Rey Nambatac has overcome jitters in his very first game in a championship series and even led the TNT Tropang Giga to victory over Barangay Ginebra, 104-88, in Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup Finals who was witnessed by 11,021 spectators at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.Nambatac was named Best Player of the Game after putting up 18 points (12 in the final quarter), 10 rebounds and seven assists in his first Finals appearance.

Growing the number of women participation through a series of running events is what Women’s Run PH founder Nicole de la Cruz hopes of achieving following the highly-successful University of the Philippines Diliman edition of this year’s event that drew over 6,000 female runners. The number of women who participated leaped from last year’s inaugural event which only recorded 1,700 runners, which propelled it to a record-breaking milestone for the running event exclusively for women.“It was a big jump from 1,700 runners to 6,000 this year and we were able to achieve this because we asked help from different communities, companies, and people who are actually supporting women in different events also,” said de la Cruz during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

That was the story of Game 4 of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup Finals when Barangay Ginebra defeated TNT Tropang Giga, 106-92, last night, November 3, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.From the beginning, the Gin Kings showed their grit steered by Justin Brownlee who finally found his groove in the series and finished with 34 points — 15 from the first quarter.Brownlee also finally fired his first-ever triple in the series, delivering three. He even added two four-pointers.“Justin is usually a very good starter, especially in big games. He knows how important he is to set the tempo and to give confidence to his teammates," said Cone of Brownlee.Stephen Holt also found his touches and was named Best Player of the Game, contributing 18 points, three rebounds, and two assists. He also stole the ball five times and tightly guarded TNT’s import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

Former two-time ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Eduard "Landslide" Folayang has given his full support to Filipina Muay Thai rising star Islay Erika Bomogao in her upcoming debut fight on November 8 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.Bomogao will face Japanese striker Fuu in a 100-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout at ONE Friday Fights 86.In a conversation between Folayang and Bomogao on social media, the former two-time ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion said he has seen how Bomogao has grown and become a great fighter and martial artist.

The Samahahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) appointed veteran point guard Lewis Alfred Tenorio as the new head coach of Gilas Pilipinas Youth.Tenorio has taken over the reins from Josh Reyes, who stepped down from his post last September after having dismal performances in FIBA Tournaments.

Ramon “Tats” Suzara was chosen as the new executive vice president (EVP) of the sport’s world governing body, the International Volleyball Federation or FIVB.He was unanimously elected president during the 39th FIVB World Congress in Porto, Portugal last week.The other EVPs are Bouchra Hajij (Morocco), Marco Tullio Teixeira (Brazil), Mark Eckert (Canada), Dula Mester (Serbia), Hugh Graham (Cook Islands), Daniel Molaodi (Botswana), Mireya Luis Hernandez (Cuba) and Hila Asanuma (Palau).Suzara also said that through his election as EVP, it will give the Philippine Volleyball benefits and will give great opportunities ahead. “It’s a great distinction and honor to be named as executive vice president of the FIVB because it will give Philippine volleyball great opportunities ahead. Not only will our national teams benefit, but the entire Philippine volleyball," Suzara said. "We are very thankful to the FIVB, former president Dr. Ary Graça, and new president Fabio Azevedo for trusting me as new FIVB executive vice president," he added. Suzara will serve as EVP for four years as he also carries out his responsibilities as Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) head and president of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF). He was joined in the congress by PNVF vice president Ricky Palou, secretary-general Donaldo “Don” Caringal, and director Tonyboy Liao in Porto.Suzara presented to more than 200 members of the FIVB a comprehensive preview to the Philippines' first-time and solo hosting of the FIVB Men's World Championship from September 12 to 28 next year. 

