Title As UAAP Opens Anew

One of the biggest collegiate tournaments in the country, UAAP will open anew for the 80th Season. The ceremony will begin at 12nn in the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City.
Hours after the ceremony, the basketball event will begin with the University of the East battling National University in the 1st game then it will be followed by Ateneo De Manila University against Adamson University.
Defending champions, De La Salle University will begin to defend their crown on Sunday against Far Eastern University which they had a scuffle with last month in a pre-season game.
DLSU Green Archers are still the favorites to win it all this year but they need to  set up their games especially with their main man last year who left them already due to graduation. 
*Photo – Credits to the Owner

Ben Mbala to Miss Highly Anticipated Game Against FEU to Play for FIBA Afrobasket

The defending UAAP Mens Basketball Champions De La Salle Green Archers will play against Far Eastern University Tamaraws without their Cameroon star player Ben Mbala on September 10 2017. Mbala is in Brazil for Cameroon’s training camp in preparation for FIBA Afrobasket.
The game between the Green Archers and Tamaraws will be highly anticipated game coming off a heated brawl of the two teams in Davao.
Mbala is the reigning UAAP MVP averaging 20 points and 16 rebounds per game last season.
FIBA Afrobasket will run from September 8 – 16. 
Mbala will also miss the game on September 16 against the National University Bulldogs. 

Shocking Bench Clearing Brawl Between Lasalle and FEU at Kadayawan Festival in Davao

Lasalle and FEU Brawl at Kadayawan Festival in Davao

Brawl Between Lasalle and FEU at Kadayawan Festival in Davao

Lasalle and FEU turned the festive event of Kadayawan into a bench clearing brawl that involved almost every player on each team. Lasalle was trailing by a wide margin 59-73 and the game was heating up in the 3rd quarter as two rivals go at it until the end.
In the video posted by Animo Davao, La Salle guard Kib Montalbo and FEU’s Ken Tuffin were bumping each other initially but it escalated quickly as both players suddenly exchanged punches that instigated the bench clearing brawl between the two teams.

Watch the FEU vs Lasalle Brawl below

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UAAP Appoints New Executive Director

University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Michael Alba announced the appointment of Atty. Rene Andrei Saguisag, Jr., as the Association’s new Executive Director starting 7 August 2017.
Dr. Alba, President of Far Eastern University, the host school of UAAP Season 80, considers Atty. Saguisag’s recruitment as one of the early, exciting developments in the ongoing reorganization of the country’s premier amateur athletic league. “Along with the heads of the member universities now acting as the trustees, for the first time in 80 years, the Association will have an executive director to oversee its operations,” Dr. Alba said.
Rebo, as Atty. Saguisag is more familiarly called, is not new to the UAAP, having been Commissioner of Basketball in Seasons 78 and 79. He will also be serving in the same capacity in the forthcoming season, concurrent to his new appointment.
As executive director, Atty. Saguisag is charged to perform, direct, manage, and oversee a variety of assignments. These include implementing policies; providing support to the Board of Trustees, the Board of Managing Directors, and the UAAP Committees; supervising operations; and undertaking special projects.
He has a JD degree from the Ateneo Law School and is a BS in Sports Science graduate of the University of the Philippines.
His other sports engagements include being Deputy Commissioner of Basketball in Season 93 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Commissioner of the Makabansa Basketball League 2017.

Of his appointment, Atty. Rebo says, “It’s definitely an opportunity that any sports lover will find hard to resist. I also feel that it is another place where I can be passionate and be of help if in a modest way.” Waxing philosophical, he adds, “Nobody knows how long I’ll be here, but I do want my stay to mean something. In Season 80, we Go for Great. I am more than grateful and appreciative.”

UAAP: Computation on how La Salle’s Majoy Baron won the Women’s MVP Award

Many are shocked that Majoy Baron of La Salle won the MVP Award of UAAP Women’s Volleyball Tournament. They are expecting that It was a run away win already by Santiago of NU. But here us the breakdown of the MVP computation

Baron: 46 + 81 + 90 + 66 + 20 + 36 + 20 = 359 x 10 = 3,590
Morente: 60 + 90 + 40 + 73 + 44 + 20 + 51 = 378 x 10 = 3,780
Santiago: 100 + 100 + 100 + 51 + 21 + 21 + 20 = 413 x 10 = 4,130

Won games were also considered and the victories in the regular season were multiplied by 30, the result of which is added to the total that was earlier computed.

