think rainbows

It's that time of the year once again! The 75th season of the UAAP is set to start this Saturday, July 14, at its new home at the Mall of Asia Arena. As this year's hosts, NU is expected to give an awesome show during the opening rites. Together with the other 7 participating schools, Adamson, Ateneo, De La Salle, FEU, UE, UP and UST, every UAAP fan, myself included, is excited once again to see what unfolds in the UAAP this year.

It's not just the new season of the UAAP we're all excited for, but also the new venue that the UAAP will be in. The newly-built world class MOA Arena which is just like other NBA arenas in the US is ready for the UAAP wars. Most of the basketball games, and most probably the cheerdance competition will be held here, giving UAAP fans some fresh experience, and giving the athletes some inspiration to do even better as well. Of course, the host school is expected to go all out and perform well, but given the intense amount of competition over the years in the UAAP, expect the other participating schools to go all out as well.

As early as today, tickets are almost sold out in all sections. According to the SM Tickets website, the only available section is the General Admission area. Luckily I was able to secure lower box tickets for the opening on Saturday, so to every UAAP fan out there, see ya! :)

P.S. Other UAAP-related posts after this! :) (mostly UST-related probably =P)

UST won against Adamson last Saturday, 74-58, to further solidify their final four chances.
Just one more win, and they're in.
Their last two assignments are against FEU on Thursday, and against NU on Sunday. Then, we'll see.

Just like their first round meeting, Adamson made an early run at the start of the first quarter to lead UST, 9-0. Karim Abdul was the lone bright spot for UST in the first quarter as it ended with the Falcons ahead, 20-12. Adamson would then continue their hot shooting streak, and manage to lead by as big as 17 points in the second quarter, as UST just couldn't convert. Adamson was shooting three's, while UST was losing the ball. The Falcons enjoyed a 15-point lead, 42-27, at halftime.

It looked like it was going to be a blowout especially as to how Adamson's shooters kept on making their shots, and how UST was just sloppy. But things were about to make a huge turnaround. UST upped their defense and made their own run early in the third quarter, led by no other than Jeric Teng, to make it just a 7-point deficit. Jeric Fortuna joined in the party to put UST to within a point, before Eric Camson's putback gave Adamson a 3-point advantage. With the shot clock winding down, Teng found Fortuna as the latter hit a game-tier three pointer, to be followed by Teng's own three pointer to put UST up, 48-45. Adamson was still able to tie the game at 50-all, but a layup by Chris Camus put UST ahead again by two points, as the buzzer to signal the end of the third quarter sounded off.

UST never looked back from there. The Tigers got their cue from the captain himself as Fortuna led a huge UST rally in the fourth, to put UST at 61-52, with 6 minutes left. Lester Alvarez was fouled while attempting a triple, and put Adamson to within six as he made all of his freebies. But UST's shooters continued to convert in all their shots, as Teng and rookie Kevin Ferrer added their own three-pointers, which gave UST an 18-point lead, with only almost 2 minutes to go in the ballgame. Adamson only scored 16 points in the entire second half.

Jeric Teng led the other Tigers in terms of scoring as he made 20 points, 8 rebounds, and six assists. Jeric Fortuna had 15 points and 5 assists, while Karim Abdul and Chris Camus both had double double figures with 15 points/14 rebounds, and 13 points/11 rebounds, respectively. Kim Lo should also be given credit as he had some really important defensive stops as well during the game which helped UST make that run. It was just pure team effort from the Tigers that day, as they dedicated the win to Coach Pido Jarencio who's celebrating his birthday today, and to teammate Carmelo Afuang who sidelined the game due to gallbladder stones and won't be able to play for three weeks more.

This was a HUGE win for the Tigers, as it not only took them one win closer to entering the final four, but it also serves as a big morale booster for the team. They limited Adamson to just 16 points in the entire second half; but UST shouldn't always let themselves play catch up because that would be too risky. UST also still has a chance to tie Adamson at the no.2 spot, that is if UST wins their last two games, and if Adamson loses to Ateneo on Saturday. And if FEU wins against DLSU, then there will be a three-way tie at the no.2 spot. As for DLSU, if they sweep their remaining two games, and UST loses their remaining two games, then there will be a tie for fourth. But a loss will automatically eliminate DLSU.

