A full house is expected at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion when the Growling Tigers host defending champion UP Fighting Maroons in a blockbuster men’s basketball showdown on September 21, headlining the UAAP Season 88 opening weekend. 

It was a night to remember at Montano Hall in Cavite City as Stef Berberabe carved her place in Philippine basketball history, becoming the first woman to record a quadruple-double.The WMPBL star was honored in front of her hometown crowd, with WMPBL Commissioner Haydee M. Ong, league president John Kallos, and Senator Francis Tolentino leading the special tribute. The recognition underscored not only Berberabe’s personal achievement but also the growing prominence of women’s basketball in the country.Berberabe, known for her tireless energy and versatility, reflected on the significance of the milestone.“This is more than just my achievement — it’s a victory for women’s basketball,” she said. “I hope this inspires young girls to keep pushing boundaries and chasing their dreams.”Her rare feat — a testament to all-around excellence on the court — resonates beyond statistics. For fans and aspiring players alike, it symbolized the strides women’s basketball continues to make in the Philippines.The celebration at Montano Hall was not only about honoring Berberabe’s historic performance but also about envisioning a brighter, more inclusive future for the sport she represents so passionately.

Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone had mixed emotions following the Gin Kings’ 80-73 defeat to Magnolia in the opening game of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.“I’m happy for LA, sad for myself,” Cone admitted after his team fell to his former floor general and now Magnolia head coach LA Tenorio, who earned his first coaching victory in his debut.The much-anticipated matchup between mentor and student saw Tenorio’s Hotshots control the game from start to finish, using a strong start and steady composure to secure the win.Cone, however, downplayed the “duel” narrative between him and Tenorio. “You guys are making a big deal out of it,” Cone said.  “We’re friends. It’s the same thing when I coached against Chot Reyes, Jeff Cariaso, Johnedel Cardel, or Luigi Trillo—they’re all my ex-players and coaches. It’s just part of the game.”Despite the loss, Cone expressed pride in Tenorio’s successful coaching debut, showing that the lessons once learned under his mentorship can now be used to craft victories of their own.

Filipino rising star Kenneth “The Lover Boy” Llover continued his impressive ascent in the boxing ranks after scoring a fourth-round stoppage victory over Luciano Baldor of Argentina.The spitfire from General Trias, Cavite showcased his trademark aggression and power, flooring Baldor before sealing the win with a decisive flurry that forced the referee to step in.With the victory, Llover preserved his perfect record, improving to 16 wins with 11 knockouts (16-0, 11 KOs) — a clear statement that he remains one of the Philippines’ most promising young fighters.The dominant performance further cements Llover’s growing reputation as a knockout artist and a future contender on the international stage.

Gilas Pilipinas forward/center Jack Danielle Animam will be playing for Energa Toruń, a Polish women's basketball club. Ahead of her debut in the Orlen Women's Basketball League this coming season, the management expressed their excitement to have her on the team. "We are delighted to officially announce that Jack Danielle Animam is the newest player of our club! Standing at 193 cm (6'4"), the center/power forward (born in 1998) will make her debut in the Orlen Women's Basketball League this coming season, writing a brand-new chapter in the history of basketball in Toruń," they wrote. Animam, consistently known as a double-double machine wherever she plays, is expected to play a significant role on her new team as they try to compete for a championship.

