Defending champion De La Salle University is headed back to the finals after overpowering host Japan University Select Team, 88-75, in the 2025 World University Basketball Series (WUBS) Final Four on Sunday, August 10, at the Yoyogi National Gym in Tokyo.The Green Archers broke the game open with a decisive 22-7 run in the second quarter, turning a slim 19-17 lead into a commanding 41-24 halftime advantage. Despite a stronger second-half push from the Japanese squad, La Salle held firm to secure its second straight WUBS championship appearance.La Salle, the UAAP Season 87 runner-up, will face either Korea University or Nippon Sport Science University in Monday’s title game. Last year, the Archers claimed the title over Korea University, 101-86, led by Kevin Quiambao, who now plays in the Korean Basketball League. This time, Mike Phillips anchored La Salle’s charge, building on his strong quarterfinal performance against National Chengchi University of Chinese Taipei.Supporting Phillips were Mason Amos, Kean Baclaan, Jacob Cortez, Luis Pablo, Earl Abadam, and Vhoris Marasigan.Meanwhile, UAAP champion UP exited early, falling 75-71 to Korea University in the first round and 96-77 to Australia’s University of Sydney in the battle for fifth place.The WUBS is an annual knockout tournament featuring eight collegiate champion teams from across Asia.

The reigning UAAP champions University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons got a timely boost from two of their former stars during their recent training camp in South Korea as they gear up for their title defense in the upcoming Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.The Fighting Maroons faced several Korean Basketball League (KBL) squads from August 24 to September 2, including the current teams of ex-UP standouts JD Cagulangan and Carl Tamayo.According to UP assistant coach Christian Luanzon, the presence of Cagulangan and Tamayo during the final stretch of camp was invaluable, as the two shared insights that went beyond the basketball court.“We miss them for sure… Those are two players very special to us, not only on the court but even off the court,” said Luanzon during a contract signing on Monday, September 8, at UP Diliman.“The advice they gave — about mindset, how to approach a game, how to deal with losses, and other important things — are lessons that will really help our players moving forward,” he added.Tamayo was the first to take his talents abroad in 2023, suiting up for the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Japan’s B. League, where he won a championship before transferring to the KBL’s Changwon LG Sakers. He became the first Filipino import to capture titles in both Japan and Korea.Cagulangan followed in 2024, signing with Suwon KT Sonicboom just two days after capping his collegiate career with a Finals MVP award and another UAAP crown for UP.The reunion was particularly meaningful for team captain Gerry Abadiano, who was inspired by his former teammates’ success overseas.

The world No. 16 squad announced its arrival with a stunning sweep of then-No. 5 Japan in its pool play opener, setting the tone for what would become a dominant run. That upset, followed by a gritty 3-1 victory over Libya and a clinical 25-21, 25-16, 27-25 sweep of world No. 7 Canada, catapulted Turkiye to the top of Pool G.For head coach Slobodan Kovac, the mission has been clear from the beginning: to prove that Turkiye is far from ordinary. Even with qualification for the Round of 16 already secured before facing Canada, Kovac refused to let his players relax, applying relentless pressure and insisting that every match carried weight. Not just for positioning, but also for valuable ranking points.That demanding approach has rubbed off on his players, particularly opposite spiker Adis Lagumdzija. Against Canada, Lagumdzija hammered 14 points, embodying the competitive fire Kovac has instilled. The towering hitter admitted that while they expected a grueling challenge from Japan in the opener, sweeping the Asian powerhouse became the confidence boost that fueled their run through pool play.

