MANILA, Philippines – After 3 5-setter games and two straight losses, the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws bounced back with a straight set victory over the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons on Saturday, February 10. 

Both teams came off from victories in their opening games but went on a losing skid in their next two games. In the first set of the match, the Lady Tamaraws rallied back from a 22-18 deficit with a 7-1 run that marked their shift to a winning momentum as they clinched the important victory. 

"Nakakaboost ng morale ‘to sa players, kasi kailangan maboost ang morale nila ulit para mabalik ang confidence nila (This boosts the morale of the players. Their morale needs to be boosted to get their confidence back)," said Head Coach George Pascua. 

The Lady Tamaraws' 4th match of Season 80 also saw a different FEU team as captain Bernadeth Pons took a back seat and watched her team mates Heather Guino-o and Chinchin Basas take over her usual scoring duties. 

Compared to her double-digit outings in her last 3 games, Pons only produced 9 points, but led her team in defense with 8 excellent digs and 8 receptions. Guino-o led the team with 11 points off 7 attacks, two blocks and two aces while Basas followed with 10 points. 

The FEU team captain took it as a good sign for the team and shared the positive effects of her team's balanced contributions. 

"Masaya ako kasi lahat talaga nag-contribute. Sabi ko nga after the game na ganoon kadali lang 'yung volleyball pagka lahat tayo sama-sama gumagawa. Iyon. Naging mabilis 'yung laban kasi lahat naman nagcontribute," said Pons.

(I am happy because everyone contributed. After the game, I said that volleyball is that easy if all of us are doing something together. That's it. The game became faster because everyone contributed.)

With the win being a confidence booster and their team work bearing fruit, the Lady Tamaraws are aiming to prove that they have really bounced back from their momentary skid by winning their remaining games. 

"Mas magaganda pa 'yung maipapakita namin sa mga next few games namin kasi we need to win talaga 'yung mga remaining games para maging maganda 'yung standing namin sa first round," said Pons. 

(We will be able to give better performances in the next few games because we really need to win the remaining games so that our standing will be good in the first round.)

FEU's next game will be against the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors on Saturday, February 24, at the Filoil Flying V Centre. 

Despite facing a winless team, the Lady Tamaraws will not overlook their competition as they have a mentality of seeing every team as a "threat" to their Season 80 campaign. 

"Walang ‘lang’ na team. So lahat ay nag-eensayo, lahat gusto manalo. Iyon talaga. Kailangan na paghirapan namin iyon. Every point [ay mahalaga] sa bawat makakalaban namin," said Pons. 

(There's no 'only' team. Everyone practices, everyone wants to win. That's it. We have to work hard for it. Every point is important whoever we face.) – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Three Beermen breached the 20-point mark while June Mar Fajardo registered another double-double as San Miguel subdued the Alaska Aces, 109-96, to regain the top spot in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup at the Batangay City Sports Coliseum Saturday, February 17. 

Chris Ross delivered 24 points, 9 assists, 4 steals, and 3 rebounds; Marcio Lassiter churned out 21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks; while Arwind Santos chalked up 21 points, 14 boards, 4 assists, 3 blocks, and two steals to propel the Beermen to a 7-2 card. 

Fajardo scored 17 points and hauled down 18 rebounds in steering the Beermen back to the winning column after a dismal showing in their 96-106 loss to the Blackwater Elite on February 9.

San Miguel trailed by as much as 15 points in the second quarter, 46-31, before turning its fortunes around in the last two periods, mounting an 11-point lead with 2:39 left in the game thanks to Lassiter's hot hand, 96-85.

The Aces tried to stage a late comeback by trimming their deficit to just 5 points off an 8-2 run, opened and ended by a JVee Casio triple, 93-98.

However, Ross' freebies and Santos' back-to-back buckets put San Miguel back up by 11, 104-93, with 34 seconds remaining. 

Casio finished with a personal conference-high 20 points and 6 assists but all that went down the drain as the Aces absorbed their second straight loss.

Sonny Thoss added 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists while Kevin Racal and Vic Manuel had 13 points apiece for Alaska, which slid to 4th place behind a 6-4 slate.

The Scores:

San Miguel (109): Ross 24, Lassiter 21, Santos 21, Fajardo 17, Ganuelas-Rosser 11, De Ocampo 6, Lanete 4, Heruela 3, Vigil 2, Pessumal 0, Semerad 0

Alaska (96): Casio 20, Thoss 145, Racal 13, Manuel 13, R. Pascual 9, Enciso 9, Abueva 7, Cruz 6, Exciminiano 4, J. Pascual 0, Baclao 0, Potts 0

Quarter scores: 16-26, 41-50, 71-74, 109-96

– Rappler.com

LOS ANGELES, United States – A defiant LeBron James said Saturday, February 17 he would continue to speak up about social issues and racism in America despite criticism this week from conservative commentators.

The NBA superstar says it is his duty as a parent and role model to use his platform to come to the defence of those that don't have a voice.

"To be an African-American kid and growing up in the inner city with a single parent mother and not being financially stable and to make it where I am today, I feel like I defeated the odds," said James.

The 14-time NBA all-star was responding to comments by Fox News presenter Laura Ingraham who said sports stars should stay out of politics, claiming James should "shut up and dribble."

The 33-year-old from Cleveland, Ohio said he feels it is his obligation – especially as a father to three young children – to discuss equality.

"I would not just shut up and dribble," James told reporters from a podium at the Los Angeles Convention Center after practice Saturday in preparation for Sunday's NBA All-Star Game.

"I mean too much to my two boys here, their best friend here, my daughter that is at home, my wife, and all these other kids that look up to me for inspiration and try to find a way out."

James has talked before about growing up poor in one of America's black inner city neighbourhoods but his comments on Saturday were especially sincere.

"I do it because I am passionate about it," he said. "I do it because it is bigger than me," said James who will captain Team LeBron in Sunday's contest at the Staples Center arena.

