UPDATE: Coach Norman Black To Step Down After Season 75

According to a memo from the Ateneo de Manila University president, Fr. Jett Villarin, SJ

"It is with regret that I inform the community that Coach Norman Black, who we all know has been such an outstanding coach for the Ateneo Blue Eagles these last seven years, has indicated his desire to return to the PBA where he hopes to replicate his successful system. Having been at the PBA before, he is in a way coming full circle with this move."

However, he will have his last run for another championship come Season 75, and will serve for two years as consultant, while a search committee is formed to look for Black's replacement.

With four titles in his seven years of being with the Ateneo community, Coach Black might be headed to a) the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters, or b) the Meralco Bolts, both of which are owned by Ateneo's top sponsor, Manuel V. Pangilinan.

This may be a legitimate reason for Blue Eagle fans to worry, not only because it will affect the playing style of team as a whole, but also it might make a difference during the recruitment phase.But with enough time to prepare for what is to come, the Blue Eagles might as well build a bridge before getting there.

Credits to Inquirer News for the image.

All In A Day's Games (19 October 2011)

Not so ordinary to have four great games in a day without NBA, isn't it?

NCAA (Final Four)

San Sebastian Stags 63, Letran Knights 56
Stags advance to the Finals vs. San Beda Red Lions

Leading most of the game, the Stags entered the fourth quarter with a double-digit advantage. However, Letran hotshot Kevin Alas hit big three point shots to tie the game at 55 apiece. Good thing Ian Sangalang and Calvin Abueva, two-thirds of SSC-R's Pinatubo Squad, never lost their poise as they prevented a meltdown, regaining the lead and cruising all the way to victory.

San Sebastian 63 – Abueva 20, Sangalang 15, Pascual 11, J. dela Cruz 9, Antipuesto 3, del Rio 2, Vitug 2, Miranda 1, Maiquez 0
Letran 56 – K. Alas 26, Cruz 11, Cortes 8, J. Alas 4, Racal 3, Belorio 2, Dysam 2, Almazan 0, Espiritu 0, Gabriel 0

Quarter scores: 17-16, 34-28, 50-41, 63-56

PBA

Barako Bull 100, Talk 'N Text 86

The Tropang Texters have been dominant these past few conferences,but in this game, Barako Bull had the momentum. Willie Miller led the BB Energy with 27 big points, coupled by a combined 28 point effort from the "Espana Squad," rookies Dylan Ababou and Allein Maliksi. On the other hand, the Tropang Texters, who were down from the beginning, had Jayson Castro leading with 23 points.

Barako Bull 100 -Miller 27, Ababou 20, Pennisi 18, Allado 9, Maliksi 8, Najorda 6, Artadi 4, Arboleda 3, Pena 3, Salvacion 2, Salvador 0.

Talk N Text 86 - Castro 23, Reyes 16, Dillinger 10, Aban 10, Peek 8, Fonacier 6, Carey 6, Aguilar 4, Alapag 3, Raymundo 0, Alvarez 0, Lao 0.

Quarter scores: 25-11, 52-33, 71-62, 100-86

Rain Or Shine 89, Meralco Bolts 84

A 30-9 scoring advantage for the Elasto Painters was outright impressive, and it's a good thing they held a huge 25-point margin before the Bolts tried to storm back in the game. The Elasto Painters' big three at the backcourt--JeffChan, Paul Lee, and Gabe Norwood, had a combined 40 points (14 apiece from Chan and Norwood, with 12 from Lee), while Mark Macapagal and Gabby Espinas led the way for the Bolts, scoring 20 and 19 respectively.

Rain or Shine 89 - Norwood 14, Chan 14, Lee 12, Rodriguez 11, Buenafe 9, Matias 8, Belga 6, Quinahan 6, Ibanes 5, Arana 4, Cruz 0.

Meralco 84 - Macapagal 20, Espinas 19, Taulava 16, Lanete 14, Isip 6, Borboran 5, Ballesteros 2, Omolon 2, Timberlake 0, Yee 0.

Quarter scores: 22-21, 41-40, 71-49, 89-84

FIBA Asia U-16

RP U-16 93, Indonesia 30

Basically, the Indonesian team was creamed by Coach Olsen Racela's U-16 squad in the Group D bracket of the U-16 tournament, getting off an early 27-9 lead in the first quarter and stretching it all the way to 63 points by the end of the buzzer. Malayan High School standout Jay Alejandro led the way with 17 points, while Xavier Stallion Kyles Lao had 15 of his own. The RP team will have Vietnam as its next opponent this Thursday, 20 October 2011, and will advance to the semifinal round with the top three teams of Group C.