Here are the three’s points total from their respective teams’ victories:

Baron: 3,590 + (11 x 30) = 3,920
Morente: 3,780 + (12 x 30) = 4,140
Santiago: 4,130 + (7 x 30) = 4,340

Finally, the grand total is divided by the number of sets played to arrive at each player’s statistical points.

So here’s the final tally:

Baron: 3,920 ÷ 46 = 85.217
Morente: 4,140 ÷ 51 = 81.176
Santiago: 4,340 ÷ 55 = 78.909

It was clear that Morente and Santiago had the edge in statistics from offende and defense, but their chances to win the MVP award were dilluted when the number of sets played came into play.

Credits to DLSU Women’s Volleyball Team FB page for the Stats and Details

Here’s the Complete List of Winners for the UAAP Season 79 Women’s Volleyball

De La Salle’s 4th year  player Majoy Baron was named UAAP Season Women’s Volleyball Most Valuable Player.

Outgoing teammate Kim Fajardo also won Best Setter and Best Server awards. While their Libero Dawn Macandili won Best Receiver award.

National University’s Jaja Santiago got the most number of awards by receiving three of them. Santiago was named Best Scorer, Best Spiker and Best Blocker. Kath Arado of University of the East  bagged Best Digger award, while Ateneo’s newcomer Juliane Samonte won Rookie of the year.

Back-to-back Champions: A fitting ending for Kim Fajardo as La Salle rules Season 79

From being unsure if she will play Season 79 to being a back-to-back champion. Kim Fajardo thinks that’s the greatest decision she’d ever made.

She anchored La Salle with 43 excellent sets, 4 service aces and a couple of attacks while Kim Kianna Dy and Ernestine Tiamzon combined for 35 points.



But it was Desiree Cheng who shines brightest as she was named the Finals MVP. It was unexpected from others but her all-around performance made her the best choice for the award.



Michelle Morente led the charge for Ateneo with 16 points while setter Jia Morado finished the game with 53 excellent sets.

The game was just a see-saw battle as both team splits the first 4 sets and La Salle was just to much to handle in the 5th and final set. They open a huge 10-4 lead early in the set but Ateneo made a mini run to close the gap to 2 points, 10-8. But Kim Dy re-enters the game for La Salle and it was just to much for Ateneo since then. Lady spikers finished the set with 5-2 score to secure their 10 championship and also for their long time Coach, Ramil De Jesus.

We asked Coach Ramil if how he will replace Kim Fajardo and this is his reply: “Mahirap ‘yun, isa lang yun. Iisa ‘yung Kim Fajardo. Enjoyin ko muna ‘tong moment na ‘to bago ko mamroblema next year.”

Season 80 will start on September with basketball event and it will be hosted by FEU.

Scoring by Set: 19-25, 25-14, 18-25, 25-18, 15-10

Fuming Mad Fans on Baliton’s Slot in the National Team

University of the East (UE) lady warrior Roselle Baliton received tons of cruel and virulent messages after her college coach Francis Vicente announced that she made it to the pool in the national woman’s volleyball team for the upcoming 29th Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August.
Volleyball fans were really furious about the inclusion of Baliton in the lineup. They knew that the 18 year old, third year player was a middle blocker before she became a setter. They believed that her skills as a playmaker were not enough for her to participate in the international matchup.Doubtful and disappointed messages flooded her social media account. And it added more serious wrath to her bashers when the UAAP stars like the former MVP Ara Galang from De Lasalle, and former Best Setter Jia Morado from Ateneo University both didn’t make it on the pool. 
But Baliton just shrugged off the harsh and negative comments she had been receiving. She just kind of expected it to happen. Nevertheless, bashers and so called critics can only give her hostile reaction but she will remain as part of the national team.

