think rainbows

This game was unlike the first round encounter between UE and UST where UST led the entire game. This time, UE meant serious business, and they did just that. At first UST was leading, then suddenly, UE's shots started sinking in, and UST's defense wasn't working; at halftime UE was up 30-24.

Realizing that their final four stint is at a big risk here, the Tigers tightened their defense and worked on their rebounding and offense as they went on a 7-2 run early in the third quarter to cut the lead to just 1. UE got back the lead to 37-33 but the hardworking Abdul put UST to within a point, 37-36 just in time for the fourth quarter.

Paulo Pe gave UST the lead after his hook shot, and the Tigers never looked back from there. With barely two minutes left, and UST with the 43-39 advantage, UE just could not get anything rolling for them. UST on the other hand started rebounding solidly especially on the offensive end, and after a Jeric Teng triple, the lead was up, 49-41. Jeric Fortuna and Karim Abdul sealed the win for the Tigers, as UE's final four hopes died down.

Abdul was named player of the game after finishing with 16 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals, and three blocks.

It wasn't an all around good game for the Tigers as they were only shooting at 28%, but it was enough to give them the win. Defense was the key as they kept the Red Warriors to just 15 points in the last 20 minutes of the game. The Tigers will face Adamson on Saturday, September 3, and hope that momentum will stay on their side. They have to step up with their offense against the Falcons, and play tight defense the whole game if they want to beat the Adamson team.

Mathematically, final four hopes for NU and DLSU are still alive. I'm pretty sure they're wishing that UST starts losing and that they start winning. UST, on the other hand, should not let go of their advantage over these two teams. NU's still got Ateneo, Lasalle and UST. DLSU will still face UP, NU, and FEU. UST will still meet Adamson, FEU and NU. It's a tight race, UST's got their hands full, and it'll be a hard fought last three games. Things are looking bright for the team though. Consistency, tuloy tuloy lang, and 'wag tayong bibitaw. NEVER SAY DIE! BELIEVE! :)) Go USTe! Go Tigers! :)

I'm going to take a little break from basketball, and blog about some of the yummy food I have discovered over the past few days. There's food for main course, for afternoon break, and of course there's dessert.

Frostings Cupcakes (http://www.frostingscupcakes.com.ph/)

I have been craving for cupcakes last week, and luckily I found this little stall in MOA. It's called Frostings Cupcakes and they've got a number of cupcake flavors. There's Regular cupcakes, Premium cupcakes, Fruit cupcakes which features different fruits such as banana, mango, peaches, etc., and Extra Premium cupcakes.

Regular Cupcakes

There wasn't much left of the cupcake flavors for that day when I arrived since that was already a bit late. Luckily the regular cupcake flavors were just enough for six cupcakes, so I ordered one of each. The regular cupcakes are the cheapest at 45 pesos a piece. The others (premium, fruit, extra premium) range from 65-75 pesos or even higher. There were seven flavors to choose from actually, but I didn't order the Choco Strawberry cupcake since I wasn't really a fan of choco strawberry combinations.




(clockwise from top right) I didn't get the flavor of the first one and it's not in their website as well, but the others are Lava cupcake, Smores Choco Caramel, Braso de Mercedes, Double Dutch, and Lemon Meringue. My favorite is the Braso de Mercedes cupcake, but all the others taste good as well. The first one kind of had an orange flavor to it, so probably that's the least one that I liked. The cupcakes itself weren't that sweet so it goes well with the right amount of sweetness in their frostings. Craving satisfied! :) (They also have other pastries such as brownies, pies, and bars.)

As much as i don't want a sweep as well for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, I think the step ladder format would be more beneficial for UST. But, it'll also depend on how they would play against the Adamson Falcons and the FEU Tamaraws on Sept. 3 and Sept. 8 respectively.

If Ateneo sweeps the elimination round, no.3 and no.4 will battle it out for the right to face the no.2 team, and then the winner will eventually face the Blue Eagles in the finals. Another incentive for sweeping the elims is Ateneo will have a 1-0 advantage against their opponents, and will have to win only two more games for them to clinch the championship. Their opponents on the other hand will need to win three games so snatch away the victory. It's like the championship series will be a best of 5 instead of a best of three finals.

If ever UST lands on the fourth spot and FEU is third, I think they can manage a win here, seeing as how the Tigers were able to keep up with FEU in their first round meeting. Second round still needs to be seen, but I still believe that they can do it and finally get away with a win. Even if they lose to Adamson, at least, the Tigers could secure a third place finish, waaaaaay better than last year's 7th.

Currently the Tigers are at the fourth spot with a 5-5 record after beating DLSU yesterday, 60-52. Thanks to Jeric Teng's booming triples and to Jeric Fortuna's mad daze for a layup, DLSU never got the chance to take away the lead from the Tigers. UST's next opponents are the UE Red Warriors. This should not be taken lightly as the Red Warriors were also able to defeat DLSU, and UE had a pretty good game against Ateneo yesterday as well. During UE and UST's first round meeting, the Tigers even registered a 20-point lead only to be blown away in the fourth quarter. So the Tigers better be wary and keep their focus as the Red Warriors are also deadly. Go Tigers! GO USTe!!!

