Palaro 2009

Video: PAAD Palaro Invitationals - Aug. 22

2009-09-04T06:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who supported the PAAD PALARO 2009 season.

We hope to see you next year!

Finals Match, PAAD Invitationals

2009-08-26T04:36:00.000-07:00

GK WARRIORS NIPS TORONTO 25FORLIFE,
WINS PAAD INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Reported by Jun Rana

GK Warriors survived two epic battles, the finals against Toronto 25ForLife of Canada and the overtime win in the semifinals against the Baltimore Dragons to capture the first 2009 PAAD Palaro Invitational One-Day Basketball Tournament. Thus, the GK Warriors completed a hat trick by winning both the 2009 Invitational Basketball Tournament and the rigorous nine day 2009 PAAD Basketball League tournament.

The PAAD Invitational One-Day Basketball Tournament is a six-team tourney participated by the GK Warriors, Baltimore Dragons, PAAD All Star Selections, Toronto 25ForLife, FABA of Metro Washington,DC and Ronin from Philadelphia. In the semifinals, the GK Warriors beat the Dragons in overtime, 54-46 and Toronto 25ForLife edged FABA of Metro DC 33-30 to set the championship dream match between the two top seeded teams.

In the Championship game, Warrior player Dustin Coloso scored the go ahead jumper with 5 seconds left and Ian Clemente’s stonewall defense prevented a shot attempt by the Toronto 25ForLife in the ensuing play as the GK Warriors scored a nerve wracking come from behind victory, 32-31. Coloso made the shot with two pump fakes, and then leaned in to get away from a block attempt by Dean Labayen of Toronto 25ForLife. Coloso, the GK Warriors trigger man, was also adjudged the Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP). Coloso is the son of former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) player Tim Coloso of the famous Toyota Team.

The tournament was played with four quarters of eight minutes of basketball which explained the low scoring game for both teams. Coloso started the game with a three point shot to give the GK Warriors an early 3-0 lead. However baskets by Dean Labayen a former Pro-Baller himself and by James Forrester, a bright prospect for the Pro-Leagues, put Toronto 25ForLife up 6-3. One of the baskets of Forrester came from a spectacular dunk which electrified the fans who witnessed one of only few successful dunks (GK Warriors player Ian Clemente did a successful dunk against Elkton Blazers) in the 10 day PAAD Palaro regular and invitational tournaments.

Toronto 25ForLife, captained by Mike Semira and coached by Al Gregorio, played a torrid pace from thereon. Labayen, Forrester and JR Manlucu dropped a 12-6 bomb, mostly on layups and jump shots, to power Toronto 25ForLife to an 18-11 lead with a minute to go in the second quarter. However, the GK Warriors won’t give up and Coloso hit another triple to narrow the lead to four at 18-14. With a basket yet again from Labayen, the second quarter ended at 20-14 for Toronto 25ForLife.

PAAD League tournament MVP Yogi Veranga came alive at the start of the third quarter with a basket to reduce Toronto 25ForLife lead to four at 20-16. The biggest lead of Toronto 25ForLife came at 25-17 after back to back baskets, a lay up by Forrester and a three point shot by JP Albano. However, in a game more akin to chess of attacks and counterattacks, Veranga and Kevin Skievaski answered with baskets inside the paint to reduce the lead to 27-24 with six minutes to go in the fourth quarter. It was at this juncture that Warrior player Skievaski, a key contributor to the GK Warriors offense suffered a cut under the right eye which require stitches from a wayward elbow which gave the Warriors fans worried looks.

In the ensuing play, a follow up shot by Forrester and a jump shot by Labayen gave Toronto 25ForLife a 31-26 lead, time down to 4 minutes. It was from this point that free throw and field goal shootings deserted 25ForLife. JP Albano missed three crucial free throws down the stretch as 25ForLife went on a scoreless spell. With 41 seconds remaining in the game, Ian Clemente was fouled on the act of shooting a three point shot. Clemente made 2 of 3 free throws to narrow the gap to 31-28. Another miss by the Toronto team put the ball in the hands of Warrior JC (James Christopher)Albano, not related to Toronto's JP Albano, who was fouled with 32 seconds remaining. JC Albano made the two free throws to reduce the Toronto 25ForLife lead to one, 31-30. Toronto 25ForLife did not score in the next possession which set the stage for Coloso heroics. Coloso made a jumper in the last 5 seconds which enable the GK Warriors to finally take the lead 32-31, Ian Clemente made the crucial defense to keep the lead until the final buzzer sounded thus the GK Warriors made an improbable winning streak of 21-0 since 2008, a stunning record of winning streak in the annals PAAD Palaro history!