Magnolia’s new era under rookie coach LA Tenorio began in golden fashion as the Hotshots opened their 2025 PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup campaign with an 80-73 victory over Barangay Ginebra at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, spoiling Tenorio’s reunion with his former team and long-time mentor, Tim Cone.Tenorio, who won seven titles with Ginebra as a player and playing-assistant, credited his players for stepping up in the emotionally charged Manila Clasico opener. "A good start for a new journey," said Tenorio, deflecting all the credit, though, to his players."It was really hard. Emotionally, I had to battle, and I really had to challenge my players that it's not about me and coach Tim; it's about the players of Magnolia and the players of Ginebra," Tenorio pointed out.“I just want to thank the players and my staff. They were really ready for this game and wanted to give me this first win.”"And I want to thank the players and the coaching staff, they wanted to guide me, knowing mahirap in this kind of atmosphere. The players were ready going to this game. I appreciated their effort and their focus," Tenorio added.Zav Lucero led Magnolia with 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals, and a block, while Jerom Lastimosa and Javi Gomez de Liano chipped in 14 points each. Rome dela Rosa added nine as the Hotshots unleashed a fiery 10-0 start and never looked back, maintaining control all game.The Hotshots’ wire-to-wire win marked a promising start to Tenorio’s coaching journey—one that began by defeating the very team that helped shape his legacy.The scores:Magnolia 80 - Lucero 17, Lastimosa 14, Gomez de Liano 14, dela Rosa 12, Sangalang 9, Barroca 7, Laput 5, Dionisio 2, Lee 0, Verano 0, Alfaro 0, Escoto 0.Ginebra 73 - Holt 16, Gray 13, Rosario 12, Abarrientos 11, Estil 9, J.Aguilar 5, Cu 3, Torres 2, David 2, Thompson 0.Quarterscores: 23-14, 36-30, 61-48, 80-73

Foreign reinforcements in the Premier Volleyball League are officially cleared for action after all International Transfer Certificates (ITCs) were signed and activated, paving the way for imports to suit up in the 2025 Reinforced Conference.The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) completed the endorsement process for all foreign and Filipino-American players by 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, ensuring that every team can now field its full lineup for the remainder of the tournament.

Spain’s Alejandro Huerta and Adrian Gavira, and Finland’s Anniina Parkkinen and Valma Prihti, claimed top honors at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge, wrapping up an electrifying weekend at Nuvali Sands Court in Santa Rosa, Laguna.Huerta and Gavira clinched their first Challenge title as partners after outlasting England’s Javier and Joaquin Bello in a thrilling three-set men’s final, 21–17, 19–21, 17–15. Huerta led the charge with 29 of Spain’s 40 attacks, crediting Gavira’s clutch defense for the win.In the women’s final, Parkkinen and Prihti rallied for a 17–21, 21–14, 15–11 comeback over Lithuania’s Ieva Dumbauskaite and Gerda Grudzinskaite, securing Finland’s first-ever Beach Pro Tour Challenge gold. Prihti delivered a dominant all-around performance with 25 points, including 16 attacks, five blocks, and four aces.Italy’s Manuel Alfieri and Alex Ranghieri secured men’s bronze after a comeback win over Austria’s Christoph Dressler and Philip Waller, while Australia’s Stefanie Fejes and Jasmine Fleming took women’s bronze by edging Czechia’s Kylie Neuschaeferova and Martina Maixnerova.The FIVB-sanctioned event, hosted by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation under President Ramon “Tats” Suzara, drew 111 pairs from 25 countries—highlighting the Philippines as a premier destination for world-class beach volleyball.

Meralco Bolt’s 85-76 victory over the Taoyuan Pilots in the East Asia Super League (EASL) might be overturned after the Taiwanese squad formally filed a protest, claiming the Bolts fielded four imports simultaneously—a violation of FIBA’s two-import rule for the regional league.The Bolts had Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Ismael Romero, Ange Kouame, and Sina Vahedi on the floor together during one stretch of the second quarter, according to Pilots coach Lurgi Caminos.Despite the issue, Meralco coach Luigi Trillo said they’ll respect whatever decision the EASL hands down, emphasizing that the team played “with pride and honor.”“We played with honor. We’re good soldiers. Reputation-wise, we’re one of the most honorable teams in the PBA,” Trillo said.The EASL has yet to release an official ruling on the protest.

In a remarkable upset, University of the East stunned the defending champions De La Salle University Green Archers by narrowly defeating them, 75-71, in the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena Sunday evening, September 22.The Red Warriors gave La Salle their first loss of the season as they delivered a scorching hot shooting of 12-of-30 from downtown witnessed by 6,946 spectators inside the arena. In an exclusive interview with Scoreline.ph, UE head coach Jack Santiago shared the contributing factors that led to their team's victory.

