think rainbows

Time for another very biased post! Which just means, time to talk about UST and the Tigers according to Dindin! :))

UAAP season's starting on Saturday, and UST's UAAP campaign also starts on Saturday! But before all that, I would like to share my thoughts on how I think and I wish UST would fare this season. Not just in basketball, but in volleyball and cheerdance as well.

All in all, I would like UST to do really well this season. Not just bag another General Championship at the end of the season but to be able to do it with flying colors. Meaning, that our athletes perform really well for this 75th season of the UAAP. Other schools have been wanting to win that General Championship too, and this year's host school NU would surely be at the top of UST's to-watch-out-for list when it comes to the General Championship this year.

As I've mentioned, this Saturday, UST would also be starting their UAAP basketball campaign as they will be facing the FEU Tamaraws in the second game of the opening day double-header. First game would be the host school, the NU Bulldogs, against the UE Red Warriors. Now comes the basketball talk. =D

This has been big news in the collegiate basketball world for the past couple of days since it's one of the most anticipated ever since the where-will-Kiefer Ravena-go drama. It's the other JT, Jeron Teng.

Jeric Teng, Jeron's older brother, as we all know is part of the UST Growling Tigers. He's been playing for Coach Pido for three years now, and ever since Jeron entered his senior year, speculations of where he's going to in the UAAP has been circulating. It has been said of course that he would follow his brother's footsteps to Espana, but the possibility of going to other UAAP schools wasn't out of the question. With the talent that Jeron has, it wasn't surprising that even Ateneo and Lasalle are interested in him.

Jeron once scored 104 points during a game in the Tiong Lian league. (Check my post about it here.) His stats are something that you'd really want to see in your team. So when the announcement of where he was headed for college was made, everyone was all eyes and all ears. The choice: DLSU.

I first found out about it thru Jeric Teng's twitter account. Jeric tweeted: it would be weird but a challenge playing against @jeronteng next season of UAAP. :) have to work hard this offseason! 
Right then and there I knew that Jeron was going to some other UAAP school. I quickly checked Jeron's formspring and twitter accounts to see where he was headed. Indeed, it was DLSU. Jeric even tweeted about it again: @jeronteng will play for DLSU.


Jeron has been telling people up until last week that nothing was sure yet, and that they were just talking to different schools which includes Ateneo, NU and DLSU. There was no UST mentioned, so I'm not sure if UST did it on purpose that they did not recruit Jeron Teng, or there was just a better offer from the green and white. It was even mentioned at one point that the school was not talking to him. Of course I'm thinking, WHY???

Well, wherever Jeron's headed to, good luck to him. He'll also be a good addition to the Green Archers. Personally, I really wanted him to join his kuya since it would also be a big help for the team. But it would be interesting indeed to see him play against Jeric too. One thing's for sure, the upcoming seasons of the UAAP basketball are becoming more exciting, and pretty much, we'll be hearing more "Teng" during basketball games.

P.S.
I'm loyal. Go Jeric! :)

The UAAP Men's Basketball season for UAAP Season 74 is officially over with Ateneo's win over FEU.
They have accomplished their 4-peat, and have joined UST, UE, and DLSU in the history books.

FEU, on the other hand, are bridesmaids anew, but have nothing to be ashamed of.
 They did everything they could, all the other teams did, but it was still Ateneo's time.

Congratulations to the Blue Eagles! Congratulations to Coach Norman Black!

As Kirk Long, Emman Monfort, and Bacon Austria graduate, they will always be remembered in the UAAP.
Greg Slaughter can you 'graduate' with them na rin? Seriously. LOL.

'Til next UAAP basketball season!

As we all know by now, the UAAP Finals is underway after Ateneo escaped an unrelenting UST team last Sept. 15, while FEU outlasted a feisty Adamson squad by beating them twice to book a rematch of last year's finals. Yesterday, Ateneo took Game 1 with a huge 82-64 win after a "perfect" performance from veteran Nico Salva and quality minutes coming from seldom-used JP Erram.

It was a close fight at first, even though Ateneo registered an early 6-0 lead. FEU was able to come back as they even snatched the lead at the end of the first quarter, 19-14. The Tamaraws registered their biggest lead in the ballgame during the second quarter at 10, but Ateneo was able to tie it at 33-all come halftime.

Both teams didn't let each other get away that far in the score boards, but the Eagles were able to find their rhythm in the third quarter. After the Tamaraws tied the ballgame at 45-all midway through the third quarter, Ateneo just blasted their way up to the top as the third quarter finished with a 60-49 lead by the guys in blue.