Joshua "The Passion" Pacio left no doubt about who rules the ONE Championship strawweight division.The Filipino champion delivered a spectacular first-round submission victory over Russian challenger Mansur Malachiev to successfully retain the ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship in the main event of The Inner Circle 21 at the historic Lumpinee Stadium on Friday.Nearly three years after their first encounter went the distance, Pacio made sure the rematch would have a far more decisive ending.Malachiev came out aggressively, quickly taking Pacio to the canvas and threatening with a tight rear-naked choke. For a brief moment, the reigning champion appeared to be in serious danger of losing his title.But champions thrive under pressure.Displaying remarkable composure, Pacio escaped the submission attempt and immediately shifted the momentum. After reversing position, the Team Lakay standout unleashed a series of elbows and short punches before smoothly transitioning to Malachiev's back.Pacio then locked in a rear-naked choke of his own. Although the Russian briefly escaped the initial attempt, the Filipino tightened his grip once more, leaving Malachiev unconscious at the 4:23 mark of the opening round.The emphatic finish secured Pacio's second successful title defense in his current reign as ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion and further cemented his status as one of the organization's premier athletes.The victory also earned Pacio a $50,000 Performance Bonus, improved his professional record to 24-5, and marked the 10th submission victory of his MMA career.For Malachiev, who entered the bout looking to avenge the only loss of his career, the defeat dropped his record to 14-2—with both setbacks coming at the hands of the Filipino champion.Once again, Joshua Pacio proved that when the stakes are highest, he rises to the occasion. With another dominant title defense in the books, "The Passion" remains the undisputed king of the ONE Championship strawweight division.

Former Premier Volleyball League (PVL) rivals Farm Fresh and ZUS Coffee will join forces as Strong Group Pilipinas for the 2026 Formosa Women's Volleyball Invitational Tournament in Taiwan from July 30 to August 2.The Philippine squad will be bannered by reigning PVL Season MVP Trisha Tubu as it takes on clubs and national selection teams from Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and Hong Kong.The tournament offers Filipino volleyball players a valuable opportunity to gain international experience and measure themselves against some of Asia's top teams while representing the country on the international stage.Strong Group Athletics aims to showcase the growing strength of Philippine volleyball and bring home both pride and invaluable experience from the prestigious regional competition.

After close calls in the past, Filipino-American gymnast Emma Malabuyo’s dream of making the Olympics finally came true.The fulfillment of the dream came true when Malabuyo finished third in the individual all-round division of the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships held in Uzbekistan back in May.

Fate definitely smiled on Samantha Catantan as she snapped the 32-year longing for a Filipino fencer in the Olympic Games after emerging triumphant in the women’s foil event of the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifiers 2024 in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates last April.The 22-year-old seized her Paris berth after defeating Kazakhstan’s Sofiya Aktayeva in a dramatic final match that saw the Filipina overcome a late deficit and a medical break to treat a knee injury.Tied at 13-all, Catantan took an injury timeout and was visibly limping when she returned to action. Aktaveya forced a final deadlock at 14, before Catantan seized the final point.

The Samahan ng Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al Panlilio might be disappointed that Gilas Pilipinas men’s basketball team failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics but still optimistic that they can work on to reach the ultimate goal of making it to the Los Angeles Games in 2028.Earlier this year, Gilas head coach Tim Cone said that “The ultimate goal for the SBP is to make it to the LA Olympics, I think that’s the ultimate goal. That’s what they are looking for,”They have tried to reach the Olympic goal this year in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) held in Latvia. They upset the host team and FIBA’s No. 6 ranked team during their match-up in the group stage.Gilas was defeated by the No. 23 ranked Georgia narrowly in their next assignment ending in a three-way tie at their group but superior quotient points gave Latvia and the Philippines the advantage of moving to the next round. In the crossover Semis, the No. 37 ranked Philippines bowed down to No. 12 ranked Brazil who overcame a double-digit lead in the first half. Brazil eventually won the OQT in Latvia after defeating the host team in the finals.Panlilio might be disappointed that the nation’s pride team didn’t make it to Paris but he has seen a glimpse of hope for the team’s future endeavors especially in targeting the ultimate goal of making it to the LA Olympics. 

The Philippine Team, including the two-time gold medalist Carlos Yulo, that competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics will be back in the country on August 13. 

Hester will be on his third tour of duty in the league and it became possible after an unfortunate injury happened to Brandon Edwards.Edwards was the original import of the Terrafirma in the season opening conference Governors’ Cup but he suffered an ACL injury in their tune-up game against Meralco Bolts last Tuesday.The Dyip crammed in searching for a replacement for Edwards but luckily for them, Hester was available and also excited to return to Asia’s first play-for-pay league.