The Gilas Pilipinas defeated New Zealand for the first-time ever, 93-89, to open the Window 2 of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifier 2025 in Mall of Asia Arena Thursday night, November 21. With the victory, Gilas has finally broken a four-game losing streak in its head-to-head against the World No. 22 squad.Gilas had a sluggish start, going down 0-8 in the opening minutes. However, they slowly climbed out of the hole and took the lead, 20-18, following a Calvin Oftana trey. Until in the remaining minutes in fourth quarter, the host got the play it needed as Chris Newsome drained an open three-pointer with 1:09 left, allowing the Philippines to extend its lead to seven.Kai Sotto finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as Justin Brownlee paced the Filipinos with 26 points, while three other Gilas players scored in double digits: Scottie Thompson (12 points), Newsome, and Dwight Ramos (11 points each). 

Defending champion University of Santo Tomas eliminated the Adamson Lady Falcons, 71-59, on Wednesday, December 4, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena to forge a best-of-three UAAP Season 87 championship series with seven-time champions National University Lady Bulldogs.“It is a total team effort. At the end of the day, our defense dictated our game against Adamson,” UST head coach Haydee Ong said in Filipino. “This game also showed the things we need to work on ahead of the finals.”After falling behind by double digits in the second quarter, the Lady Falcons sprinted to a 15-2 run to take control and grabbed a 37-35 lead at the half. Adamson kept attacking the cold-shooting UST early in the second half before the Tigresses put up a 13-3 blitz to conclude the third quarter and restore momentum on their way to the game-winning victory. 

Creamline is just one win away from securing yet another semifinal appearance in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference after a commanding straight-sets victory over Chery Tiggo, 25-10, 27-25, 25-21, on Tuesday, March 18, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.  Adding to the celebration, the victory marked a personal milestone for head coach Sherwin Meneses, who earned his 100th career win with Creamline.“We’re thankful for the management’s support. Our goal is always to keep winning,” Meneses said after the match.  From the get-go, Alyssa Valdez and Jema Galanza set the pace for Creamline, launching an offensive onslaught that overwhelmed the Crossovers in the opening frame. Valdez made an immediate impact, delivering three straight points early in the first set, while Bea de Leon kept the momentum going with powerful spikes that left their opponents struggling to respond. Chery Tiggo showed resilience in the second set, with Shaya Adorador leading the charge. However, just when the Crossovers seemed poised to steal the frame, Pangs Panaga came through with a clutch block to seal it for Creamline.The third set saw Chery Tiggo attempt another fightback, led by Pauline Gaston and Cess Robles. However, Creamline’s defense held firm, with De Leon and Seth Rodriguez battling at the net. Ultimately, the Cool Smashers prevailed without dropping a set.

Mark "Magnifico" Magsayo showed why he remains one of the Philippines’ brightest boxing hopes, as he earned a convincing unanimous decision win over Mexico’s Jorge Mata Cuellar in the undercard of the Pacquiao-Barrios showdown at the MGM Grand Arena.It wasn’t easy. Cuellar proved to be a rugged, resilient opponent, forcing Magsayo into a gritty 10-round battle filled with powerful exchanges. But in the end, it was the former world champion from Tagbilaran City, Bohol who came out on top.Two judges saw the fight as a 100-90 shutout, while the third scored it 98-92 — all in favor of Magsayo, who improved to 28 wins (18 by KO) against 2 losses. The win also earned him the WBC Continental Americas super featherweight title, adding momentum to his march back to world title contention.“He was tough. He took a lot of shots but kept firing back. I had to stay sharp all the way,” Magsayo said after the bout.While the scorecards suggest a dominant performance, the reality inside the ring told a tougher story. Cuellar absorbed Magsayo’s best shots — especially in the fourth round where the Filipino let loose a flurry of clean power punches — and still managed to respond with sharp counterattacks.The victory marks a successful U.S. return for Magsayo, whose last title reign came after dethroning Gary Russell Jr. in 2022 to become the WBC featherweight world champion.Now competing in the super featherweight division, Magsayo is once again on the brink of a world title shot, and Saturday’s win solidified his position in the queue.“We’re staying focused. I can’t be complacent. The goal is to be world champion again,” he said.With the win, Magsayo made it 2-0 for Filipino fighters on the Pacquiao-Barrios undercard, following Eumir Marcial’s earlier victory — a strong showing for Philippine boxing on one of its grandest nights.“Hats off to Jorge Mata, he is a tough fighter. Thank you for giving a great show to the boxing fans tonight. Big thank you to my team for all the improvements you made to me — I owe it to all of you,” Magsayo concluded.