Breaking down barriers

James said he is encouraged to see more and more athletes giving their opinions and breaking down barriers.

"There was a time where athletes felt they shouldn't speak up about things or they didn't feel the courage to speak up about what were going on.

"We definitely will not shut up and dribble. I mean too much to society. I mean too much to the youth, I mean too much to so many kids who feel like they don't have a way out. They need someone to help lead them out of the situation they are in."

Commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday that he welcomes it when his players tackle tough social issues.

"The fact is these players are not just basketball players," Silver said. "They are multi-dimensional and they care and feel compelled to speak out and sometimes at great risk to themselves."

James said sometimes he feels like because of his stature that he has a target on his back.

"If it is for the greater good then I don't mind being a symbol," he said. "I am not trying to get a reward for it.

"I don't think Muhammad Ali tried to get a reward for it. I don't think Jim Brown or Bill Russell or Jackie Robinson, and the list goes on, tried to get a reward for it.

"This is just who we are."

Asked if he believed that the criticism directed against him by Ingraham was racist, James said: "There have been many people that are not African-American that spoke upon the same issues I spoke upon and no one said anything to them.

"So you can look at it as being racist or just racial tension.

"I am just trying to shed a positive light on bad energy that some of the people are trying to give to America or the people of the world. I am not on the negative side."

On a more upbeat note, James said he is looking forward to Sunday's all-star showcase because it has always been a fantasy of his.

"There are a lot of things I dreamed about when I was a kid. But being an all-star was something that was far fetched," he said.

"This is my 14th straight start, setting a record by being part of a class with Jerry West and Michael Jordan means a lot."– Rappler.com

LONDON, United Kingdom – Debate over the merits of video assistant refereeing was again raised as a Romelu Lukaku double eased Manchester United into the FA Cup quarter-finals in a 2-0 win at Huddersfield despite a controversial call going against Jose Mourinho's men.

Juan Mata thought he had put United into a 2-0 lead just before half-time only for the Spaniard's effort to be ruled out by the video referee after a lengthy delay, and without conclusive proof the officials on the field had made the wrong decision.

Thankfully for United, and the authorities, that decision didn't have a definitive influence on the outcome as Lukaku struck early in both halves to take his tally for the season to 21.

"If they have the VAR to help them make the right decisions, I think the referees will be happy with that," said Mourinho.

"But if the VAR change their good decisions for bad decisions, I think they are not happy with that."

United will face Brighton in the last 8, with Chelsea traveling to Leicester as 4 of the Premier League's top 5 were kept apart in the quarter-final draw.

Manchester City will host Southampton if they see off 3rd-tier Wigan on Monday, and Tottenham face a trip to Sheffield Wednesday or Swansea should they progress in Sunday's visit to Rochdale.

United were without Paul Pogba due to illness as a frustrating few weeks for the Frenchman continued after a dramatic dip in form that has seen him hauled off by Mourinho in recent defeats at Tottenham and Newcastle.

Mourinho made 6 changes in all from last weekend's shock reverse at St. James' Park, but his decision to retain Lukaku paid dividends when the Belgian burst onto Mata's pass to open the scoring inside three minutes.

Mata then had the ball in the net himself a minute before the break. A delay in referring the decision was exacerbated as the lines used to help the video official decipher offside decisions appeared to be far from straight.

"I'm up for it and I think it is needed, especially when it is a clear decision," said Mata.

"Hopefully it will be quicker as well, but I think it will be good for football to be a bit more fair."

United were left to mull over their grievance at half-time, but quickly ensured it wasn't to cost them too dearly as a brilliant one-two between Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez freed the former to slot low past Jonas Lossl.

More West Brom woe

Elsewhere, a week to forget for West Brom was rounded off with an FA Cup exit as fellow Premier League strugglers Southampton won 2-1 at the Hawthorns. 

West Brom boss Alan Pardew named Jonny Evans and Gareth Barry in his starting line-up despite the experienced duo forming half of a group of 4 players questioned by Spanish police this week over the theft of a taxi on the club's warm weather training trip to Barcelona.

"There was a problem in terms of selection because of the incident to go with my strongest team," said Pardew.

"I decided to do that. I felt I needed to make a little bit of a statement about the events. I was far from happy over them and made Gareth (McAuley) captain today."

Wesley Hoedt took advantage of some slack West Brom marking to head home his first goal for Southampton just 11 minutes in.

Dusan Tadic doubled the visitors' advantage on the counter-attack after the break and Southampton held out despite Salomon Rondon's spectacular volley pulling a goal back.

Brighton cruised into the last 8 as 4th-tier Coventry City's fairytale run came to a crashing end in a 3-1 defeat.

Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City face an unwanted replay after an insipid 0-0 draw on Swansea boss Carlos Carvalhal's return to Hillsborough.

"It's a score nobody wants," said Carvalhal, whose side are also battling for Premier League survival.

"Maybe in the future, if the managers and referee agree after the first game we can go to penalties, we can finish the game today."  – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Asa Miller finished 70th among the 110 competitors in the men's giant slalom of the alpine skiing event of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The 17-year-old Filipino-American, participating in his first Olympiad, clocked in a combined finish time of 2:49.95 in two runs. He ended Run 1 with 1:27.52, which was good for 81st place, before logging in 1:22.43 in Run 2 to improve his placing.

Miller is the 3rd youngest of the 110 competitors. 

Austria's Marcel Hirscher, who nabbed the gold in the men's alpine combined, lorded over the giant slalom with a time of 2:18.04. Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen (2:19.31) and France's Alexis Pinturault (2:19.35) completed the podium at second and third place, respectively.

Only 75 participants finished the two runs. 

