All news tagged JerichoCruz

Another Filipino standout is set to compete against Gilas Pilipinas, this time wearing the colors of Guam. 

Filipino-American guard Isaiah Africano, who went undrafted in the recent PBA Season 50 Rookie Draft, has earned a spot on Guam’s men’s national basketball team for the upcoming FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Africano’s inclusion was confirmed through a social media announcement from his agent, Rey Punongbayan of Punongbayan Ponceja Sports Management, who praised his player’s perseverance and drive. 

“My player Isaiah Africano, who went undrafted in the last PBA Draft, threw his anger by making it into the Guam National Basketball Team that will battle Gilas Pilipinas. Proved them all wrong, Isaiah! ” Punongbayan wrote.

The 6-foot-2 guard joins San Miguel Beermen veteran Jericho Cruz, forming a duo of Filipino-blooded players on Guam’s roster. 

Africano appears on the official lineup alongside Mark Johnson, Tomas Calvo, Jon Galloway, Daren Hechanova, and Tai Wesley as the 81st-ranked nation prepares to challenge Gilas Pilipinas later this month.

Africano’s journey has been anything but easy. The Hawaii-born Fil-Am guard, whose mother hails from Sto. Domingo, from Ilocos Norte and whose father is Colombian, was in Manila two months ago in pursuit of his PBA dream. After going undrafted and missing out on roster spots as a rookie free agent, he faced uncertainty about his path.

That changed when Guam head coach EJ Calvo saw value in the high-energy guard, particularly his defense, hustle, and competitiveness. Calvo moved quickly to secure Africano for the national squad, giving the 28-year-old his first major international opportunity.

Africano said that being at this level was already a blessing, reflecting on his basketball journey that began in Pearl City, Hawaii, and continued through Division III basketball at Pacific University in Oregon, adding that he wants to look back knowing he did everything he could and to maximize the talent God has given him.

Africano describes himself as a defensive-minded, high-energy player, qualities that Guam hopes will strengthen its backcourt rotation alongside Cruz.

Guam will face Gilas Pilipinas on November 28 at the University of Guam Calvo Field House, creating an intriguing subplot as two players with Filipino roots suit up for the opposing side.

For Africano, it may be the closest he gets to facing PBA-level talent after narrowly missing his chance to join the league earlier this year.

Yet despite the turns in his career, Africano remains motivated by the support of his family. 

“My parents always told me I could do anything as long as I put my heart into it,” he shared with Scoreline.ph during the PBA Draft Combine. “I have always gravitated toward team basketball. This is another opportunity to prove what I can do.”

With talent, energy, and a renewed opportunity, Isaiah Africano enters the Asian Qualifiers ready to make his mark, representing Guam on the international stage against the very nation of his heritage.

The dream of achieving a rare Grand Slam lives on for the TNT Tropang 5G as they defeated the San Miguel Beermen in Game 5 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals, 86-78, on Wednesday night, July 23, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

TNT came out strong from the get-go, building a 27-20 lead in the opening quarter, led by Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, who exploded for 14 points in the first period. He finished with 18 points, five rebounds, one assist, three steals, and a game-high five blocks.

The San Miguel Beermen are just one win away from reclaiming their throne atop the PBA, taking a commanding 3-1 lead over the TNT Tropang 5G in the Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals. San Miguel powered past TNT, 105-91, Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Jericho Cruz was the catalyst for the Beermen, exploding for 23 points—15 of them in the pivotal fourth quarter—sinking five triples. Conference Best Player June Mar Fajardo added a double-double of 15 points, 16 rebounds, plus three steals and two blocks.

“The biggest factor was Game 1. It fueled our grit—you could see in our players’ eyes that they want to win. We had a bad start, but the bench brought energy and aggression. This was also the first time we really shot well from deep, and that was key,” said head coach Leo Austria.

Cruz also reflected on the controversial Game 1 loss, which continues to motivate the team. “We thought we had that first game, but that’s behind us now. Boss Alfrancis Chua told me to just play my game and ignore the outside noise.”

CJ Perez chipped in 16 points, five assists, and three rebounds, Don Trollano contributed 11 points, six boards, and three assists, while Marcio Lassiter added 10 points for San Miguel.

The Beermen will aim to clinch the Best-of-7 series and dash TNT’s Grand Slam hopes on Wednesday, July 23, at the Araneta Coliseum.

The game remained tight at 73-72 with just over eight minutes left, but Cruz drilled a crucial three to extend San Miguel’s lead. Although RR Pogoy quickly answered, Cruz and Trollano took over, pushing the Beermen ahead 84-79. 

Fajardo and Perez then combined for back-to-back buckets, stretching the lead to nine. TNT’s Glenn Khobuntin managed an and-one to cut the deficit to six, but that was as close as TNT would get.

Jordan Heading paced TNT with 23 points and five assists, while Kelly Williams and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser scored 14 apiece. RR Pogoy and Calvin Oftana added 11 each. 

However, nothing could stop San Miguel, as TNT dropped its third straight game after narrowly winning Game 1.

The Hong Kong Eastern captured their third straight victory in the East Asia Super League (EASL) 2024-25 Home-and-Away season against the San Miguel Beermen on Wednesday night, January 15, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

Eastern started the game with an 11-1 run and finished the opening period with a 30-11 lead, highlighted by slam dunks and three-point play opportunities.

The Beermen tried to bounce back in the second period as Jericho Cruz, June Mar Fajardo, and Don Trollano led SMB's 8-2 blast to trim down the lead, but HKE weathered the storm and still had a 16-point lead at the half.

In the third canto, SMB cut down the lead once again to 10 but the grit of the Hong Kong team was too much as they brought a 20-point advantage entering the fourth quarter of play, 50-70.