The Philippine Volcanoes made history over the weekend after both securing the men’s and women’s title in the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Trophy at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal.The men’s national rugby team, led by Darryl Suasua, exhibited their excellent teamwork to prevail over Chinese Taipei with a 27-12 victory in the finals, while their women counterpart, coached by Samantha Scott, followed suit, eking out a 7-5 win over India. “We are immensely proud of both our women’s and men’s teams for their performances and dedication,” said Ada Milby, president of the Philippine Rugby Football Union (PRFU). “Winning double gold is a historic achievement for Philippine Rugby and reflects the hard work of the athletes, coaches, and support staff. We are excited to see the continued growth and success of rugby in the Philippines.”

Because of their unparalleled experience and skill in Sambo sports, six-time world medalist Sydney Sy-Tancontian and 2024 Asian Championships double silver medalist Aislinn Yap among other Sambo athletes won gold medals in the recently concluded 2024 Korea Open Sambo Championships that was organized by the Korean Sambo Federation and the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) last week.Sy-Tancontian defended her crown under the women's +80kgs category to follow up with the first medal of the Philippines and the Southeast Asian region, while Yap won two gold medals for two different categories - Women's -80kgs (Combat Sambo ) and Women's -80kgs (Sports Sambo).The participation of the Pilipinas Sambo national team is also part of the preparation  for the World Championships which will be held on November 8-10 that will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan.Aside from Sy-Tancontian and Yap, Jeniva Consigna, also got a gold medal in women's under-65kgs, Jomary Torres won a gold medal for Women's -50kgs, Mariah Albert Lua also got a gold medal for women's under-72kgs category, Robin Catalan won a silver medal under Men's -64kgs category, Grace Gangan became a silver medalist under Women's -80kgs category, Aumaegel Princess Cortez got a bronze medal for Women's -59kgs category, and Edemel Catalan won a bronze medal for the Men's -58kgs category. According to Pilipinas SAMBO Federation Inc. (PSFI) President Paolo Tancontian, they really prepared for this competition to win a medal and there has been a big improvement in the performance of their athletes now compared to last year.“I consider this a good performance from our athletes compared to last year because we improved a lot in terms of medals we obtained. Our national team prepared well for this tournament. They improve greatly on this tourney and we hope to see them perform well in the next competitions,” said Tancontian.Tancontian added that it is not enough for them to determine the  improvement they have now and they also keep up learning and studying the processes of this kind of sport because Asia is on a different level when it comes to this type of sport.“However, we still have a lot of room for improvement. Every day is a learning process because Asia is considered a world-class level at malakas talaga ang laban dito. Definitely, mapapalaban tayo ng husto sa Worlds,” Tancontian added.

It will be a battle between pals who have been successful in their coaching career in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup Finals.Coaches Tim Cone and Chot Reyes will face each other again after 12 years since they last battled one another. The two mentors met in the PBA Finals six times already but the last time was way back in 2012 when the B-Meg Llamados of Cone defeated Reyes’ Talk N’ Text, 90-84, in overtime of the Game 7 of Commissioner’s Cup finale.A win in the upcoming series will give one of the coaches an advantage as they split their head-to-head encounter at 3-3.Cone is happy that his team is in the Finals again and it will be against his good friend Reyes that he will battle again. Coach Chot was Coach Tim’s chief deputy when they were still starting together in Alaska.

Veteran setter Alohi Robins-Hardy has joined the coaching staff of the University of the Philippines women’s volleyball team for the UAAP Season 87, which will begin in February 2025.The UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development on Wednesday, November 21, announced the new role of Robins-Hardy as one of the assistant coaches for the Fighting Maroons.The 28-year-old Filipina-American has been assigned to supervise the growth of promising playmaker Heart Magsombol as UP seeks to strengthen its foundation under first-year head coach Benson Bocboc.

Alec Stockton’s heroics led Converge in climbing back from a 20-point deficit to defeat Magnolia, 93-91, and registered their second win in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.The spitfire guard finished with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, issued 10 assists, and grabbed seven rebounds to be named Player of the Game.In the first half, the Hotshots seemed to control the tempo of the game behind the hot shooting backcourt duo of Jerom Lastimosa and Jerrick Ahanmisi to steer their team to a 53-38 lead.After the break, Magnolia managed to erect a 20-point lead but the FiberXers managed to trim down the lead to eight at the end of the third period.