Miller, who traces his Filipino roots to his mother, was the country's flag bearer during the quadrennial event's opening ceremony. His fellow Philippine delegate, Michael Martinez, finished at 28th place out of the 30 competitors in the men's figure skating. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs emerged as the sole undefeated team in the UAAP Season 80 women's volleyball tournament, defeating defending champions De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers in 5 sets, 26-24, 19-25, 22-25, 25-17, 16-14, on Sunday, February 18 at the Filoil Flying V Centre. 

The Lady Bulldogs earned their fighting chance after Tin Tiamzon committed back-to-back errors and Jaja Santiago tied the 5th set at 12-all. Santiago brought NU to match point with a spike down the middle and May Luna extended the match by tying it at 14-all. Santiago's crosscourt spike brought it to the second match point and Aiko Urdas finished the match with an ace. 

The Lady Bulldogs stand at 4-0 while the defending champions pick up one loss to fall to a 3-1 record in the UAAP Season 80 Women's Volleyball tournament. 

Santiago topscored with 27 points off 20 spikes, 4 blocks and 3 aces. Risa Sato followed with 15 points off 10 spikes and 5 blocks while making 10 excellent digs. Jasmine Nabor made all the team's 53 excellent sets. 

Season 79 MVP Majoy Baron led the team with 14 points while Luna came off the bench in the second set to follow with 12 points. Dawn Macandili covered the floor with 37 excellent digs and 16 receptions. 

The Lady Bulldogs broke out of the early stalemate and needed two points left to take the first set, 23-18. After a crucial point by Arriane Layug, the Lady Spikers turned it around with 3 service aces by Michelle Cobb and was capped off by an attack error from Audrey Paran to tie the set at 23-all.

NU nabbed set point via a Risa Sato attack, but it was tied at 24-all after Jorelle Singh made a service error. Urdas scored off the block and Roselyn Doria's attack managed to close out the set to give NU a 1-0 lead to the match. 

The Lady Bulldogs led early in the second set to go up by 4, 9-5. Team captain Majoy Baron's attack capped off DLSU's 5-1 rally to tie the score at 10-all. DLSU only took the lead after Kim Dy and Tin Tiamzon combined for back-to-back attack to give the Lady Spikers a 2-point edge, 14-12. Santiago's crosscourt spike brought it back to a 15-all score. 

May Luna's two attacks lifted DLSU to pull away the lead, which was followed by back-to-back errors from Sato that brought DLSU to set point, 24-19. Baron came up with a crucial block to even the match with one set apiece. 

DLSU rode with their second set momentum and got off to a 3-0 start to the 3rd. Santiago powered the Lady Bulldogs to take the lead with two aces and a check ball, 9-7. Both teams continued to trade leads until Urdas sparked a 3-0 run for NU to go up by 3 points, 16-13. 

The Lady Spikers nabbed the lead once again with a 6-1 run, punctuated by Layug's and Ogunsanya's contributions. DLSU was two points away from taking the 3rd set with Luna's attack, but the Lady Bulldogs cut the deficit to one, 23-22. Baron wasted no time by bringing it to set point and Luna's spike down the middle gave DLSU the 2-1 advantage. 

The Lady Bulldogs shifted the momentum to their side with a strong start to the 4th set pulling it to a 11-6 advantage. NU's renewed offense silenced the Lady Spikers as Doria sent an attack towards the backrow to bring the Lady Bulldogs to set point and Jasmine Nabor's ace pushed the game to a 5th set.

Dy sparked the DLSU offense in the deciding set with the first 3 points and capitalized on NU's errors to nab a 8-5 lead. After back-to-back errors by Baron cut DLSU's lead to one, 8-7, the Lady Spikers bounced back with a 4-1 run, 12-8.

The Scores

NU (3) – Santiago 27, Sato 15, Urdas 10, Paran 10, Doria 8, Nabor 4, Singh 1. 

DLSU (2) – Baron 14, Luna 12, Dy 11, Ogunsanya 8, Tiamzon 8, Layug 7, Cheng 6, Cobb 4. 

 – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigresses cruised to their second sweep of the season over the Adamson Lady Falcons, 25-9, 31-29, 25-19 on Sunday, February 18, at the Filoil Flying V Centre. 

Sisi Rondina scored 4 out of the last 5 points of UST, punctuated by her service ace that brought it to a match point. Christine Francisco finished the match with a block. 

The Tigresses bounced back from their loss against the Ateneo Lady Eagles to stand at 2-2, while the Lady Falcons also stand at 2-2 as their two-game winning streak ended.

Rondina finished with 22 points off 17 attacks, 4 aces, and one block, while making 16 excellent digs. Boom Pacres followed with 13 points off 10 spikes and 3 aces.

Jema Galanza led Adamson as the only double-digit scorer of 10 points while Tonnie Ponce continued to defend the floor with 11 digs and 13 receptions. 

The Tigresses missed the services of Filipino-Italian Milena Alessandrini and libero Rica Rivera due to injury. Alessandrini is out for the rest of the first round due to a shoulder injury, while Rivera suffered a knee injury from UST's previous game against Ateneo.

The Tigresses dominated the first set, limiting the Lady Falcons to only single digits. Rondina's spike down the middle and Carla Sandoval's ace closed out the set, 25-9. 

The Lady Falcons turned the tables and took control early in the second set until UST managed to tie the score at 12-all, thanks to an error by Adamson that completed Rondina's attack and Pacres' ace. 

With only two points away from taking the second set, UST cut its deficit to two capped off by an ace by Caitlin Viray, 23-21. Christine Soyud brought it to a set point for the Lady Falcons but back-to-back errors by Adamson cost them the lead and tied the set at 24-all. 

Both teams continued to extend the set as Adamson brought it to 5 set points, but UST managed to take the set at the second set point via back-to-back hits by Rondina. 

The Tigresses were already looking to sweep the match as they got off to a 10-3 start to the 3rd quarter. The Lady Falcons sparked a short 3-0 run which was immediately silenced by Rondina's attack. The Tigresses stretched the lead to 8 points, 17-9, capped off by Pacres' attack.