Philippines 93–Alejandro 17, Lao 15, Go 9, Rivero 9, Diputado 8, Heading 7, Cani 7, Ramos 6, Javelosa 4, Dalafu 4, Caracut 4, Asilum 3.

Indonesia 30–Abraham 9, Indraprasto 6, Kosasih 5, Yogia 4, Fahdani 4, Sidabutar 2, Airawan 0, Setiawan 0, Istiadi 9, Purwoko 0, Ramadhan 0, Wongso 0.

Quarter scores: 27-9, 56-13, 78-22, 93-30

Credits to Inboundpass, HoopNut, PBA.ph, Caloy's Sports Blog, and Inquirer Sports for the pics and box scores.

All In A Day's Games (21 August 2011)

UAAP


National U 65, State U 43

The Fighting Maroons have been going haywire since the First Round, but this was the worst game they have played. With their screens not working against the NU defense, Paolo Romero, Jett Manuel, and even non-jumpshooting Jelo Montecastro continued to chuck up shots while giving the Bulldogs the boards. On the other hand, why does Coach Eric Altamirano let Mbe remain in the fourth, when they already have an insurmountable lead.

NU 65 – Parks 22, Mbe 17, Terso 7, Javillonar 6, Khobuntin 4, Villamor 2, Celda 2, Alolino 2, Singh 2, Ignacio 1, Neypes 0, Labing-isa 0, Celiz 0

UP 43 – Romero 7, Montecastro 6, Maniego 6, Juruena 6, Gamboa 5, Mbah 4, Gingerich 3, Silungan 2, Manuel 2, Gomez 2, Wong 0, Wierzba 0, Fortu 0

Quarter scoring: 17-6, 27-13, 48-26, 65-43

Far Eastern U 62, Adamson U 61

Terrence Romeo might have exploded, but this does not excuse him from committing another boneheaded turnover that allowed the Soaring Falcons' Alex Nuyles to to trim the margin to a point after being behind by as much as 15. The tams should be thankful for Aldrech Ramos' superb performance. If not for him, they could have lost the game and be on the verge of elimination from the Final Four.

FEU 62 – Ramos 18, Romeo 14, Garcia 14, Tolomia 8, Escoto 4, Cruz 2, Exciminiano 2, Pogoy 0, Mendoza 0, Bringas 0, Knuttel 0

Adamson 61 – Nuyles 17, Camson 9, Alvarez 9, Lozada 8, Cañada 7, Brondial 6, Cabrera 4, Manyara 1, Petilos 0, Etrone 0, Colina 0

Quarter scoring: 14-12, 30-24, 47-39, 62-61

PBA


Petron Blaze Boosters 85, Talk N Text Tropang Texters 73

The Grandslam can wait another season for the Tropang Texters, as the Boosters stayed ahead for the rest of the game despite being branded as this series' underdogs. It's true that they were fortunate enough for TnT to miss point guard Jason Castro, but they had bigger misfortunes, namely injured ones Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Joseph Yeo, Jay Washington, and Lordy Tugade. Former FEU Tam Arwind Santos was crowned the Finals MVP, leading the ragtag pack with a magnificent 16-point, 16-rebound output.

Petron 85 – Grundy 26, Santos 16, Miranda 16, Ildefonso 13, Cabagnot 12, Pennisi 2, Duncil 0, Hubalde 0, Salvacion 0.

Talk N' Text 73 – Baker 22, De Ocampo 15, Williams 13, Alapag 13, Carey 6, Castro 2, Peek 2, Dillinger 0, Reyes 0, Aban 0. Fonacier 0, Alvarez 0.

Quarter scoring: 28-17, 40-34, 64-53, 85-73

Thanks to inboundpass for UAAP box and photos, and Interaktv for PBA box and photo

Outmatched. Outmanned. Outhustled.

After a tough win over the Tropang Texters, it was assumed that the San Miguel Beermen can already gain an advantage in this pivotal game 5, having the momentum and the confidence to win against their finals opponent.

Sadly, that wasn't the case.

Trailing by eight after the first half, the fans in red expect that SMB will stage a big comeback that will have the Tropang Texters scurrying for crucial baskets in the dying seconds. Coach Ato Agustin have pt in his best men on the floor, which includes point guard Alex Cabagnot and forward Arwin Santos, who in the previous game nabbed the ball from the Tropang Texters to tie the series at two apiece. They tried to rotate the ball even more and find easy open shots, and when all else fails, try to jack up a three or hand it over to their relegated scorer, Jay Washington.

But then, the Tropang Texters were just too much.