The Tamaraws tried to get back in the game but the Eagles were just too hard to handle for them. The biggest lead of the ballgame was at 75-55 as to every shot (and even missed shots) the Tamaraws made, Ateneo had an answer. The two squads will meet again on Tuesday for Game 2 of the finals, as the Blue Eagles will try to aim for their four-peat while FEU will try to spoil them and force a rubber match to try and snatch away the crown.

I've said and thought before this finals series began that whoever wins game 1 would likely be champions. Now that the Blue Eagles have won it, we all wouldn't be suprised if they sweep the Tamaraws again. But, I'm pretty sure a lot of people, especially the FEU faithful, are praying for a rubber match on Saturday. The Tamaraws need a lot of HEART and DETERMINATION if they want to at least force a deciding game 3 for this finals series. Whoever wins the championship for this season, congratulations. It was an awesome season for uaap basketball after all. And there's a lot in store for us in the coming seasons.

P.S.
It was an awesome season for uaap basketball after all...especially the Tigers! Lol okay I just had to add that. =))
But personally, I would like a game 3 too.
korni talaga ng game 2, Tuesday, hindi mapapanuod, ksh.

That last shot by Jeric Fortuna was on replay in my mind for a couple of hours as I was imagining different scenarios as to what could have happened instead.

1. Afuang inbounds the ball to Fortuna, the three point shot goes in, and who knows what could have happened in overtime. Of course I'm thinking, UST wins in overtime and we go to Game 2.
2. Afuang inbounds the ball to Fortuna, Fortuna makes the pass to an open Jeric Teng, and the three point shot goes in. Again, who knows what could have happened in overtime.
3. The three point shot, either by Fortuna or Teng, still doesn't go in.

It's a bitter pill to swallow to think that we almost had it but we didn't, and that there won't be any chances to get back at the opponent on the next game, for there won't be a next game. That was it. But the bitterness was swallowed by the mightiness that the Growling Tigers have shown.

UST started out strong, registering an early 4-0 lead against the Blue Eagles. You can see it in how they play that they really wanted to win this game. They led most of the time in the first quarter, thanks to Karim Abdul's mighty presence inside. At the end of the first quarter, score was tied at 18-all.

Ateneo's defense woke up in the second quarter and they started to pull away with the help of their bench players as Tonino Gonzaga put Ateneo ahead at 26-21. The Eagles went on a 11-4 run to grab a 38-28 lead, and eventually the first half ended with the Eagles on top, 38-30.

With eyes on the prize, Ateneo didn't want UST to get near at all as they surged ahead in the third quarter to register their biggest lead, 48-33, courtesy of Slaughter, Ravena, and Salva. Teng and Afuang managed to put UST within 48-37, but Greg Slaughter stopped the momentum with a slam to the delight of the blue side of the Coliseum. At the end of the third quarter, the Blue Eagles were still on top, 52-40.

At the back of my mind, I kept on thinking, kaya pa 'to, kaya pa, laban lang.

In their final elimination game, and with the third spot in the final four on the line, UST bowed down to NU with a score of 73-49.

In a game where you expect them to go all out, it just wasn't enough. The loss of big man Karim Abdul for this game due to his suspension for two unsportsmanlike fouls was greatly felt as UST just couldn't convert on the inside. Jeric Teng was still Jeric Teng as he scored 19 for the Tigers, the only one who scored in double-digits. Jeric Fortuna was held to 8 points, as rookie Kevin Ferrer was a non-factor in this game with just a single point. Chris Camus could have been a huge help but after he got that technical foul for trashtalking with Javillonar, he was not fielded in anymore, but still managed to finish with 5 points. It could have been a disciplinary action, or to rest his injured hamstring, or both, but I think he should've been given more minutes.

UST didn't get to take the lead away from the Bulldogs as Bobby Ray Parks made shot after shot, even the most impossible shot of them all to highlight his MVP performance. And the other Bulldogs just followed suit. Emmanuel Mbe didn't have much of a hard time against Paolo Pe or Kent Lao or Aljohn Ungria. To make matters even worse, Paolo Pe fouled out early in the third, making Coach Pido use Lao or Ungria at the middle.