The Scores

UST (3) – Rondina 22, Pacres 13, Sandoval 9, Palec 5, Francisco 3, Bicar 3, Viray 1. 

AdU (0) – Galanza 10, Paat 7, Soyud 5, Permentilla 5, Dacoron 3, Emnas 2. 

– Rappler.com

(UPDATED) BOCAUE, Philippines – Kevin Alas waxed hot in the 4th quarter and the NLEX Road Warriors clinched a playoff berth following a 93-90 win over the Blackwater Elite in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup at the Philippine Arena here Sunday, February 18. 

Alas scored 16 points in the payoff period, highlighted by 4 triples, to cap off a 25-point, 8-rebound, and 5-assist night that helped the Road Warriors bag their 4th straight victory.

NLEX trailed 65-74 heading into the 4th period before Alas buried two treys in a 9-0 stretch that tied the game at 74-all.

Blackwater regained the upper hand off back-to-back buckets from James Sena and Poy Erram, 78-74, but Alas retaliated with a personal 8-0 run, highlighted by two consecutive long bombs, for an 82-78 NLEX lead. 

NLEX pushed its lead to 6 points after a Cyrus Baguio layup, 84-78, a sufficient advantage to fend off a late Elite scare.

"Another hard game for us. Wala kaming panalong madali (We didn't have an easy win), our last 4 wins were just grind out games and this is not exception," said NLEX head coach Yeng Guiao.

"Blackwater is getting better, they are giant killers and coming into this game, I already told the guys na pahihirapan tayo ng team na ito (that it will be difficult facing them), it's going to be a hard game and it was." 

Kiefer Ravena added 23 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals for NLEX, which improved to a 6-4 slate and tied the Alaska Aces at 4th place . The Road Warriors have not lost a game in two weeks after going on a 4-game skid. 

Erram finished with 14 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 assists for the Elite, who are now at 9th place together with the TNT KaTropa behind identical 4-6 records.

Blackwater had a 12 more offensive rebounds than NLEX but could not capitalize on it as both teams tallied 21 second chance points apiece. 

Mike Digregorio had 16 points, Raymar Jose chipped in 14 points and 9 rebounds, Allein Maliksi made his presence felt with 13 points and 6 rebounds while Sena added 12 points and 8 boards in the losing effort. 

The Scores:

NLEX (93): Alas 25, Ravena 23, Tiongson 9, Quiñahan 8, Al-Hussaini 6, Baguio 5, Mallari 5, Soyud 4, Ighalo 3, Miranda 3, Fonacier 2, Gotladera 0, Taulava 0 

Blackwater (90): Digregorio 16, Erram 14, Jose 14, Maliksi 13, Sena 12, Belo 10, Palma 6, Marcelo 5, Pinto 0

Quarter scores: 23-20, 41-46, 65-74, 93-90 

– Rappler.com

BOCAUE, Philippines – Kevin Alas is a man who keeps his promise.

Following a turnover-plagued performance that almost cost the NLEX Road Warriors' 97-89 win over the Alaska Aces last February 11, Alas vowed to repay his coaches' trust by being in his finest form the next game. 

Against the streaking Blackwater Elite, Alas did.

The 26-year-old guard fired a game-high 25 points on top of 8 rebounds and 5 assists against one turnover to anchor the Road Warriors to a 93-90 win over the Elite on Sunday, February 18. The victory secured NLEX, which improved to 6-4, a ticket to the playoffs.

"Locked in ako today. I played okay noong last game pero napagsabihan ako ni Coach Yeng (Guiao) noong game na 'yun. I just wanted na suklian 'yung binibigay na trust ni Coach Yeng," said Alas. 

(I'm locked in today. I played okay the last game but Coach Yeng Guiao kind of scolded me. I just wanted to repay his trust in me.)

Alas had a relatively erratic game against the Aces last week. Despite finishing with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and two assists, he committed 6 turnovers, 4 coming in the 4th quarter, that almost propelled Alaska to come back from down 30 points.

True to his word, Alas brought his A-game versus the Elite and delivered 16 points in the 4th period alone to help the Road Warriors secure their 4th straight win. 

"Kiefer was playing well pero 'yung focus ng defense nasa kanya so I felt someone had to step up. 'Di lang naman puwedeng si Kiefer lang. I'm happy na sabay kami pumutok so I hope maging consistent kami," Alas added.

(Kiefer was playing well but the defense was focusing on him so I felt someone had to step up. We cannot win if Kiefer is the only one who creates for the team. I'm happy we erupted in the same game and I hope we become consistent.)

Guiao, who shared that he has been pushing for Alas to become a consistent outside threat, was left in awe of his ward. 

"He made some fantastic shots, pati ako nagulat (even I was surprised)," said Guiao. 

"I've been telling him that he's just underusing his outside game, medyo nagrerely siya masyado sa slashing ability niya (he was relying heavily on his slashing ability) and defenses were already sagging off him. Today, he showed us that he is an outside threat," the coach added.

"That's just incredible shooting, the best I've seen him shoot from the outside so far in this last one and a half years that I've coached him."

Alas will be flying to Australia on Monday, February 19, to join Gilas Pilipinas in their battle against the Aussies on February 22. But he vowed to get back to work immediately to prepare for NLEX's game against the TNT KaTropa on February 28. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – "Coach! Grabe ang tibay ng team mo! (Your team is so strong)," shouted someone from the audience towards head coach Babes Castillo as the National University Lady Bulldogs were on their way to defeat the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers.

This was a morale booster for Castillo and the team as it ran across the coach's mind that they only had 10 players. 

The NU Lady Bulldogs clinched their 4th straight win as they bested the UAAP defending champions DLSU Lady Spikers in a 5-set thriller on Sunday, February 18. 

