PHOTO COURTESY: UAAP MEDIA
KEANNA WREN
UAAP Women’s Basketball: Adamson breeze past UE, UP shocks DLSU with late comeback
Adamson University ended the first round of the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Basketball Tournament, securing a solo third place following a 63-51 win against University of the East on Sunday, October 6, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Lady Falcons delivered a stellar performance for their Season 87 campaign, closing out the first round with a 5-2 record. The last time they achieved this much success was when they finished third place after losing against De La Salle University back in Season 75 in 2012.
“I’m very happy with how the first round went for us. It’s all about the effort of the players. On our part, we’ll just guide them,” said Lady Falcons head coach Ryan Monteclaro.
The third quarter became a challenge for the Lady Falcons as they had to weather UE’s charges. The Lady Warriors kicked off the second half with a 16-6 run fueled with Ivy Yanez’s eight-point surge to cut the deficit to 47-37.
However, Adamson was able to quickly regain their composure with nine unanswered points in the final period as their lead ballooned to 56-37 advantage eventually sealing the game to secure their fifth win of the season.
Monteclaro fielded all of 16 of his players, with 13 of them getting on the scoresheet.
Kim Limbago tallied 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting with three assists, two rebounds, and one steal for the Lady Falcons. Kim Adeshina supplemented seven markers, 11 boards, three blocks, one deflection, and one dime, while Angela Alaba contributed seven points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Yanez led the Lady Warriors with 16 markers, six boards, three dimes, and one block, while Katherine Ruiz and Aliyah Ronquillo supplied 12 and 10 points, respectively, in the losing effort.
On the other hand, University of the Philippine eked out a come-from-behind win, 66-62, over De La Salle University to end a two-game losing skid.
Their hard-earned victory registered them a 3-4 record to place them in fourth place in the league standings.
"I'm just really so happy we won in the last game of our first round. We lost two consecutive games before this so we badly needed this entering the second round. I'm really proud of the girls that we held on and fought back from a huge deficit," UP coach Paul Ramos said.
Entering the final period, three clutch three-pointers courtesy of Achrissa Maw, Christi Bariquit, and Rizza Lozada propelled them to a 61-60 advantage with just 3:38 on the clock.
The Lady Archers committed three critical turnovers in the final two minutes with Luisa San Juan called for two dribbling violations and a travel by Micay Rodriguez.
Maw led UP’s bounced back efforts with 18 points on 7-of-12 from the field along with eight rebounds, two assists, and one steal, while Gilas Women guard Louna Ozar delivered a double-double of 13 markers, 12 boards, six dimes, and one deflections.
San Juan finished the game with 23 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, while Bernice Paraiso chipped in 13 markers, six boards, and four dimes in the losing effort.
La Salle slipped to a 1-6 record in the first round, tied for last place with Far Eastern University and University of the East in the eight-team league.
THE SCORES:
First Game:
ADU (63) - Limbago 10, Alaba 7, Adeshina 7, Apag 6, Etang 5, Mazo 5, Bajo 5, Ornopia 4, Delos Santos 4, Agojo 3, Alaba 3, Manlimos 2, Meniano 2, Padilla 0, Trabado 0, Cortez 0.
UE (51) - Yanez 16, Ruiz 12, Ronquillo 10, Ganade 6, Kone 5, Cruz 2, Lumibao 0, Gomez 0, Vacalares 0, Buscar 0, Dalguntas 0.
Quarter Scores: 23-6, 41-21, 53-37, 63-51
Second Game:
UP (66) – Maw 18, Ozar 13, Pesquera 11, Bariquit 11, Tapawan 8, Lozada 5, Mendoza 0, Jimenez 0, Barba 0, Sauz 0, Solitario 0, Nolasco 0, Quinquinio 0, Vingno 0.
DLSU (62) – San Juan 23, Paraiso 13, Sario 7, Dalisay 5, Camba 5, Mendoza 4, Sunga 3, Barcierto 2, Santos 0, Rodriguez 0, Dela Paz 0.
Quarter Scores: 17-15, 35-33, 46-56, 66-62
News
The world’s top young gymnasts will gather in Manila from November 20 to 24 for the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships, to be held at the Manila Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City.
More than 75 countries will take part in the prestigious global event, showcasing the next generation of gymnastics stars competing for world titles and glory.
This marks the first time the Philippines is hosting the Junior World Championships — a milestone moment for the country’s gymnastics community. The event highlights not only the athletes’ talent, passion, and discipline, but also the growing presence of gymnastics in the Philippines and across Asia.
The competition is expected to deliver world-class performances as rising stars strive to make their mark on the international stage and inspire future generations of gymnasts.