A major transition is underway for Gilas Pilipinas as veteran big man Japeth Aguilar nears the end of his storied international career, making way for the arrival of Quentin Millora-Brown.Head coach Tim Cone confirmed that Millora-Brown—a 6-foot-10 former US NCAA Division I player with a brief stint at the University of the Philippines—has been officially cleared by FIBA to represent the Philippines as a local, after a successful appeal by his legal team. This means he joins Gilas without affecting the naturalized player quota, fulfilling his long-held dream of donning the national colors.Millora-Brown’s addition bolsters an emerging frontline that now includes AJ Edu (6’10”) and Kai Sotto (7'3”), alongside veteran June Mar Fajardo (6'10”). Cone expressed excitement about the future, envisioning a formidable trio of Millora-Brown, Sotto, and Edu anchoring Gilas for years to come.Japeth Aguilar, 38, has answered the call for the national team since 2009 and was coaxed out of retirement for the latest campaign after Kai Sotto’s injury.“Japeth is a warrior. He’s stepped up for the country time and time again,” Cone said, expressing admiration for the veteran’s dedication.With Millora-Brown’s skillset and basketball IQ, Cone believes he will seamlessly fit into Gilas’ triangle offense, the same system Cone runs at Barangay Ginebra. “He’ll fit well within our triangle system and will enjoy playing that role,” Cone noted.As Aguilar’s era winds down, Gilas Pilipinas enters a new chapter—led by a young, athletic frontcourt trio ready to carry the nation’s basketball hopes onto the international stage.

The UAAP has upheld its ruling barring players from joining the PBA Draft while retaining their collegiate eligibility, despite an appeal from PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial. UAAP Executive Director Atty. Rebo Saguisag emphasized that the decision affects not only basketball but the entire UAAP sporting program.“We can’t grant the request, at least for this season, because it has implications for our other sporting events,” Saguisag said.He added that the UAAP Board must conduct a thorough review before allowing players to enter the PBA Draft mid-season.“We’re committed to referring this matter to a committee for a deep study of its impact across all our 20 sporting events,” Saguisag explained. However, he noted that the UAAP isn’t closing its doors to the idea and may implement changes as early as Season 89.Saguisag said Marcial and the PBA understood the UAAP’s need for consistency with its regulations. In the UAAP’s view, any player who enters the draft—even if undrafted and a free agent—is considered a professional and thus ineligible to continue playing at the collegiate level.The ruling means top prospects like La Salle’s Mike Phillips and other graduating UAAP players will have to wait about a year before they can enter the PBA Draft if they wish to retain their eligibility this season.

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.