The Lady Bulldogs were down 12-8 in the deciding set until Jaja Santiago reentered the court, giving confidence to the NU squad – especially to setter Jasmine Nabor. Errors plagued the Lady Spikers, sending the match to a dramatic ending of Santiago bringing the 5th set to match point twice with an Aiko Urdas ace to finish it off for the victory. 

NU's renewed offense during the 4th set proved to be the momentum shifter after DLSU took two prior to the penultimate set. Nabor proved to be the key of the game as she commanded the team by distributing the ball to a variety of NU spikers. The setter made all of the team's 53 excellent sets. 

"Ang main difference is 'pag nag-cocommand si Jasmine, sunod din lahat. So sinasabi ko lang is from the way we started, let's start building a bridge right now," said Castillo. 

(The main difference is if Jasmine is commanding, everyone follows. I just say that from the way we started, let's start building a bridge right now.) 

Team captain Santiago was also impressed that her team's determination to win this game was shown on court. She also felt Nabor's trust in each of her teammates which allowed everyone to do their part, starting from the first ball to finishing each play with a kill. 

"Sinasabi lang niya (Nabor) na itaas 'nyo lang receive 'nyo tapos ako na hahabol," said Santiago. "Sobrang ganda kasi naco-compose and nabi-build up namin 'yung ganitong match lalo na 'pag dinidikdik kami ng kalaban so nakikita natin na tumitibay at nag-iimprove 'yung character ng bawat isa 'pag ganyang laban."

(She just told us to just make our receives better then she would chase after them. It's really good that we're composing and building up in these kinds of matches especially when the opponent is pressing on us so we're seeing that we're becoming stronger and improving our own character in these kinds of games.) 

Nabor also commended her teammates for focusing on defense and helping her achieve the best of her role as the team's starting setter. 

"Parang sinasabi lang ng bawat isa, sinasabi ko lang na tibayan ang depensa, iangat lang at adjust-adjust ang mga spiker. Hindi kami papayag na matatalo kami sa game na 'to," said Nabor. 

(Everyone kept saying, I kept saying that we should strengthen our defense, raise the ball, and the spikers should adjust. We weren't going to accept a loss.)

"Laban lang po talaga. Tapos sobrang tibayan lang ang depensa namin kasi 'yun ang pinaka-importante kanina. Tibay ng puso talaga at teamwork namin," she added.

(Really keep fighting. Then strengthen our defense because that was the most important. Strengthen the heart and teamwork.)

As the Lady Bulldogs grow more formidable both physically and in character, they look to extend their winning streak in their next match against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigresses next Sunday, February 25, at the Filoil Flying V Centre. – Rappler.com

BOCAUE, Philippines – Jason Ballesteros materialized into the hero Meralco Bolts badly needed as they stayed alive in their playoff hunt with an 84-82 win over Barangay Ginebra in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup at the Philippine Arena here Sunday, February 18.

Ballesteros, who finished with 17 rebounds and 7 points, provided clutch plays on both ends of the floor to power the Bolts to their second straight win.

Meralco avoided early elimination by improving to 4-6, forcing a 3-team logjam at 9th place with the TNT KaTropa and the Blackwater Elite.

Ginebra held a slim 82-81 lead with 58 seconds left before Ballesteros put Meralco in the front seat with a putback off a Chris Newsome miss, 83-82.

On the next possession, the burly center grabbed the defensive rebound after a Scottie Thompson miss before being fouled. He then split his free throws to push the Bolts' lead to two, 84-82.

Ginebra had enough time to get off an equalizer with 17 seconds left in the game but to no avail as Ballesteros did enough to distract Japeth Aguilar, who muffed his 3-point attempt.

Garvo Lanete scored 19 points for Meralco and Anjo Caram chipped in 16 markers in the win. Newsome finished with 12 points, 6 assists, and 5 boards while Reynel Hugnatan added 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists for the Bolts.

Aguilar had 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists for Ginebra, which stayed at 6th place behind a 5-5 card. 

The Scores:

Meralco (84): Lanete 19, Caram 16, Hugnatan 12, Newsome 12, Ballesteros 7, Salva 5, Amer 4, Bono 4, Canaleta 3, Faundo 2, Sedurifa 0, Tolomia 0

Ginebra (82): Aguilar 20, Thompson 17, Slaughter 12, Mercado 10, Caguioa 6, Cruz 5, Tenorio 5, Devance 4, Mariano 3, Ferrer 0, Manuel 0

Quarter scores: 15-20, 45-38, 67-64, 84-82

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel Alab Pilipinas cruised to their 8th straight win over cellar-dwellers Formosa Dreamers in the ASEAN Basketball League, 117-93, on Sunday, February 18, at the Santa Rosa City Sports Complex.

Alab survived the physical last two minutes of the game as Christopher Sumalinog picked up 5 fouls, punctuated by a scuffle that erupted after Tian You Yang took down Nico Javelona in the last 1:44 of the game. John Alabanza's layup sealed the win for Alab, up by 24 points. 

Alab Pilipinas now stands at 3rd in the league with an 11-4 record, while the Dreamers remain at last place with a 1-14 record. 

Justin Brownlee and Renaldo Balkman continued to banner the team with double-double outings. Brownlee led the team with 27 points and 13 rebounds and Balkman followed with 21 points and 12 rebounds. 

It was a slow start for Alab Pilipinas as Dondon Hontiveros lifted the team to tie the score at 5-all in the first 3 minutes. Alab only managed to pull away with a 9-0 run capped off by a Lawrence Domingo layup, 20-10.

As the Dreamers were about to salvage their first quarter performance with a buzzer-beater, Balkman came up big to reject their attempt with a block. 

Alab continued to exert their dominance over the Dreamers as they stretched the lead to double digits with a Josh Urbiztondo 3-pointer, 40-29. 

The Dreamers rallied back in the 3rd quarter and cut the deficit to 5 points via a 6-0 run capped off by a Ronnie Aguilar jumper, 60-55. But Alab managed to silence the Dreamers once again and brought it back to a double-digit lead, 76-60.