Halftime score was 29-25. There was hope. But it didn't materialize as NU just went into full attack mode in the second half. I felt like UST was outrebounded as well, NU outhustled them. Parang nagkagulo na rin sa rotation ng players. Obviously they tried their best. But it wasn't good enough. Parang ang aga nila napagod. Everything that could've gone wrong was in this game. Hopefully maiwan na lahat ng mali sa game na 'to, because we need to be near 100% for Thursday's game.

Forget the eliminations. We're in the FINAL FOUR. PUSH!!

Not a lot of people are giving UST a chance to win on Thursday. Yes, it is a tall order for UST to beat Ateneo, as the Tigers were not even able to score a win against the Blue Eagles in the elimination rounds. Tambak pa in both games. But, it does not mean that they can't. It is going to be tough, the toughest game UST will be playing since the season has started. Hard work pays off. Do your best, and God will do the rest. Both teams are coming from losses, and I bet the team who wants it more should be able to win this game. All out. All heart.

Of course I am for the Tigers, and I know that they can at least extend this final four match up 'til Sunday once they believe in themselves that they can beat Ateneo. I want to see our Growling Tigers prove to everyone that we are true final four contenders. That we can match up even with the Blue Eagles. That we are no pushovers, and that we can surprise them. I read this from an article, and I'm using it here. ONE BIG BITE. ONE BIG BITE for the BLACK GOLD, BLACK WHITE! :) (oooooops. walang nakawan. hahaha!) Laban lang Tigers, andito na tayo e, sulitin na natin. Win or lose, we cheer go USTe! :)

P.S.
Oo super affected ako dun sa game last Sunday. Na-sad ako. It was a game we could've won din naman. Medyo nainis pa ko kay Coach Pido kasi nga hindi pinapasok si Camus. He could've been a great help. Oh well, time to move on. :))


Oh, and UST in the Final Four means Coach Pido won't resign. =D C'mon you guys, he's not a bad coach.


Parang nasa F ang kapalaran ng UST e. Ferrer. Fortuna. Fourth. Final Four. Four Hundred Years. Finals. First place. Pwede 'no? =))

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! :))))

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! :)

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! =))

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.

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!)

“It’s redemption year for us.”

Coach Pido was all smiles as he shook hands with the NU coaching staff. The Growling Tigers had just won their first UAAP game for this season against the NU Bulldogs. A revamped Tiger squad outlasted a Parks-reinforced NU squad yesterday, 73-72 after 45 minutes of basketball action.

UST had a hot start registering an 8-0 run early on, courtesy of the gutsy birthday boy Chris Camus. It resulted to a 17-14 lead at the end of the first quarter, as we saw NU struggle with their game, even with Mbe and the much awaited Parks in their starting five. It could be first game jitters or nerves kicking in, but NU fought back in the second quarter to take the lead, 33-31 at halftime. It wasn’t a very celebrated third quarter for both of the teams but NU’s free throw shooting helped them stay in the game plus Mbe’s dunks and Villamor’s shooting, while UST’s foul troubles and miscues almost lost them the game as the third quarter ended at 44-all.

The fourth quarter saw NU come alive as they registered their biggest lead of the ball game at 59-52 with 4:15 left in the 4th quarter after Villamor’s 10 unanswered points. It looked as if NU’s got the game, but UST just never gave up as Jeric Teng hit a silencer of a three pointer with 3 minutes left in the ball game. UST’s other shooters followed suit with the smallest guy in Fortuna hitting the biggest baskets of them all to tie the ball game at 65-all. Former UST Tiger cub Cedrick Labing-isa’s triple attempt didn’t quite make it as the buzzer sounded and the game went into overtime.

The veteran in Jeric Fortuna came out as he gave UST a four-point lead at the start of the extra period. Parks then hit a crucial three-pointer to put NU within 1, 69-68. A Jeric Teng basket gave UST a three-point lead, but back-to-back baskets from Parks and Villamor put the Bulldogs ahead at 72-71. Jeric Fortuna drove to the basket, taking matters into his own hands as he put UST in the lead, 73-72. Parks had the chance to make the last basket and win it all for the Bulldogs, but Teng didn’t let him loose as his shot went awry and the debuting Kevin Ferrer who finished double-double took the rebound and was fouled with 0.7 seconds left. UST would then win the game.

I just found a post regarding the schedule of UAAP men's basketball games for the first round of eliminations for Season 74. After all the issues going around, I hope this is final.

And here's what I think.