It will be a tough road ahead, but if the 2006 Growling Tigers were able to do it, why not the 2011 Growling Tigers? =P

So what if they're not championship caliber? If they don't have championship experience? The fact that they're aiming and has a chance for the final four right now is already something. They can do this. We'll NEVER GIVE UP. All out. All heart. Go Fight UST! :)


P.S.
All these banners for the Jerics make me want to create my own too. Wala pa lang ako maisip, gusto ko unique. =)) Other than that, I am so happy for the Tigers right now. Tuloy tuloy naaaaaa! :)

UST started out their season 74 campaign strong. They've had good wins, but some heartbreaking losses as well. They are currently tied with the Green Archers for fourth with 4 wins and 5 losses. Thursday will be judgement day as UST faces DLSU to determine which team retains the fourth spot, while the other team falls to fifth.

Both teams lost in their recent games; UE shocked Lasalle while Ateneo didn't let UST upset them. Question now is who's going to bounce back big? Both teams will try and stay within the top four teams, so expect this match to be intense.

During their first round meeting, it looked like DLSU was easily going to take away the game from UST as the Green Archers led the Tigers 49-27 at halftime. Third quarter was a different story though as the Tigers woke up from their slump, used their 2-3 zone and held Lasalle to just 7 points for the whole quarter, bringing down the lead to 56-44. UST continued their furious rally in the fourth to close in at 72-71, before Jarelan Tampus missed both his freebies but rebounded for his own miss and sealed the win for the Archers, 74-71.

It was a game UST could have won, but was just a little too late. UST though bounced back from that loss by handling the Maroons their 7th loss, before the Tigers bowed down to the Blue Eagles again. I believe that game against the Blue Eagles is their worst. They should forget that and move on. Every game's a chance to learn something. I hope the Tigers realize that, and use the lessons learned to their advantage.

After DLSU, the Tigers will still face UE, Adamson, FEU, and NU. They were able to win over UE and NU in the first round, but were defeated by Adamson, and that heartbreaking loss to FEU. The Tigers cannot afford to lose starting Thursday if they want to finish fourth. Of course it's every team's mission to win in every game that they have, and the Tigers need to work doubly hard since all teams are now on full attack mode. Tighter defense, better offense.

I am happy with the way they are progressing in the UAAP though; yes there are still some lapses here and there, but they are so much more improved than last season. Abdul, Fortuna, and Teng should lead the team from here on. I wish to see the Kevin Ferrer we saw during the first round meeting of UE and UST though. After that game, Ferrer seems to be lost, or could it be that he's now more of a defender than a scorer. Chris Camus has been a monster rebounder but I think he needs to pile up on those points as well because I know he can. I also wish that UST's bench step up more to the challenge whenever Coach Pido lets them play. Also, consistency is an important key; what you started in the first quarter, you should match until the fourth, or even surpass it. And of course, NEVER-SAY-DIE.

Sabi nga ni Coach Pido, there's no way to go but up. We're already here. Tuloy tuloy na natin! Trabaho lang every game, at sipag, kaya 'yan. Go Tigers! 

P.S.
I believe Afuang is the only player who'll graduate after this season, so next year's Tigers are still intact, and hopefully Bautista, Mariano, and Daquioag will be back for more reinforcement for the Tigers...plus that kid who scored 104, I hope he goes to the black-gold-black-white side too.

P.P.S.
Petron just won in the PBA, Coach Pido should be inspired and in high spirits. Go Coach! =))

PH Azkals: 0 Golds, 0 trophies, 5 TV ads, 20%
Pinoy PH Dragonboat team (2011) : 5 Golds, 0 commercials, 90% Pinoy

A lot of people have been posting the statement above in different social networking sites after the Philippine Dragonboat team's success, and after they've aired their sentiments. I am not saying that I don't agree with that statement, but what I do not get is why do we even have to compare these two teams in such a way? Isn't representing your country more important than calculating how much Filipino blood you've got?

So the dragonboat team's more Pinoy than the Azkals, but still, they're both Filipinos in their own right, right?

We're lucky that the dragonboat team continues to bring honor to our country by winning competitions abroad even if they have a lot of issues going on and even if ngayon lang talaga sila napansin. Isn't that what the Azkals are doing as well? And what Smart Gilas Pilipinas is doing as well? Who also happens to have a number of fil-foreigners on their team, just so you know. (Kaso basketball 'yun e, and matagal-tagal na rin silang kilala.)

Consider it lucky as well that these Azkals still choose to play here for the Philippines even if they certainly could get better offers abroad.

The dragonboat team wasn't supported all the way, it's a shame. But so were the Azkals. I believe they only got their major sponsors after they've won against Vietnam and after businesses saw that their popularity's starting to go higher, good for business.