Key runs in the middle of the third quarter got SMB as close as within four, 59-55 after key plays made by Arwind Santos and soon-to-be retiree Olsen Racela. But then, as soon as the Tropang Texters found space to relax and reset their game, they became virtually unstoppable. Continuous attempts during breaks brought them to the charity strike after several fouls called on the Beermen. The three-guard combination of Ryan Reyes, Jimmy Alapag, and Jason Castro hit key long-range shots, which gave their inside scorers like Ranidel de Ocampo some space to work in the paint. Meanwhile, when things go tough and the Beermen come storming on the offensive end, Harvey Carey, Ali Peek, and Kelly Williams would prevent Washington, Cabagnot, Santos, and Dorian Pena from making inside shots. In that segment of Game 5, the Tropang Texters became the elite team that they were destined to be.

And the Beermen didn't have anything to respond to that. There were several attempts to climb back by using their snipers and shooting threes. Apparently, there were only one or two that made it. Because the Beermen cannot penetrate, Arwind Santos and Sunday Salvacion kept jacking up missed threes which could have gotten the game closer than it was.

By the middle of the final canto, where there should have been a close fight, the Tropang Texters is already holding on to a safe 15-point lead. There could have been a chance for the Beermen to catch up, but Larry Fonacier came off the Tropang Texters bench and hit three straight triples, two over Beermen reserve Joseph Yeo, to extend the lead to more than 20. And by that time, those fans in red who hoped for an advantage went home wishing that Game 6 would produce better results.

In the end, it wasn't just enough. The Beermen who , as a team, have to bring it all out to win this series, were simply bullied all the way by the Tropang Texters, who had the right pieces to win a game, and even the series.

And perhaps what the Beermen could just do is wish that they will stretch this series and give them an opportunity to show that they can still win despite a huge disadvantage.

Talk N' Text 99 - De Ocampo 20, Castro 17, Alapag 16, Reyes 10, Dillinger 9, Fonacier 9, Peek 9, Williams 6, Carey 3, Yee 0, Aban 0, Alvarez 0, Lao 0.

San Miguel 77 - Santos 18, Washington 18, Hontiveros 14, Ildefonso 7, Miranda 5, Pena 4, Yeo 3, Salvacion 3,Cabagnot 2, Pennisi 2, Artadi 1, Racela 0.

Quarter Scores: 14-23, 52-44, 74-64, 99-77

Philstar.com for the pic, PBA.ph for the box score.

Boxed Reality: Sunday Basketball (01 August 2010)

UAAP

FEU Tamaraws (6-0) vs. AdU Soaring Falcons (3-2)


FEU 74 – Garcia 16, Ramos 13, Noundou 11, Knuttel 10, Exciminiano 8, Cervantes 6, Cawaling 5, Romeo 3, Cruz 2, Mendoza 0, Bringas 0, Sanga 0.

Adamson 65 – Nuyles 23, Cañada 11, Camson 8, Alvarez 7, Colina 4, Cabrera 4, Stinnett 2, Manyara 2, Lozada 2, Basilio 2, Etrone 0, Galinato 0.

Quarter scoring: 24-18, 42-32, 58-49, 74-65.

DLSU Green Archers (4-2) vs. UST Growling Tigers (3-3)

DLSU 61 – Mendoza 12, Vosotros 8, de la Paz, 8, Villanueva 8, Atkins 7, Tolentino 6, Andrada 6, Tampus 2, Paredes 2, Marata 2, Webb 0, Ferdinand 0.

UST 53 – Bautista 18, Camus 18, Mariano 8, Afuang 6, Pe 4, Teng 2, Fortuna 2, Daquioag 0, Marquez 0, Aytona 0.

Quarter scoring: 15-12, 37-22, 47-33, 61-53.

PBA

Game 6 - Alaska Aces vs. Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters
Series tied at 3-3.

ALASKA 94—Simpson 21, De Vance 19, Baguio 14, Tenorio 12, Dela Cruz 11, Borboran 8, Hugnatan 8, Fonacier 1.

TALK ‘N TEXT 83—Alapag 20, Castro 19, Daniels 16, Williams 11, De Ocampo 7, Dillinger 4, Carey 3, Cardona 2, Yee 1, Aban 0.

Quarter scoring: 31-17, 54-43, 77-63, 94-83

Game 6 - San Miguel Beermen vs. B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados
SMB Wins Series, 4-2, enter PBA Finals

San Miguel 91--Freeman 26, Washington 18, Santos 14, Cabagnot 12, Yeo 8, Hontiveros 5, Ildefonso 5, Villanueva 3, Pena 0.

B-Meg Derby Ace 83--Washam 30, Yap. R. 15, Yap J. 14, Simon 6, Artadi 5, Pingris 5, Reavis 4, Maierhofer 2, Allado 2, Canaleta 0, Adducul 0.