The countdown to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games is on! Organizers officially unveiled the full competition schedule, setting the stage for a spectacular edition of the Games that promises to be both historic and inclusive.
The Opening Ceremony will take place on July 14, 2028, with the Closing Ceremony scheduled for July 30, marking 17 action-packed days of elite competition across 49 venues. A record 11,200 athletes will compete in 51 sports, making LA28 the biggest Olympic Games in history.
One of the most exciting highlights? The women’s 100-meter dash will headline Day 1, signaling a bold step toward celebrating women’s excellence in sports. “We want to start the Games with a bang — showcasing the fastest women in the world,” said Shana Ferguson, LA28 chief of sport.
For the first time ever, the Olympics will feature an equal or greater number of women’s teams compared to men’s, with 50.5% of athletes being women — a groundbreaking milestone for gender equality on the world stage.
In another first, athletics will span the entire Games, integrating tradition with innovation. Meanwhile, fans can look forward to the highly anticipated “Super Saturday” on July 29, which will feature 26 finals across 23 sports, including basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, golf, football, tennis, and more — promising one of the most thrilling single days in Olympic history.
The LA28 Games also mark the return of baseball and softball, the long-awaited comeback of cricket after over a century, and the Olympic debuts of flag football and squash — further expanding the Olympic spirit to new audiences around the globe.
As the world prepares for this monumental celebration of athleticism and unity, LA28 stands as a beacon of innovation, diversity, and inclusion — a testament to how the Olympic movement continues to evolve with the times.
Nine-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo is auctioning off his first MVP trophy to help raise funds for typhoon relief efforts, after his home province of Cebu was severely affected by Typhoon “Tino.”
According to the Office of Civil Defense, 232 people have died, 112 are missing, and 512 were injured due to the storm’s devastation.
“Masakit makita na ang daming nawalan — bahay, hanapbuhay, at pamilya,” said Fajardo “Alam kong mahirap bumangon, pero tiwala lang tayo, pray lang tayo kay God. Magpo-provide naman si God para sa atin.”
Fajardo said he chose to auction his first MVP trophy — a symbol of his early sacrifices and hard work — because it holds special meaning both to him and to his fellow Cebuanos.
‘Yung trophy na ’yon, espesyal sa akin kasi years of hard work ’yon. Pero mas espesyal sa akin ang mga Cebuano,” he shared.
Fajardo won the MVP award in just his second season in the PBA — the first of his record-breaking nine MVP titles.

The East Asia Super League (EASL) has upheld Meralco’s 85-76 victory over the Taoyuan Pilots in their match held last Saturday in Ilagan, Isabela, even as the Bolts offered to replay the game in the spirit of sportsmanship.
Under EASL rules, each team may enlist two world imports, one naturalized player, and one Asian heritage recruit — but only three of them can be on the court at the same time. A misunderstanding of this rule led to Meralco fielding four imports simultaneously for a total of over 9 minutes. EASL records show Meralco outscored Taoyuan 22-15 during that stretch.
EASL CEO Henry Kerins stated the incident was unintentional and did not significantly impact the outcome. Both teams acknowledged the oversight, and Taoyuan accepted the result. EASL requested FIBA not to assign the same game commissioner to future matches to ensure stricter enforcement of the rule.
In addition, Meralco received penalties for other violations: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was fined $2,000 for skipping pre- and post-game interviews, while coach Nenad Vucinic was fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike gestures, with a warning of future suspension.
With the ruling, Meralco’s EASL record stands at 1-2. The Bolts next face the Macau Black Bears on Saturday at the Cebu Coliseum, with all ticket proceeds going to disaster relief for Cebu and nearby provinces.
The Black Bears, making their season debut, will be led by Damian Chong Qui, supported by Omar Peek Green, Torrance Watson, and Phoenix Shackelford.

In a show of unity and commitment, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), and the Office of the Chef de Mission (CDM) came together for a Coordination Meeting of the Task Force for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, set to take place in Thailand next year.
The meeting, attended by POC Secretary General Atty. Wharton R. Chan, PSC Executive Director Atty. Guillermo B. Iroy Jr., and Chef de Mission Dr. Jose Raul Canlas, underscored the country’s collective effort to ensure smooth preparation and strong representation in the regional meet.
According to the POC, the session aimed to strengthen coordination among key sports bodies and address logistical, administrative, and performance-related plans for the Filipino athletes bound for the 2025 SEA Games.
“This coordination is essential to ensure that our athletes get the support and structure they need to perform at their best,” said Dr. Canlas.
With a spirit of “Strength in Unity,” the collaboration signals a unified front for Team Philippines — as the nation’s top sports leaders rally behind the athletes set to bring pride and glory to the country in Thailand.