UAAP Season 86 volleyball runner-up University of Santo Tomas avoided an early exit after triumphing over debuting Team SOCCSKSARGEN in Pool B of the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) National Invitationals at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Thursday, July 11.Composed mostly of rookies looking to gain experience, the Golden Tigresses amassed a 25-17, 25-18, 28-30, 25-14 victory with the team banking on Marga Altea’s 17-point effort to finish the group stage of the tournament.UST avenged their stunning 16-25, 26-28, 25-17, 25-17, 16-18 defeat at the hands of University of Batangas Lady Brahmans last Wednesday, July 10.Abigail Sinson also contributed 13 points, including an ace that gave UST a commanding lead in the fourth set, while Kaizah Huyno added 11 markers.“We still have a lot to improve on, especially our communication. As a new team, it is super hard for all of us because coming from different schools and regions, we only have five core members of the UST girls volleyball team so it is super hard to pull us all together. But we were able to find a way and I hope this will continue,” said Altea after the match.Team SOCCSKSARGEN, a selection squad from Southern Mindanao, got 16 points from Janelle Maignos while Tresha Parong and Shendy Acebo scored seven and six markers, respectively.Meanwhile, University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) defeated Lyceum of the Philippines University, 25-19, 17-25, 25-23, 25-19, in Pool C.Ressel Pedroza displayed her scoring prowess with 15 points to lead the reigning Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc (CESAFI) champion to an all-important win over the NCAA Season 99 third placers, boosting its chances of advancing into the next round.The Lady Panthers bounced back from an opening day 13-25, 15-25, 17-25 loss to Far Eastern University to close the group stage with a 1-1 slate.    USPF will secure a quarters seat if the Lady Tamaraws beat the Lady Pirates on Friday.

No amount of preparedness can muster the lionhearted when competing in an arena where the best and the most formidable in the world have gathered to display their exemplary skills and brilliance while aiming to seize the glorious prize in the world’s biggest sporting stage.That is what the two Filipina fencers endured when they were unable to deflect the puncture of reality when they both bowed out in the Table of 32, ending their dream run in the Olympics.Samantha Catantan and Maxine Esteban made history when they both qualified for the Summer Games as the Philippines’ first fencing representative since 1992 and the first homegrown Filipina to qualify for the Olympics, respectively.With a rivalry to be settled in the Fencing events and an Olympic medal at stake, the odds of Catantan and Esteban facing off in the Olympic fencing stage is if they both reach the semifinals.But the encounter was foiled at the Grand Palais where both fencers were ousted from the Paris Games in the early stages of the women’s individual foil competition.

Team USA has dominated their Olympic opponents both in the men’s and women’s divisionThe Americans led by NBA superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant defeated Serbia 110-84 in their opening game of their group stage.LeBron James tallied 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds while Durant scored the game high 23 points coming off a perfect field goal from the first half of play.On the other hand, Nikola Jokic paced the Serbian team with 20 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.The win placed Team USA on top of Group C after one set of games. Their next opponent will be the uprising and first time Olympian South Sudan team on July 31.

PBA Season 48 Most Improved Player Jhonard Clarito has shared his basketball journey in an exclusive interview with Scoreline.ph when the team visited one of the practices of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.The first thing he shared with Scoreline.ph was the transition of his game play from his college days to commercial league to how he does it now.“More on running and defense. Defense first. That’s my mindset since I played in college. My school and I were not famous,” Clarito, who was an alumnus of De Ocampo Memorial College, said in Filipino.Then, he brought his talent to the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) where he played with San Juan Knights under coach Randy Alcantara and even won a championship with them in 2019.“In San Juan Knights, under coach Randy, the playing style is the same – transition and defense,” added Clarito.

Filipino Olympic boxer Hergie Bacyadan dominated the women’s K1 -70kg category in the Asian Kickboxing Championships in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Saturday, October 12.Bacyadan’s frustrated attempt to clinch a medal in the women’s boxing tournament of the 2024 Paris Olympics only strengthened her to pursue glory in other combat sports. The 29-year-old Kalinga fighter delivered one of the Philippines’ four gold medals in the event, overwhelming her opponent Chinese Jinwei Teng via abandonment. Bacyadan’s triumph in the continental kickboxing championships earned her a spot in the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China.“Everybody wants to be there in the World Games and I’m glad that I’ve qualified,’’ said Bacyadan.

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.

Defending champions Boston Celtics tied the most number of three-pointers made by a team in their victory over the New York Knicks, 132-109, in the opening night of the NBA’s 2024-2025 Season.Before the game started, the Celtics received their championship rings and the 18th banner of the franchise was raised in the rafters.Jayson Tatum grabbed the microphone before the ceremony to pump-up the crowd inside the TD Garden in Boston.