And for Captain Herb Monsalud and his charges, this championship is as equally sweet as compared with the PAAD League tournament championship which the Warriors won on August 15, 2009. For on this one, it is where the GK Warriors snatched victory away from the jaws of defeat. For Toronto 25ForLife, they were reflecting on what could have been, wondering what hit them in the last four minutes of the game and what they will do in the future to capture the championship which had eluded them by a hairline.

Box Scores:

GK Warriors - 32

Coloso, Dustin, 12; Veranga, Yogi, 7; Skievaski, Kevin 6; Clemente, Ian, 5; Albano, JC,2; Clemente, Chris, 0; Clemente, Curtis, 0; Clemente, Coco, 0; Llave, John,0; De Guzman, Ryan,0; Antes, JB (DNP); DeGuzman, Carlo 0; Monsalud, Herb, 0; Cardenio, Dads, 0; Dela Torre, Sonny, 0;

Toronto 25ForLife - 31

Labayen, Dean, 13; Forrester, James, 8; Manlucu JR, 7; Albano, JC, 3; Semira, Mike, 0; Dawinan, Ryan, 0; Santa Maria, Jeremiah,0; Pompei, Giuseppe,0

Semifinal Round, PAAD Invitationals

2009-08-26T04:21:00.000-07:00

GK WARRIORS, TORONTO 25FORLIFE WINS TOUGH
SEMIFINAL MATCHES IN PALARO INVITATIONAL

Reported by Jun Rana

GK Warriors and Toronto 25ForLife fought for their dear lives before pulling out heart stopping victories over the Baltimore Dragons and FABA Washington DC Metro to enter the championship finals of the First 2009 PAAD Palaro One-Day Invitational Basketball Tournament. The GK Warriors rallied from the brink of defeat to beat the Dragons in overtime, 54-46 while the Toronto 25ForLife survived the tough challenge of FABA DC Metro, winning 33-30.

The GK Warriors had taken an early 11-5 lead on baskets by Chris Clemente and Curtis Clemente. However the Dragons answered back with a 15-8 explosion triggered by Isaac Brooks, Souk Gumatay and Raymund Latogo to take the lead at 20-19 after two quarters. In that stretch Brooks and Latogo hit two triples while Gumatay had two penetrations to the baskets to delight of the crowds at the arena.

In the third quarter the GK Warriors behind Ian Clemente and Curtis Clemente started like a house on fire with a 9-0 explosion to give the GK Warriors a 28-20 lead with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. However, the never say die Dragons kept coming back and stayed dangerously close to the GK Warriors. Led by the three point shooting of Latogo, Brooks and Gumatay the Dragons reduced the lead to 33-30, time down to one minute in the third quarter. Aside from scoring, Latogo had effectively distributed the ball to his Dragon teammates. The GK Warriors on the other hand were led by Yogi Veranga in answering the Dragons fire with critical shots most of them layups in that stretch. After a Warriors miss and with five seconds remaining, Latogo dribbled the ball at the top of the key and scored another three point shot to tie the game at 33 all at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Brooks determined to carry his team to victory had the Dragons on the lead at 38-37, his last basket coming on another triple with 3 minutes and 23 seconds remaining. After a miss by the Warriors Brooks acted as a decoy on a three point attempt and passed the ball inside to Paco Estrada to push the lead of the Dragons to 40-37.