Quarter scoring: 25-16, 51-42, 71-58, 91-83

Inboundpass.com for UAAP box and Inquirer for the PBA Box

25 July: The Amazing Basketball Sunday Recap

Brushing up on this Sunday's games:

UAAP

FEU 94, UP 70

This is an outright display of might for the Tamaraws, flexing their muscles and showing no mercy towards the helpless Maroons. Surprisingly, Terrence Romeo led the Tamaraws with 21 points, while Woody Co sat out midway during the second half, having been diagnosed with plantar fascitis. FEU gets away with an unstained record, while UP is still winless.

Scores:

FEU 94—Romeo 21, Cervantes 18, Garcia 11, Exciminiano 10, Ramos 9, Noundou 8, Cawaling 8, Bringas 6, Cruz 3, Mendoza 0, Foronda 0, Sanga 0, Knuttel 0, Guerrero 0.
UP 70—Reyes Ma. 16, Sison 14, Silungan 11, Lopez 10, Padilla 9, Juruena 4, Saret 2, Reyes Mi. 2, Co 2, Pascual 0, Manuel 0, Evangelista 0, Hipolito 0, Gomez 0.
Quarters: 28-18, 50-33, 71-55, 94-70

Adamson 75, UST 71

The Tigers, with the help of Jeric Fortuna and Jeric Teng, tied the record for most three-pointers in a game with 16. However, these were not enough as lead Falcon Lester Alvarez led the way with 22-points which includes the crucial last-minute baskets. Adamson went up with a 3-1 slate, while UST is at the .500 mark with 2-2.

Scores:

ADAMSON 75—Alvarez 22, Lozada 10, Nuyles 9, Manyara 8, Camson 8, Colina 7, Cañada 6, Cabrera 3, Stinett 2, Etrone 0, Galinato 0, Basilio 0.

UST 71—Teng 23, Fortuna 15, Camus 11, Bautista 11, Mariano 5, Pe 2, Daquioag 2, Afuang 2, Wong 0, Tinte 0, Mamaril 0, Lo 0.

Quarters: 19-13, 34-32, 52-53, 75-71

NBA (well, FIBA to be exact)

USA White 114, USA Blue 96

The stage is nearly set for the FIBA World Basketball Tournament in Turkey, and it is fitting for coach Mike Krzyzewski to start building the pieces for Team USA. Because there will be no one from the 2008 Redeem Team who will return, the candidates of "Team Reconstruction" played a game to help coach M to choose. Thus, they divided in two and called a Blue vs White battle. And in the end, it was the Kevin Durant-led White Team who totally dumped the Blue of Rudy Gay.

Scores:

White 114 - Durant 28, Iguodala 17, Gordon 16, Rose 15, Curry 14, Chandler 13, Granger 5, Wallace 4, Odom 2

Blue 96 - Gay 23, Mayo 18, Westbrook 14, Green 11, Love 8, Rondo 7, McGee 7, Billups 6, Lopez 2

Quarter scores: 29-23, 56-44, 81-69, 114-96

PBA

Semifinals: San Miguel 74, B-Meg 70

FEU alumnus Arwind Santos hit the last triple of the game to finally complete the comeback for SMB, who trailed by as much as 17 points during the first half. Wingman Dondon Hontiveros scored 17 to lead the balanced Beermen, while it was import Tony Washam who carried the Derby Ace load with 22 points and 13 boards.

Scores:

SMB 74 - Hontiveros 17, Freeman 14, Washington 12, Santos 8, Pena 6, Villanueva 5, Yeo 5, Cabagnot 5, Seigle 2, Racela 0, Ildefonso 0

B-Meg 70 - Washam 22, J. Yap 17, Allado 10, Timberlake 5, Artadi 5, Pingris 4, Canaleta 3, Maierhofer 2, Reavis 2, Salvador 0, R. Yap 0

Quarter scores: 14-24, 33-45, 57-58, 74-70

Semifinals: Alaska 90, Talk n Text 86

With various deadlocks and lead changes big and small, it was Alaska who was favored by the circumstances. Finding themselves behind during the final canto, their first and second stringers woke up and rallied past the Talk N Text Tropang Texters. The biggest moment of the game came when former Blue Eagle L.A. Tenorio hit the game-deciding trey more than two minutes in the ballgame as a response to Tropang Texter Jimmy Alapag. Together with the Beermen, the Aces break the tie, now leading 2-1 into the series.

Scores:

Alaska 90 - Simpson 31, Hugnatan 12, Fonacier 11, Tenorio 9, DeVance 7, Baguio 7, Dela Cruz 6, Thoss 5, Borboran 2

Talk N Text 86 - De Ocampo 18, Alapag 17, Reyes 14, Carey 12, Dilinger 9, Williams 6, Cardona 6, Daniels 4, Castro 0

Quarter scores: 17-24, 40-37, 61-65, 90-86

Reliable sources include: Inquirer.net, USABasketball.com, PBA.ph, and A.Dy