(writer: intern Rica Sanglay) 

Author’s Corner: A Championship from a Lasallians Perspective

MUNTINLUPA, Philippines – Here I am sitting quietly in my seat. It’s the last period of the day. 45 minutes before we finally get dismissed from classes and go home. Most of the class is walking around talking to their friends or sitting on their seats on their devices. Now the girls around me are asking for someone in the class to live stream the game on the projector screen. One girl said that she wants to see her crush on the team Thomas Torres play his final game before he graduates. The amount of excitement I’m feeling for the game is almost the same feeling I get before I watch a Warriors game. The greatest rivalry in Philippine sports on Finals stage. How much more do people have to ask for it to get any better than this?

During Game 1 of the finals, I was just sitting on my couch watching. The first half was quite slow paced and boring to watch as La Salle was dominating Ateneo by a large margin. It was not until the second half of the game where I started get interested as Ateneo was catching up with La Salle. As what my dad would always say, “A good game is a close game.” The final minutes of the game had me on my feet, watching in pure intensity and stress as Ateneo made a bucket for their first lead of the game during the final 30 seconds. People were saying that it is the ultimate battle between the “conyo” nations (Conyo means people who act westernized, mostly rich people.) since people say that conyo people go to DLSU or ADMU, it was a little funny though. Twitter was going crazy over every second of the game as the referees were pretty biased and letting DLSU players get hustled illegally by ADMU players. I was screaming and jumping around when Teng made the game-winning layup to get us Game 1. I was rushing to write my article for the Game 1 Recap since me and my family was getting ready to eat out for dinner and watch a movie. I wanted to finish the article already so badly to the point where I had to bring my iPad to the mall and write it while eating dinner (I hate carrying my iPad around in public, it looks childish.) The mall’s internet was bad enough for me so I had to connect to my dad’s mobile hotspot. After many delays from WiFi to rushing to finish my meal, I was finally able to post my article after almost 2 hours, which I could’ve accomplished in less than an hour if I stayed at home and typed using a computer. I could’ve been at the game itself too but I was too lazy to even buy tickets.

Game 2 was something more, the people in our classroom were watching the game through a live stream on a laptop, cheering and jumping at every play La Salle made, in which our teacher responded by blowing at her dog whistle to tame us. It was an annoying high pitched sound but she mostly did it for fun which was both irritating and hilarious. I couldn’t write an article for the game since I couldn’t watch most of the first half of the game since I was in school plus it was almost our dismissal time. When our class got dismissed, I was walking to the main gate until I noticed the accounting office was showing a live stream of the game through a projector even if it was past office hours. When I entered, there was many students, mostly varsity players of our school, watching the game. It was pretty crowded outside too as students were curious to see what was going on looking through the window. The varsity students and staff watching the game screamed whenever DLSU scored a basket especially if it was a three pointer. I knew I had to go since I left my phone at home but I knew that my parents always pick me up 20 minutes late. When 20 minutes passed, that’s when I went to the gate to get picked up by my parents. We got stuck in traffic since it was raining on the way home so when I was only able to watch the game starting from the last 2 minutes of the first half. We were blowing out ADMU, performing much better than the last game until ADMU caught up during the final minutes of the game. As I mentioned, “A good game is a close game.”, and that’s what I always look forward to.

“Bite your mouthguard if you just won a championship!”
Photo courtesy of Francis Quinto

And there it was. After three years, we finally won the championship once again. We beat our rivals, the referees, the pressure, and the haters. What a way for Thomas Torres, Jeron Teng, and Jason Perkins to end their college basketball career. I’m not going to say that Ateneo didn’t fight hard for it since they kept the game close the entire time, every minute of both games felt like Game 7 of the NBA Finals. I’ll have to admit though, I was kind of hoping for a Game 3 between the two so that I can watch the game in person, but I’ll take a sweep and the hardware. Oh, and you know that guy from DLSU Ben Mbala? He can ball. The Cameroonian Bullet has a future ahead of him, and I’ll be there to watch every game of his. (The Cameroonian Bullet! Get it? Cause he’s Cameroonian? And the “Bullet” comes from his last name Mbala and Mbala is Filipino for “Bullet”? Okay I should stop now bye.)