Converge took down Phoenix, 116-105, to post its first win streak in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup on Thursday, December 19, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.The FiberXers overcame an 18-point deficit in the early stages of the first period and rallied in the second half to improve their record in the standings to 4-2 to secure their first consecutive conference victory."We just stuck on. We didn't panic. We returned on how we run our system, run our offense and defense. It's nice because we have six players in double digits," said coach Franco Atienza, expressing his satisfaction with his team's effort in making a comeback.The FiberXers gradually narrowed the gap by scoring more points than the Fuel Masters. Converge eventually tasted their first lead after two free throws from Bryan Santos that placed them ahead 69-67 at 5:53 in the third session.Halfway through the fourth quarter, the FiberXers shattered any hopes of a final surge of momentum for the Fuel Master with Alec Stockton leading the 9-0 run, ending with a pair of charities courtesy of Jordan Heading, 105-94, with 3:38 left on the clock.

Chery Tiggo secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference after battling past a resilient Farm Fresh team in a hard-fought four-set match, 29-27, 15-25, 25-22, 25-21, at the Philsports Arena on Tuesday, March 12.The Crossovers needed two hours and seven minutes to overcome the determined Foxies, who pushed them at every turn. However, Chery Tiggo’s experience and composure in crucial moments made the difference, setting up a best-of-three quarterfinal clash with reigning champions Creamline.

In the recently concluded PSA forum yesterday, head coach and tournament director Ronalyn Redima Greenlees is confident that the country’s hosting of the event will be up to the challenge in trying to defend the gold medals in the men’s pair and women’s singles events. Eight golds in singles, pairs, triples and fours (men and women) will be at stake in the event. According to Greenlees, lawn bowls has been in the country for over two decades, and was played in the 2019 Manila SEA Games where the hosts won one gold, three silver and two bronze medals.The Philippine lawn bowls is set to host the 16th Asian Lawn Bowls Championships next month.The said competition is scheduled on April 27 to May 4 at the Clark Bowling Greens in Clark, Pampanga, in which Twelve countries will field entries, including Malaysia, Iran, Brunei, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Macau, South Korea and China.Unfortunately, the sport that was born in Great Britain, was not included in the calendar of the Thailand SEA Games in December.Greenlees also said that Filipinos are ranked No. 10 in the world and have had victories in the Asia-Pacific level.“Kilala na kami sa mundo. Dito lang sa Pilipinas hindi. Full support sila,” she said, citing the full support of the Philippine Sports Commission and the Clark Development Corporation for the hosting of the Asian meet.Rodel Labayo, back-to-back gold medalist in the pairs event along with partner Elmer Abatayo, said winning a third straight gold is their primary objective.“Gusto namin dito sa Pilipinas mag three-peat,” Labayo said Rosita Bradborn, on the other hand, will try to defend her title in women’s singles. She won the gold last year in Thailand after a couple of silver-medal finishes.“Nag-tiyaga kami ng husto sa training para manalo ulit,” said Bradborn. Despite the challenges, the Philippine lawn bowls team is determined to showcase their skills in the upcoming Asian Championships.

 One of the most iconic figures in mixed martial arts history is hanging up his gloves.Jon “Bones” Jones, widely considered the greatest MMA fighter of all time, has officially retired, UFC president Dana White confirmed at a press conference on Saturday, June 21.“Jon Jones called us last night and retired. Jon Jones has officially retired,” White announced.“Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC,” he added.Jones, 37, later confirmed his retirement, posting on X that “this decision comes after a lot of reflection.”“I’m excited to see how I can continue to contribute to the sport and inspire others in new ways,” he said in his statement. “Thank you all for being part of this incredible journey with me. The best is yet to come,” Jones wrote in his post.Discussing the future of the heavyweight division, White confirmed that Tom Aspinall will attend UFC International Fight Week, where crucial decisions about the division’s direction will be made.The highly anticipated prospect of a showdown between Aspinall and Jones has been a major topic within the heavyweight division for months, particularly following Jones' successful title defense against Stipe Miocic in November.Fan demand for the matchup reached a crescendo; a recent petition calling for White to strip Jones of his heavyweight title amassed over 195,000 signatures—a clear indication of public sentiment.Just two weeks ago, White expressed confidence that the fight would happen, revealing that Jones had accepted a deal to face Aspinall, although the contract had yet to be finalized.Jones acknowledged that he doesn’t control the division's direction, admitting he hasn't mapped out his future plans. He even floated the idea of challenging former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou—a scenario White promptly dismissed. This back-and-forth only adds to the intrigue surrounding both fighters and the heavyweight landscape.“Tom Aspinall is the guy. We’ve been talking to this kid forever about it. It’s his fight. You can’t make people fight. If Jon doesn’t want to fight, we can’t make him fight. We can try to make him fight, we can throw things at him that inspire him to want to fight,” White added.Just weeks ago, speculation remained high, with White saying Jones had verbally accepted a bout against Aspinall. Meanwhile, the fan petition calling for Jones to be stripped of his title had amassed over 195,000 signatures, signaling growing frustration over the heavyweight stalemate.While he steps away from active competition, Jones hinted at continued involvement in the sport in a new capacity, suggesting that his journey is far from over—just entering a new phase.Whether through mentorship, promotion, or advocacy, Jones’ influence on MMA is likely to endure far beyond his final walk to the Octagon.