Brooks then took advantage of another Warrior miss and hit another triple to pad the lead to 43-37 time down to two minutes and thirty eight seconds. The GK Warriors quickly answered back with a basket to reduce the lead to 43-39. After a Dragons miss, Ian Clemente made a three point shot to reduce the lead to one at 43-42. With 33 seconds remaining, Latogo hit two free throws to give the Dragons a 45-42 lead. However, Veranga drove to the basket and made a layup shot to reduce the Dragon’s lead to one at 45-44 with 17 seconds remaining. Huynh of the Dragons who was quickly fouled by the GK Warriors hit a free throw in the ensuing play to give the Dragons a 46-44 lead, 12 seconds remaining.

When the chips are down, the GK Warriors have proven time and time again that they have their reservoir of inner strength that can pull them through. In the ensuing play, another hero of the GK Warriors Chris Clemente hit a jumper as time expired to send the game to overtime at 46 all.

In overtime, perhaps deflated by the GK Warriors comeback, the Dragons offered no resistance as the Warriors went on an 8-0 burst, this time on a triple by Dustin Coloso and clutch free throws shooting by JC Albano to seal the win, 54-46.

The game between the teams from Toronto Canada and Washington DC Metro proved to be a battle of evenly matched teams with powerful players from each side. The scores were close from the beginning with no teams leading by more than three points.

In the first half the three point shooting of JP Albano with help from James Forrester and Ryan Dawinan carried them to a 19-17 lead after the end of the first of quarter. Team Manager Ken Mendoza and his FABA Metro DC on the other hand were led by the aggressive plays of Steve Proctor and Tony Lee.

Proctor, who is a dominant force inside the painted area, powered FABA DC Metro to a 27-26 lead with three minutes remaining in the game. However, Toronto 25forLIfe on the strong plays of Forrester and Dean Labayen finished the game on a 7-3 run to clinched the win over the FABA DC Metro, 33-30.

The fans at the semifinal games also enjoyed an added attraction with the wonderful singing of the PADE In Full Group led by Mike Alegarbes, Ron Borja, Jerich , Jet and its other singers who performed for free to the delight of the cheering fans.

Box Scores:

Semifinal No. 1:

GK Warriors – 54

Clemente, Ian, 12; Clemente, Chris, 10; Clemente, Curtis, 9; Veranga, Yogi, 7; Albano, JC, 5; Skievaski, Kevin, 4; Coloso, Dustin, 3; Llave, John,2; De Guzman, Ryan,2; DeGuzman, Carlo,0; Clemente, Coco, 0; Antes, JB(DNP); Monsalud, Herb, 0; Cardenio, Dads, 0; Dela Torre, Sonny, 0

Baltimore Dragons - 46

Brooks, Isaac, 16; Latogo, Raymund, 13; Gumatay, Souck, 8; Huynh, 5; Estrada, Paco, 2; Teledo, 2; Goasta, Mitch, 0; Jovenal, Leonard, 0; Babon, Jan, 0; Imperial, William,0

Semifinal No. 2:

Toronto 25ForLife - 33

Forrester, James, 9; Albano, JC, 8; Labayen, Dean, 6; Manlucu JR, 4; Dawinan, Ryan, 3; Santa Maria, Jeremiah,3; Semira, Mike, 0; Pompei, Giuseppe,0

FABA of Metro DC - 30

Proctor, Steve, 14; Narvacan, Mark, 6; Lee, Tony, 4; Arellano, Inigo, 4; Lee, 2; Gavierres, Anthony, 0; Aure, Ryan, 0; Lim, 0; Mendoza, Ken,0

Finals Game Video: GK Warriors vs Baltimore Dragons

2009-08-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

Video by Ronnie Lucindo

Battle of the Champions

2009-08-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

The pulsating and heart-pounding, down-the-wire championship game between GK Warriors and Baltimore Dragons has kept everyone abuzz about the possibility of a return bout.

Well, we have good news for all our Palaro fans. Keep your fingers crossed because there may be a possible return bout after all!!! And it's not next month or next year, but this coming Saturday, August 22, 2009. Yes, you heard us right! The possibilities are ripe for a GK Warriors versus Baltimore Dragons rematch at the FIRST PAAD PALARO INVITATIONALS - BATTLE OF THE CHAMPIONS, where the Best of Palaro League are paired against the Best of our Neighboring Leagues.