I have nothing but hopes and prayers for the Tigers' continuous success. Sana, we'll be able to see another great game such as this one for the Tigers. Humble in victory, and gracious in defeat. It's a tougher road ahead, but we're still on the right track. Let's go Tigers, we can do this! Tuloy tuloy na talaga, wala nang balikan, walang bibitaw! :)) NEVER SAY DIE! BELIEVE! Go USTe! Go Tigers!! :)

P.S.
Sabi sa inyo manuod kasi kayo ng live. Ang saya saya magtatatalon at mag-cheer sa Araneta. Tapos magpa-picture kasama nila after, boo-yah! :))))

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! :)

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

I've always followed the UAAP ever since I was in high school. And yes, I won't deny the fact that I've had a number of crushes over the past years that I've been hooked to this league. I was always used to the fact that these players are older than me. But things have changed, and I almost always forget that I am now older than some, or probably most of these players as the seasons pass. I find some of them very admirable, not just based on their looks but also because of their basketball skills. =)) So, allow me to share with you my own version of the Top 10 UAAP crushes/cuties of Season 74.

UAAP has finally started! We've seen all the teams play their first games, and today we're even going to witness the Ateneo-Lasalle match at 3 p.m. But before that, here's what I think of all the other teams so far.

I am no basketball or sports expert but I just want to give my own general opinion regarding the different teams. =D (So please wag niyo po akong awayin. Haha!)

The UAAP Season 74 officially opened last Saturday, July 9, at the Marikina Sports Complex. Making things different this year, the host school Ateneo decided to put up an Olympic-inspired opening for the UAAP, thus, the change of venue. Also, there were no basketball games for the opening day, unlike the usual opening days in the previous seasons.

Personally, I think the opening ceremonies was indeed interesting, and a good idea, but it was somewhat poorly executed. I believe Ateneo could have done more, and it would've probably been much better if the rain had stopped. But then again, rain or shine they had to do it. It was still successful despite the rain. All out. All heart.



UST had the largest number of athletes present with 627, followed by Ateneo with 600 I believe. There was a lot of performers from Ateneo of course, Spongecola was also there, the parade of athletes with the color coded umbrellas, and then Olsen Racela was the final torch bearer. I liked the idea of the passing of the torch to different schools, I just wondered if the UST athletes really did run from UST to UP. Hahaha. I didn't catch it but they said there was a fireworks display at the end which was kind of useless since it was too early for that. It wasn't dark enough yet. Oh well, maybe there was another one after the free concert.

I still think it would have been better if the opening ceremonies was still at Araneta. But that's over now, once again the UAAP season is on.

P.S.
Bakit feeling ko parang super Ateneo-ish ng UAAP season 74. Just saying. =))

Although the logo is cool.

It was a busy Thursday for me yesterday. I went on leave from work because I had to go to the doctor for my monthly check-up for my hyperthyroid. We went straight home after to continue with the Christmas decorations at home. It’s still not yet fully finished but we’re getting there. And since I wanted to get more things done, I decided to go to the venue for our company Christmas party, just to check it out and ask about some stuff.

Before I left home, I asked my friend (from AdU) if she wanted to watch the game 1 of the PCCL Finals, since Ateneo and Adamson are playing. Luckily she was available, the game was set at 4:00 p.m., and the venue was not that far (Ninoy Aquino Stadium), so we met up to watch the game. I was really excited because first, I know both of the teams, I am familiar with the players since they are UAAP teams, and the last time I watched a live (college) basketball game was September pa! So being able to watch live again in December is a real treat. And this is Ateneo and Adamson we are talking about, it’s just like the UAAP!

There weren’t a lot of people probably because it was on an ordinary day, and only Adamson had drummers, which at least made the game a bit livelier. (Richard Gordon and Justice Renato Corona were there, pretty cool seeing them during a live game, and outside of the UAAP. :P) It would’ve been better if Ateneo had drums too, and if they also had performers during halftime, though they had their trumpeters around the third quarter at least. Kudos to those guys and the vuvuzela-playing crowd who wore #12 jerseys from Ateneo who still cheered their lungs out even though they were obviously overpowered whenever the AdU pep squad started banging those drums.

First quarter already started when we arrived at the venue, luckily we were able to get good seats. It was a one-sided affair as the Ateneo Blue Eagles had an early run to end the first quarter at 21-9. The Soaring Falcons woke up during the second quarter and tied the game at 37-all at the end of the first half. The Eagles weren’t going to give it away that easily as they registered an 11-point lead at the end of the third quarter looking to get away with the win, 66-55. The fourth quarter was then to become a seesaw of lead changes as the Falcons and the Eagles answered shot after shot, trying to edge out one another to grab the 1-0 lead for this best of three finals.

It was indeed an intense UAAP weekend once again. Who would’ve thought that at the end, the name of the game for the recently concluded first round of the UAAP Men’s Basketball would be comebacks? We’ve seen teams register a huge lead against their opponents, just to lose it in the final canto. We’ve seen teams struggling with their game, and yet they are still able to pull away with a win. Such unpredictability in the UAAP right now, no one knows who will win or what will happen next. You just have to wait and see for yourself during game days.