Cebuana golfer Denise Mendoza made a splash in the opening round of the ICTSI Junior PGT Championship, dominating the girls’ 7-10 division on Wednesday, July 10, in Davao City.What started as a tight contest quickly turned into a showcase of her talent. The 10-year-old prodigy unleashed a remarkable six-birdie streak starting at No. 10 at the South Pacific Golf and Residential Estates, firing an impressive 64 to seize control of the leaderboard.Despite a rollercoaster nine—marked by three birdies and three bogeys under humid and overcast skies—Mendoza found her rhythm after the turn. She lit up the back nine with birdies on holes 10 through 15, displaying exceptional precision and composure beyond her years.“I was surprised – I really didn’t expect to score this low, especially on a course I’ve never played before,” said Mendoza, who credited her calm mindset to her father’s advice: "Stay calm and stick to the basics, especially when you hit a bad shot or things start to go wrong."“Most of the time, my approach shots left me with easy birdie chances – usually within five feet. That meant I didn’t need to make a lot of long putts. I’ll just play exactly the same way,” added the Cebu Learning Center student.

PLDT High Speed Hitters had to be rescued from their training facility along G. Araneta Avenue in Quezon City after heavy rains from the southwest monsoon (habagat) left the flood-prone area submerged yesterday, Monday.The team was stranded inside their gym since the afternoon, passing the time with meals and an improvised karaoke session while waiting for help. At around 9 p.m., the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Army arrived, safely evacuating players and staff via rescue boats.“Maraming salamat po to our Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Army and our volley friends who assisted in rescuing our High Speed Hitters out of the Araneta Avenue area. We know your night is far from over and there are more people to help. We hope and pray you all return home safely. Again, thank you so much!”  the team expressed on social media. About an hour after the rescue, several players took to Instagram to share updates and further gratitude to their rescuers.PLDT is scheduled to fly out in a few days for the Cebu City leg of the 2025 PVL on Tour, where they’ll put their unbeaten record on the line against co-league leader Nxled (July 26) and Galeries Tower (July 27).

Alex Eala is taking a well-deserved break following a demanding run across the clay, grass, and hard court seasons.The 20-year-old Filipina tennis star recently shared a seaside photo on Instagram with the caption, “Is this what they call eurosummer?”Her break comes at a crucial time, after requiring a medical timeout during her first-round match against Markéta Vondroušová at the National Bank Open in Montreal.This rest period will allow Eala to recover and prepare for her next major appearance at the US Open in New York.To prioritize her recovery, Eala and her team have decided she will skip both the upcoming Cincinnati Open and the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey, Mexico.As a result, she is expected to slide in the WTA rankings due to missing out on potential points from these events. Meanwhile, the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) is hopeful that Alex Eala will represent the country at the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok this December.“We’re hoping she could play for the Philippines. Let’s all pray she does,” said Philta Executive Director Tonette Mendoza.Mendoza said Eala’s participation will depend on her schedule, as the world No. 65 is working on arrangements but is eager to compete.“She’s just trying to fit it into her schedule, but she seems very excited, so we really hope she can make it,” Mendoza added.