Despite the double-digit deficit, the Dreamers still managed to outscore Alab 28-27 in the 3rd quarter. 

Trailing by 13 heading into the final frame, Aguilar and Cameron Forte powered the Dreamers' offense to cut Alab's lead to 12, 88-78. Urbiztondo put a halt to their momentum with a triple with 6:57 left in the quarter. 

Alab caught fire in the last 5 minutes of the 4th quarter as the Filipino team went on a quick 10-2 scoring run, punctuated by Brownlee's two triples that gave Alab a 22-point lead, 106-84. Hontiveros and Sumalinog continued the hot shooting from beyond the arc with triples of their own that left the Dreamers with no hope to rally back with 2:58 left. – Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – Calvin Abueva's chances of seeing action for Gilas Pilipinas in the second window of the FIBA Asian Qualifiers of the 2019 World Cup just got higher.

Gilas head coach Chot Reyes announced on Twitter Sunday night, February 18, that Abueva is part of the 14-man pool that will be flying to Australia on Monday, February 19, as the national team gears up for their battle against the Aussies on Thursday, February 22.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Finally got go-signal to announce GILAS entourage leaving tom: Jason, Kief, Kev, Jio, RR, Matt, Allein, Gabe, Cal, CBC, Jap, Abu, JMF, Dray. Troy not given medical clearance yet, while Mac still not 100% #</p>&mdash; Chot Reyes (@coachot) <a href="https://twitter.com/coachot/status/965218947904585728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Abueva, who was initially dropped from the second window due to consecutive absences in Gilas' first 3 practices, showed his desire to be reinstated by attending the team's subsequent training sessions.

With Abueva's inclusion, there is a possibility that he will be part of the 12-man lineup that will be facing Australia and Japan in the second window. 

A surprise addition to the team is former De La Salle University big man Abu Tratter, who has been a consistent practice player for Gilas. 

Reyes said that Troy Rosario, who has missed back-to-back games after slamming his chin on the hardcourt last February 7, has yet to be given medical clearance to play. Mac Belo, meanwhile, is still recovering from an iliotibial band (ITB) injury. 

Joining Abueva and Tratter are Jayson Castro, Kiefer Ravena, Kevin Alas, Jio Jalalon, Roger Pogoy, Matthew Wright, Allein Maliksi, Gabe Norwood, Carl Bryan Cruz, Japeth Aguilar, June Mar Fajardo, and Andray Blatche. – Rappler.com

DAYTONA BEACH, USA – Danica Patrick crashed out of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 18, putting a damper on the final event of her NASCAR racing career.

The 35-year-old American ended up finishing 35th in Sunday's 200-lap race at the Daytona International Speedway.

Patrick, who broke ground in the sport by becoming the only woman to win a pole position in a NASCAR Cup race, announced in November that she was retiring from racing in 2018.

She was involved in a collision on lap 102 with Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski.

"It just wasn't meant to be today," Patrick told Fox televsion afterwards.

"But I am proud – we raced the whole race...it was competitive. That's all you can do," added Patrick, who was watched by her NFL star boyfriend Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers.

Patrick plans to race in her final IndyCar race at the Indianapolis Speedway on May 27.

Sunday's smash ends her record-breaking NASCAR career that spanned five seasons and crowned her as the most successful female driver in the sport.

Patrick earned seven top-10 finishes and one pole coming in 2013 when she finished eighth in the race.

Austin Dillon in a Chevrolet went on to win Sunday's NASCAR showpiece, which fell on the 17th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's death. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Ask common basketball fans and they will probably say Gilas Pilipinas is the underdog against Australia. Ask Gabe Norwood and he'd give you a completely opposite answer.

Norwood, who has been with national team longer than his career with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the PBA, has seen how Gilas transformed into one of Asia's stronger teams. 

The 33-year-old had a first-hand experience of Gilas' peek as the team barged into the 2014 World Cup following a second-place finish in the FIBA Asia Championships the year before.

In the World Cup, Gilas almost pulled off wins against top-tier teams Croatia, Argentina and Puerto Rico before ending their campaign with a victory over Senegal. 

The World Cup stint saw Norwood go toe-to-toe with NBA players Luis Scola, JJ Barea, Gorgui Dieng and Bojan Bogdanovic,

So heading into the second window of the FIBA Asian Qualifiers of the 2019 World Cup where Gilas will face powerhouse Australia, Norwood is confident that there is no reason to be intimidated.

"Those days are over and done with. I think we crossed that threshold when we qualified and played in the World Cup," said Norwood.

Australia is currently slated at 10th in the world and first in Asia based on the FIBA world rankings while the Philippines is 31st in the world and 5th in Asia. 

Rankings aside, Norwood believes the game is still up for grabs.

"Everybody in this gym knows we're world class now just like Australia is. So we're gonna go out and play as hard as we can."

Gilas will face Australia in its own turf on February 22 before returning home to take on Japan on February 25. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Jason Ballesteros may not be a part of Gilas Pilipinas anymore but his experiences there came in handy with the Meralco Bolts being in survival mode.

The 6-foot-6 big man turned into an unlikely hero as Meralco eked out an 84-82 win over Barangay Ginebra at the Philippine Arena Sunday, February 18.

The Bolts remained alive in their playoff hunt, improving their record to 4-6, and climbed two notches in the standings to 9th place, joining the TNT KaTropa and the Blackwater Elite.

Ballesteros registered 17 rebounds and 7 points in a night that saw him score a go-ahead putback and an insurance free throw within the last 40 seconds. He also provided a game-sealing defensive play on Japeth Aguilar, who missed his last-second 3-point attempt.

Few may remember the 32-year-old as a pioneer of Gilas but Ballesteros sure can recall a lot of experiences with the national squad, primarily with matchups against former Gilas teammates and now Ginebra stars Aguilar and Greg Slaughter.