I'm not sure about the games being held earlier. First game starts at 1pm, second game starts at 3pm. According to the post, this is probably to be able to still play at Araneta even if there's a scheduled PBA game that day, which are usually scheduled at 5:30 pm and/or 7pm. I'm not sure if I'd still prefer the 2pm and 4pm games over this; well at least I/we get to go home earlier after the game, haha. We'll have to wait and see. (Good luck if games go on overtime. Remember Adu vs. UST last season going on triple overtime?)

The Ateneo-Lasalle match is scheduled early this year. Last year it wasn't until the 7th playing date, but this year it's at the first Saturday schedule of the season. Excited? Or they just want to get it over and done with early? I want to watch it this time. Good luck with the tickets. =))

UST's first game, against NU, is scheduled on a Thursday. Ugh, won't be able to watch.

There are only 3 play dates in the first round with the Philsports Arena as the venue, kind of expected. Though I thought I would be seeing the Blue Eagle gym as one of the venues. Probably it would be used for other sports. Kind of a good thing since Araneta's way bigger than Ultra, and I think you could buy tickets ahead of time. But what I liked about Ultra is that even though you're seated at their General Admission area, it's like you're seated at the Lower Box in Araneta. And you could easily go down the court, then to the dugouts, LOL. Players are more easily accessible. =))

There will be a meeting on July 5 regarding the eligibility of players in the teams' line ups. I wonder what would happen if suddenly they won't allow Bobby Parks or Greg Slaughter to play. *wishful thinking* It seems kind of impossible already that Slaughter won't be allowed to play. As for Parks though, it's a different story. If I'm not mistaken, they're saying that foreigners have to have two years of residency; Parks only has one. We'll see.

Yes, I'm excited. =)) GO Tigers!

P.S.
Ryan Buenafe's not playing for the Blue Eagles. 260 lbs.?! HELLO?!

3 days! =D

After 7 months or so, I found myself sitting again inside the venue, on the sidelines, waiting for the match to start. It was the opening day for the 2011 Filoil Flying V Preaseason tournament. It was actually my first time to watch a preseason tournament, and what better way to start than with the much-awaited match up between the UAAP and NCAA champs, the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the San Beda Red Lions. Followed by my beloved alma mater's team, the UST Growling Tigers going up against the DLSU Green Archers.

I was very excited for this day because of a number of reasons. First, because I get to watch college basketball again even if it's not the UAAP season yet, second because I get to see the Tigers in action again, and third, I get to check out their new recruits and how different they are from the Tigers last season. I get to see the other teams' recruits as well and what we could expect from them come the UAAP season.

Aaaaaand I’m back! Because I don’t want this month to end without another blog post from me, let me just give you some updates.

I haven’t blogged about it yet, but I, together with my mom and my brother, went to the Panagbenga Festival 2011 in Baguio. Then the weekend right after that, I was back in Baguio for our company outing. I promise I will blog about those trips once I’ve transferred the pictures.

For the past few days, a friend has been confiding regarding a problem that he has. It is very surprising since we are really not that close, but ever since this unfortunate event, he has considered me to be one of his close friends. Ironic as it may sound but I am happy that I could help other people just by listening to them, and giving advices from time to time, and bonus is I’m gaining friends! Thank you! :)

In other news, the Azkals qualified for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup! This is just another reason for Pinoys to celebrate and be proud of our country, especially these people who represent our country. Congratulations!

And in other sports news, the UST Tigers mean serious business in preparation for the coming UAAP Season 74. They have joined three leagues, the 2011 MBL Open basketball championship, the PBA D-League, and the 2011 FilOil Flying V Preseason Premier Cup which is the main preseason summer tournament between UAAP and NCAA teams. The MBL is not as popular as the other two leagues, but will still help the Tigers in the same way. They currently have two wins and no loss yet in the MBL, where they play as the UST-Ironcon Builders. UST is the only UAAP team to join the MBL.

Just because I’ve missed writing about basketball. And I've been reading all these news about it.

I could actually write about the on-going PBA Philippine Cup but I don’t follow it as faithfully as the UAAP to give justice to whatever it is that I might write; so I’m sticking with college basketball.

2011 has opened up to some surprising news about college basketball. A lot of decisions are awaited and are being made, which makes spectators (including me of course!) more excited for the next UAAP basketball season even if the current UAAP season is not yet done. Since there are only more or less three months before high school seniors receive their diplomas, college basketball fans are looking forward to hearing where a number of high school standouts, be it in the UAAP or NCAA, are headed.