Picture this for a moment: GK Warriors, Baltimore Dragons and the PAAD Palaro All-Star Team clash against FABA Metro DC of nearby Washington DC, AAU Ronin of nearby Philadelphia, and 25 for Life Basketball Club of Toronto, Canada. These teams will play a One-Round Robin of elimination matches, a TOP FOUR semi-finals match and a CHAMPIONSHIP match, all in one day! If by stroke of luck, Baltimore Dragons and the GK Warriors emerge as the top 2 teams, then we have a rematch in our hands.

And if that's not enough excitement to anticipate for, well, what about this? We threw in a PLUS by inviting a local band, PADE IN FULL, headed by SFC's Jericho Ponce to keep the mood upbeat. His band of eclectic rockers will surely add luster to an already exciting game day as they ROCK THE PAL with a mix of dance and rock fusion, all in between matches.

This is a ONE-DAY EVENT only organized by PAAD and its PALARO SPORTS COMMITTEE to benefit the PALARO FANS. Yes, this is for you and so BE THERE WHEN IT HAPPENS!

This coming Saturday, gates open at 9:00 AM to welcome our Guest Teams at the PAL Hockessin Gym. Mark your calendars and invite family and friends in this very rare invitational!

See you there!

GK Warriors shades Baltimore 46-43 in thriller, wins championship

2009-08-18T05:16:00.000-07:00

Reported by Jun Rana

Ian Clemente, Yogi Veranga and Ryan De Gracia scored five crucial points in the last one minute of the game and then saw Isaac Brooks of Baltimore Dragons missed a desperation game tying three pointer as time expired to give the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Warriors a pulsating 46-43 victory over the Dragons and the championship of the PAAD Palaro 2009 basketball championship.

Veranga, the Warrior’s top scorer and a powerful rebounder was awarded as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). Ian Clemente was given the nod as the championship game MVP for his defensive efforts which thwarted several offensive aggression of the Dragons in the basket. It was also Ian Clemente who gave the lead back to the Warriors 43-42 with time down to 40 seconds.

In a game that lived to all the hypes, drama and high expectation, both teams played one of the most thrilling and memorable games in the history of the PAAD Palaro. It was the first time in the tournament that the Warriors were tested in a game by an opponent with equal strength, who gave them all they could handle and who almost stole the thunder from them. But in the end it was the Warriors heart of the champion and steely resolve that won them the championship.

The Warriors were off to a flying start as they raced to an early 8-0 lead in the first half behind Ryan De Gracia who earlier hit two straight three pointers. The Warriors maintained the lead at 10-3 on a basket by Chris Clemente but Brooks answered back with a triple of his own to cut the lead to 10-6, with 16 minutes remaining in the first half. However, Brooks did not score again in the first half as he missed several three point attempts as the Warriors defenders took turns in guarding him.

With Veranga, Leo Yanogacio and Chris Clemente on the attack plus Ian Clemente anchoring the defense, the Warriors ignited a 13-8 blast to pad the lead to nine at 23-14, time down to 6 minutes. However, the Dragons kept coming back. With Glen Yap hitting a three pointer, the Warrior’s lead was reduced to six, at 25-19 with two minutes remaining. However, Veranga converted on a layup and Yanogacio, who had 4 rebounds in the first half, hit a triple to give the Warriors an 11 point halftime lead at 30-19.

At the start of the second half, unheralded Paco Estrada provided a spark for the Dragons with a follow up shot on a missed free throw by Jackie Borsotos, which cut the Warriors lead to eight at 30-22. Perhaps it was what the doctor ordered and a signal that the Dragons were going to fight up to the finish line. Coach Ed Padilla made his offensive adjustments to the game, and the second half saw the Dragons slashing more in the lane. Brooks abandoned his three point shooting to score more with layups or free throws along with Raymond Latogo and Borsotos. However with four minutes remaining the Warriors were still on top by 10, 41-31 and up to this point, it was Curtis Clemente teaming up with Veranga in answering the Dragons fire. Meanwhile, Ian Clemente led the defense and Yanogacio led the rebound department to prevent a big run by the Dragons. At that point, the Warriors were also outrebounding the Dragons, and they ended up with a 17-7 edge in rebounding in the entire game. However, the Dragons have the edge in speed which compensated for their rebounding weakness.