"Kahit paano, alam ko na 'yung mga laro nila dahil sa Gilas magkasama kami," said Ballesteros.

(At least, I know how they play because played together in Gilas.)

But Ballesteros downplayed his resurgence, saying it was just his job to help Meralco avoid early elimination.

"Buenas lang," said Ballesteros. "Sabi ni coach, kung gusto naming pumasok ng quarters, maglaro kami ng maayos. Tsaka lalo ngayon na 'yung mga big man, kailangang magstep up kasi malalaki nga ang Ginebra. So 'yun ang ginawa ko, nagstep up lang."

(I was just lucky. Coach said that in order for us to advance to the quarters, we should play accordingly. Especially against Ginebra, our big men needed to step up. That is what I did, I stepped up.)

The Bolts will try to fortify their bid for a playoff berth when they face the Magnolia Hotshots on February 24. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The 2018 PBA D-League Aspirants Cup moves back to the Pasig City Sports Complex for the usual double-header, Monday, February 19.

First Game: Marinerong Pilipino vs AMA

The powerhouse Marinerong Pilipino Skippers opened the day with a rout of AMA Online Education, 109-93.

The Skippers held a comfortable 20-point lead after the first, 36-16, on the back of strong opening quarters from Rian Ayonayon and Gab Banal. AMA outscored them a bit in the following period thanks to 11 second quarter points from new acquisition Arvin Tolentino but still trailed at the half by 15, 61-46.

In response, Tolentino’s teammate from FEU Barkley Ebona made his presence felt for Marinerong Pilipino in the second half. After scoring just a single point in the first three quarters, Ebona bullied his way to 7 fourth quarter points to help put the game away for the Skippers and their usual rowdy fanbase.

Banal led all scorers in the win with a huge 20-point, 14-rebound double-double. Ayonayon followed him with 18 points of his own including 6 boards and 5 assists.

On the other end, Tolentino immediately made up for a weak first game with AMA with a leading performance of 18 points and 8 rebounds before fouling out in the final period. Robbie Manalang drastically cooled down from his 40-point explosion in the last outing but still finished with 15 points, albeit on a 1/7 clip from three.

Second Game: EAC vs JRU

In the second game, the winless Batangas EAC Generals finally etched their place in the win column with an 81-71 upset over the JRU Heavy Bombers.

The NCAA playoff team was ice-cold against the Generals in the first quarter, getting outscored 8-20. While they picked up the pace with a 22-point second quarter thanks to stronger play from big men Kris Porter and Jeckster Apinan, they still trailed at the half, 41-30.

It was all in all an off day for the Heavy Bombers, as they just couldn’t get into a rhythm after a lackluster third quarter, where they again got outscored 13-25. Not even a furious 15-2 rally in the final frame could save them from falling prey to the win-starved Generals, who have become the last team in the tournament to nail their first win.

Four players scored in double figures for EAC, led by Cedric Ablaza’s 18 points and 11 rebounds. Earvin Mendoza, Cedrick De Joya and Jerome Garcia followed him with 11 points apiece.

For JRU, new acquisition and former AMA player Porter impressed with a team-high 16 points, who ended up tied with Apinan in the box score. However, it was Apinan who had the more well-rounded outing by adding 16 boards in the losing effort.

The Scores:

First Game

Marinerong Pilipino (109): Banal 20, Ayonayon 18, Lopez 9, Pasaol 9, Ebona 8, Robles 8, Subido 6, Tratter 6, Babilonia 6, Toth 6, Olivares 5, Tolentino 4, Inigo 4, Terso 0

AMA (93): Tolentino 18, Manalang 15, Canete 13, Lao 12, Martinez 7, Taganas 7, Garcia 6, Celso 6, Andaya 4, Escalambre 3, Bragais 2, Antonares 0

Quarter Scores: 36-16, 61-46, 88-76, 109-93

Second Game

EAC (81): Ablaza 16, Mendoza 11, De Joya 11, Garcia 11, Laude 8, Diego 8, Bautista 6, Mendoza 6, Dela Pena 4, Neri 0, Estacio 0

JRU (71): Porter 16, Apinan 16, Pontejos 11, Mendoza 10, De Guzman 10, Dela Virgen 5, Esguerra 2, Sawat 1, Ramos 0, Tobiano 0

Quarter Scores: 20-8, 41-30, 66-43, 81-71

Standings (as of February 19, 2018)

Zark’s-LPU 4-1

Akari-AdU 4-1

CEU 2-0

Marinerong Pilipino 4-2

Go For Gold-CSB 3-2

Gamboa-St. Clare 2-1

Wangs-Letran 2-2

Che’Lu-SSC 2-4

AMA 1-3

JRU 1-3

Perpetual 1-3

EAC 1-4

LONDON, United Kingdom – George Groves vowed to be fit for May's World Boxing Super Series final despite dislocating his shoulder in his semi-final victory over Chris Eubank Jr Saturday, February 20.

"I'm a fast healer. I broke my jaw in May and I was back training soon after. I have fought two times since then," said Groves, whose shoulder popped out during the final round of a unanimous points victory over pre-fight betting favorite Eubank.

"I keep myself in shape, I live a clean life and it all aids to recovery time. The final is fast approaching and that is exciting for me so my body will re-heal fast. I'm in a confident frame of mind."

Groves also defended his World Boxing Organization super-middleweight belt against his domestic rival and is scheduled to face either fellow Englishman Callum Smith or Germany's Juergen Braehmer in the WBSS final.

But the 29-year-old faces a race against time to be fit.

"I will get a few more scans and see a specialist and we will look to see what the recovery time is. I have no pain now, I'm sure that is a good sign," added Groves.

Smith and former European light-heavyweight champion Braehmer meet in Nuremberg on Saturday. – Rappler.com

GANGNEUNG, South Korea – Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir planned to guzzle some champagne to toast their sparkling record-breaking ice dance triumph Tuesday, February 20, which saw them become the most decorated Olympic skaters of all time.