Losing Game 1 of their semi-finals series against Ginebra was tough for San Miguel Beermen as they went from a grinding five-game quarterfinal match-up against Converge and another face-off in EASL but the coaches do not see their schedule as an excuse for their loss.In an exclusive interview with Scoreline.ph, SMB assistant coach Peter Martin his piece on why they lost the game and on how they can bounce back from their loss and tie the series come Game 2.First he shared about the lesson learned in their Converge series. He shared that the whole team relaxed and they thought that it would be an easy series for them but when they have given a little chance to the FiberXers, they put them to a grueling do-or-die game.Martin added that even though they were a little bit tired against the fresh Ginebra squad, they don’t see it as a big factor on why they lost the opening game of the series. But that’s the price they have to pay off on being relaxed in their previous series.“Despite the fact that we played 5 games, and we even played against EASL last Wednesday, we don't make that an excuse. Maybe it's just one small factor. But it's the Brownlee effect,” said Martin.If you watched the game last night, he had 5 four-point shots and scored 20 points in the third quarter. That cannot happen against a team like Ginebra,” he added.Asked on what they need to do in the next game in order for them to cope up against the Gin Kings, Martin said in jest, “Maybe don’t let (Justin) Brownlee hold the ball.”He also said that they just need to have a defensive scheme against the six-time PBA champion import so that Brownlee’s explosion will not happen again, especially that they are not going up against a weak team.“They are one of the strongest teams. If not the strongest team, the strongest team in the PBA right now because of Justin Brownlee. So he's the focal point. We saw it last night and we have to adjust,” Martin said.The SMB assistant coach also told Scoreline.ph that they lacked in their schemes during Game 1 and needed to improve their effort level and surpass the effort level of Ginebra.

Far Eastern University (FEU) continued its impressive UAAP Season 87 volleyball campaign, securing victories in both the men’s and women’s tournaments against the University of the East (UE) on Wednesday, March 26, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

As expected, the Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.Flagg is now expected to elevate the Mavericks franchise to new heights following the departure of former franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić, who was traded to Los Angeles before last season's trade deadline.The move to let go of Dončić sparked backlash from fans, but with Flagg now in the fold, there’s renewed optimism in Dallas — especially with a lineup that looks increasingly solid on paper.

There’s no secret formula behind Czechia’s improbable march to the semifinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship. Just determination, untapped potential, and belief—qualities that came to life in their four-set triumph over Iran, 22-25, 27-25, 25-20, 25-21, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.Not widely considered contenders in a group that featured powerhouse Brazil, Czechia has defied expectations with steady play and resilience. Now, they find themselves just two wins away from a historic championship run.“I don’t really know [what makes this team unique],” admitted head coach Jiri Novak. “I knew that in this team, I had players with big, big potential. I saw a lot of positive things during practices.”The Czech squad is riding a three-match winning streak and will now face surging Bulgaria, which shocked world No. 4 USA in a thrilling five-set comeback, in the semifinals.“We will play against one of two big teams, Bulgaria or the USA. We will see, we will see,” Novak said before the Bulgaria-USA clash. “Bulgaria is a young team, and the USA also, because they are preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games. We will see.”The semifinals concluded last Saturday, September 27, at the MOA Arena, with Poland, the world’s top-ranked squad, taking on defending champion Italy in the other pairing. The gold and bronze medal matches are scheduled for Sunday, September 28, at the same venue.From underdogs to semifinalists, Czechia’s rise is shaping up to be one of the biggest stories of this year’s World Championship—a reminder that in volleyball, belief and teamwork can sometimes topple tradition and reputation.

Defending champion National University (NU) displayed its trademark dominance once again, defeating Adamson University, 69–51, for its second consecutive victory in the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.Coming off a commanding 95–58 rout of the UP Fighting Maroons last weekend, the Lady Bulldogs carried that same momentum into this matchup, seizing control early and never looking back.The duo of Karl Ann Pingol and Tin Cayabyab set the tone for NU’s offensive rhythm, combining for efficient scoring that helped the team establish a 43–23 halftime advantage. The Lady Falcons, despite showing spurts of fight, struggled to recover from the early onslaught. 

Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena added another gold medal to his growing list of achievements after ruling the Stabhochsprung Meeting in Jockgrim, Germany.Obiena cleared 5.83 meters to capture the championship on Thursday morning (Philippine time), continuing his impressive run in the 2026 season. The world No. 14 athlete attempted to clear 5.93 meters to surpass his season-best mark of 5.85 meters, but failed to complete the height in three attempts.Despite the challenge, Obiena finished ahead of Qatar’s Seifeldin Abdelsalam, who also cleared 5.83 meters but needed three attempts to do so. Turkey’s Ersu Sasma secured the bronze medal after clearing 5.77 meters in two attempts.In a social media post, Obiena shared his satisfaction with the victory despite facing difficulties during the competition, saying the performance was far from perfect but he was happy to secure the win.The victory marked Obiena’s fourth gold medal in Germany this 2026 season. He previously topped the International Springer-Meeting in Cottbus, won at the ISTAF Indoor Berlin, and recently claimed gold at the Halberstädter Höhenflug – International Pole Vault Meeting in Halberstadt.With his continued dominance in international competitions, Obiena remains one of the Philippines’ biggest hopes for global athletics success and continues to inspire Filipino athletes around the world.

Things will be different when the PBA 49th Season Governor’s Cup opens on August 18 as it adopts a new format for the season-opening conference.The new format will divide the 12 teams in two groups; Group A is composed of reigning Governor’s Cup Champion TNT Tropang Giga together with Meralco Bolts, Converge FiberXers, Northport Batang Pier, Terrafirma Dyip and Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots while Group B is composed of crowd-favorite Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel, together with Blackwater Bossing, Phoenix Fuel Masters, Rain or Shine Elasto Painter, NLEX Road Warriors and San Miguel Beermen.Under the new setup that was announced by league Commissioner Willie Marcial, teams in each group will play each other twice in a double round robin.The top four teams from each group will advance to the crossover quarterfinals, with No. 1 taking on No. 4 and No. 2 battling No. 3 in a best-of-five series.The semifinals and finals will both be a best-of-seven affairs.Meanwhile, the mid-season Commissioner’s Cup and season-concluding Philippine Cup will have the same format as used in the previous seasons. 

The William Jones Cup crown is back at the hands of the Filipinos after Strong Group Athletics-Pilipinas trounced hometown bets Chinese Taipei and secured a 83-79 victory on Sunday, July 21, at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in Taiwan.The Philippine representative completed a title sweep after going undefeated eight times and achieved what they fell short last January when they finished runner-up in the 33rd Dubai International Championship with a team reinforced by former NBA player Dwight Howard. SGA lost to Al Riyadi in the final.In the championship game against Chinese Taipei-A, Tajuan Agee lead the pack with game-high 21 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, a block, and a perfect nine-of-nine from the free throw line, following him was DJ Fenner who contributed with 15 markers, nine boards, and four steals.RJ Abarrientos tallied 14 on four-of-eight shooting from the three-point line in his last game before joining crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra in PBA.Also standing out is veteran guard Kiefer Ravena as he provided nine markers on a 3-of-6 clip along with four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.Chris McCullough, on the other hand, finished with 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting.McCullough was later named the tournament Most Valuable Player, averaging 21.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks in Strong Group’s eight-game sweep.Robert Tsang Hinton led Taiwan’s failed attempt at the title with 16 points, Cheng Yin Chun followed with 13, while Brandon Gilbeck had a double-double of 11, 13 boards along with five blocks as the host team settled for the runner-up finish with its 7-1 record.Strong Group became the seventh Philippine team to rule the annual Jones Cup. The last time the country reigned supreme was in 2019 under the Mighty Sports squad, which incidentally, was also coached by Charles Tiu.