All I'm saying is, both squads have their issues, but aside from that, they still have their own success, so let's just all be happy and thankful with it. It's a huge step for Philippine sports. Yes it would have been great if all these athletes are 100% pinoy, but we've got to do with what we have. E baka 'yung iba, mamaya 100% pinoy nga pero kung away-awayin naman kasi hindi nananalo. Besides, all these athletes are happy playing for the PHilippines. They're both Philippine teams; both squads represent the country. So what difference does it really make?

Parang "Don't hate the player; hate the game." lang 'yan. Chill.

P.S.
Parang sa UAAP/NCAA lang 'yan, pagdating ng college, nagbabago ng kulay; or kahit hindi ka sa UAAP/NCAA school nag-aaral, cheer ka pa rin; or kahit sa ibang school ka nag-aaral, cheer ka pa rin sa ibang team. Kanya-kanya lang daw 'yan. =)) 


Hopefully, volleyball na ang next dito. :))

Just because gusto ko lang talaga sabihin 'yung reaction ko dito. =))

After winning their first two assignments this season against the NU Bulldogs and the UE Red Warriors, the Growling Tigers found themselves with a three-game losing skid bowing down to Adamson, Ateneo and FEU. They bounced back though at the expense of the Fighting Maroons, but wasn't quite enough for a back to back win as they lost to the Archers in the closing day of the first round of eliminations.

Nothing to be ashamed of though. The Tigers have been fighting tough as they still got a chance at a final four spot. Inconsistency's still there sometimes, and they have to work on that or else they might find themselves struggling once again. We don't want a repeat of last year's fate for sure. They shouldn't have the so-called endgame meltdowns anymore as it may cost them the entire game, even if they've been playing very well for the first three quarters.

Last year UST was a very offensive team. This year though, they're starting to play more on the defensive side, and it has worked. Though I think when they played defense, their offense kind of dropped. They still won games though, but it might be a problem especially with a squad like Adamson who just keep on shooting three's at anytime of the day. So they have to work on those shots. The Tigers have also been dubbed as one of the very physical teams now in the UAAP with their style. I believe they wanted to do this since although they have Abdul on the inside, they still lack height, so it's the only way they could at least stop their bigger opponents.

Kevin Ferrer is suddenly on a slump. I haven't seen or heard much from him, so I hope he gets his act together and he becomes the threat that he should be once again. Karim Abdul has been improving every game which is really a good sign for the Tigers. Jeric Teng and Jeric Fortuna has been doing great spearheading the team, while Camus, Afuang and the rest are steadily getting there. Though they've still got errors in their plays, and their second stringers still need to step it up, I think once UST gets their games going, then we really do have a chance at that final four spot.

Let's get 'em wins! Laban lang ng laban, go Tigers! :)

Now that the first round of eliminations is over, I'd like to share a few thoughts about the different teams and how they fared during the first round. We've seen upsets, huge wins and heartbreakers, but the real battle begins as the second round of action starts this Saturday.

First up, here's the team standings after the first round of eliminations:

Ateneo  7-0
AdU          5-2
FEU          4-3
DLSU  4-3
UST          3-4
NU          2-5
UP          2-5
UE          1-6

Sunday was a very basketball-filled day. And the games were pretty interesting, and intense. There was the UAAP games between UST and UP, and then FEU and Ateneo. Then there was game 1 of the PBA Finals. And there was also the game between Smart Gilas and Iran for the Jones Cup.

I only had the UAAP on my list originally, but once I got home, the basketball-watching just continued. Hangover I guess? Not that I'm complaining din naman. :)

So talking about the UST-UP game, I am so happy that UST won that game. I was nervous at how the game will turn out since UP just came from a huge win against FEU, while UST on the other hand was on a three game losing skid. Momentum could be with UP, but I know UST's just roaring to win again and they have to, so I was expecting that they're going all out. First few minutes was still close; Jeric Teng was piling up points for UST, while UP just had no answer. At the end of the first quarter, Jeric Teng sprained his ankle, sidelining him for the rest of the game. (They said it's just a minor injury so he'll be able to play on Thursday.) But that didn't even bother the Tigers as they continued what Teng had started, spearheaded by the captain Jeric Fortuna, as UP's shooting woes continued.

First week of August has flown by really fast! Don't you think? And I know it's about time I update my blog!

Though this is a bit late, it's worthy of a blog post, really. This doesn't happen very often and I'm very happy that it did!

Last July 30, I had a long date with Mom. Actually this has been going on for a while now, spontaneous mall visits, movies, and food trips of course. Wala, nahihilig lang gumala. It won't be complete without the food trip. =))

Our agenda for July 30 was go to Mercato to support Joyce, my college friend who is currently studying at CCA (Center for Culinary Arts), and to watch the UST-FEU game. Yes, I got my Mom, finally, to watch a UAAP game with me. =)) Our next project is the Shakey's V-League.