In what is almost certainly their final appearance on the world stage, the Vancouver 2010 champions looked destined for silver after French rivals Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron appeared to have stolen the show in Pyeongchang, breaking their own free dance and combined score mark.

But skating last, Virtue and Moir pulled out the dance of their lives under incredible pressure to earn 122.40 for a combined record total of 206.07 points and the gold medal, narrowly bettering the French duo's 205.28.

"We didn't see them dance, we were very much in our world, we didn't even see their score," said the 28-year-old Virtue.

Moir added: "We knew today we'd put in a fantastic performance, gave it all we had, we skated with our hearts.

"We were present, we were together, we knew we were happy. Gabby and Guillaume are a good team, we knew it would be a fight right to the end."

In bronze, almost 13 points behind, came American brother and sister act Maia and Alex Shibutani.

For Virtue and Moir, 30, this was a record fifth medal to go with their Vancouver gold and the silvers they won in the team and ice dance at Sochi, and gold in last week's team event in Pyeongchang.

"We're going to celebrate with some champagne," smiled Virtue.

Told in the mixed zone that some rink experts were suggesting they were the greatest skaters of all time, Virtue laughed: "Where are these people?!"

She added: "That's incredibly flattering, it's hard to wrap our heads around, especially so close to the event, but we are grateful of the legends that have come before us."

The duo will allow their achievement to seep in before they tell the world their next steps.

"If it is the end we are extremely pleased with that," said Moir.

"We'll probably make an announcement in the coming days, but for us we just want to enjoy this right now and let the dust kind of settle and figure out what's next."

'So emotional' 

Virtue and Moir led after Monday's short program, in which Papadakis suffered an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction.

Wearing a backless all-in-one number this time with no annoying clips to become unfastened, she and Cizeron could not have done any more in their bid to become only France's second champions in this discipline likened to ballroom dancing on ice.

Papadakis and Cizeron have been superb all season, becoming the first ice dancers to break the 200-point mark last year.

Their elegant and seamless routine to Beethoven's Piano and Moonlight sonatas earned a row of level fours from the judges.

Papadakis fell into Cizeron's arms crying, before the couple exited to the wings of the Gangneung Arena to see if their training companions in Montreal could deny them the title.

And how they did.

The Canadian couple began their routine to Roxanne from Moulin Rouge with many at the now-hushed venue believing they were chasing a lost cause.

But their energetic and sensual tango stole the rink jury's hearts – and broke those of their two French friends' watching their dream of Olympic gold disappear.

"It wasn't the best part of the day (watching Virtue and Moir) but it's like that, they skated really well," said Cizeron.

He added: "We gave our all, that's why we were so emotional on the ice at the end.

"In spite of everything, it was a 'beau combat'."

Papadakis, commenting on her misfortune a day earlier when her dress slipped, said: "I had no choice but to get over what happened yesterday.

"We had to get over it, and we did, otherwise we wouldn't have performed as we did just now." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The National University (NU) Bullpups ended the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tiger Cubs' Cinderella run in the UAAP Jrs basketball, 91-72, on Tuesday, February 20 at the Filoil Flying V Centre. 

Back-to-back threes by Terrence Fortea and Miguel Oczon gave NU a 20-point lead over the Tiger Cubs in the 4th quarter. MVP Cj Cansino pulled off an and-1 in the last 1:34 of the game to cut NU's lead to 17 points, 88-71, but it was not enough and too late to spark a comeback. 

UST failed to force a Game 2 with the Bullpups, catapulting NU to its 7th straight finals appearance. They tangle with the  Ateneo Blue Eaglets for the championship.

Fortea topscored for the Bullpups with 17 points, while Oczon followed with 16 points. Paolo Javillonar recorded a double-double of 13 points and 16 rebounds. 

Rayjhun Baquial and Jezreel Villapando led the Tiger Cubs with 16 points apiece. John Lina and Cansino registered double-doubles as they tallied 10 points apiece as well as 10 and 16 boards, respectively. 

The Tiger Cubs were the first to break out of the first quarter stalemate as John Lina and Vince Dolendo went back-to-back to nab a 4-point lead, 16-12. After Fortea split his FTs at the last two minute mark of the first, he buried a three to take the lead for NU and Miguel  followed with one of his own to pull away the lead. 

Fortea rode on his first quarter momentum and sparked an NU 11-0 run with his personal 5-0 start. UST only managed to put an end to their scoring drought with a 3-pointer from Rayjhun Baquial at the 7:05 mark of the second quarter. The Tiger Cubs managed to cut the deficit to 10 via back-to-back buckets by Cyril Narvasa and Lina, 41-31. 

UST's first half performance was plagued with 13 turnovers compared to NU's two. The Bullpups managed to tally 13 points off turnovers as well. 

The Bullpups stretched the lead to as much as 17 points in the 3rd, punctuated by Paolo Javillonar's back-to-back baskets. Jezreel Villapando drained a shot from beyond the arc to cut the deficit to 14 points, 67-51. The Bullpups still managed to overwhelm the Tiger Cubs as Fortea's buzzer beating floater ended the 3rd up by 16 points. 

The NU Bullpups will face the undefeated Ateneo Blue Eaglets on Friday, February 23 at the Filoil Flying V Centre.

The Scores

NU (91) – Fortea 10, Oczon 16, Javillonar 13, Amsali 12, Manalang 11, Coyoca 8, Gonzales 4, Pangilinan 4, Minerva 2, Malonzo 2, Vinoya 2, Dayrit 0, Felisilda 0.

UST (72) – Bacquial 16, Villapando 16, Lina 10, Cansino 10, Narvasa 10, Anunciacion 6, Palencia 6, Dolendo 2, Manabat 0, Relucio 0, Estrella 0, Dela Cruz 0, Benzonan 0.

Quarter Scores: 21-17, 45-31, 67-51, 91-72.

– Rappler.com