At this juncture, and in a three minute span, the Dragons who never seemed to tire unleashed an 11-0 explosion behind Borsotos, Brooks and Latogo most of them on penetrating layups to grab the lead at 42-41 with one minute remaining. During that period, Yanogacio the Warriors top rebounder committed his fifth foul which sent him out of the game. He also incurred a technical foul for arguing with the referee. Also, both teams missed pressure packed free throws which underline the intensity and high stake of the game.

In the ensuing play, Ian Clemente missed two free throws that could have given back the lead for the Warriors. Latogo of the Dragons then committed a travel violation with 40 seconds remaining. In the next play, Ian Clemente drove against a Dragon defender and converted on layup to give the lead back to the Warriors 43-42.

With 30 seconds remaining and both teams on the penalty situation, Brooks rushed to the basket and attempted a jump shot over the Warrior’s John Llave but missed. Ian Clemente got the rebound and was immediately fouled by Latogo, time down to 19.7 seconds. Ian Clemente however missed both free throws. And in the scramble for the rebound, Veranga grabbed the loose ball and hit an under goal shot to give the Warriors a 45-42 lead. With 11 seconds remaining, Yap of the Dragons committed a costly travel violation after an inbound pass by Borsotos. In the inbounds play, Latogo immediately fouled De Gracia. De Gracia converted only the second free throw for a 46-42 Warriors lead, with 9 seconds remaining.

In the ensuing possession, the Warriors fouled a jump shooting Brooks, time down to 1.7 seconds. Brooks hit only the second free throw to reduce the lead to 46-43 for the Warriors. On the Warriors inbound pass, Brooks stole the ball and unloaded a three point shot which held all the fans breathless... motionless. The shot hit the rim and did not go in to the delight of the Warrior fans who jumped for joy. Thus, the Warriors won the PAAD Basketball Championship for the second straight year and with an unbeaten record. And for Captain Herb Monsalud and his charges, they won the championship the hardest way, yet the sweetest way. Thanks to the Baltimore Dragons who provided the Warriors with a hard fought and a classic match, one which will always be remembered for ages.

Box Score –

GK Warriors:
Veranga, Yogi, 16; DeGracia, Ryan, 10; Clemente, Curtis, 6; Yanogacio, Leo, 5; Clemente, Chris; 4; Clemente, Ian, 3; Clemente, Coco, 2; De Guzman, Carlo, 0; Llave, John, 0; De Guzman, Ryan, 0; Cardenio, Dads, 0; Monsalud, Herb,0

Baltimore, Dragons:
Brooks, Isaac, 15; Latogo, Raymund, 9; Borsotos, Jackie, 8; Yap, Glen, 5; Goasta, Mistek, 4; Estrada, Paco,2; Siason, James, 0; Gumatay, Souk, 0; Concepcion, Julio, 0; Concepcion, Frank, 0; Delgado, Frank, 0; Borromeo, Samuel, 0; Persia, Tads, 0; Edades, Edgar,0; Rosario, Alvin, 0

WSA tops Excel 69-59, grabs third place

2009-08-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

Reported by Jun Rana

It was Felix Vergara’s time to shine as he scored with a team high 19 points. Vergara teamed up with Lester Dabu, Michael Alegarbes and Marlon Oniate to give Wala Sa Ayos (WSA) the third place prize in the PAAD Palaro 2009 Basketball tournament with a come from behind 69-59 victory over Dynamic Excel. It was an impressive finish for WSA whom the odds maker regarded as a promising team. With the loss, Excel placed fourth in the tournament.

Earlier in the first half, Excel engineered a 24-11 lead on the hot shooting of RJ Valera and Chris Balan, time down to 12 minutes in the first half. However, a 25-18 run by WSA led by jumpshots and layups by Vergara and Alegarbes reduced the lead at halftime to 42-36. RJ Valera of Excel was on fire in the first half with 4 triples and 23 points, while Balan had 12 points. Prior to the start of the game both teams agreed that Balan of Red Bull would be the guest player for Excel while Kenny Santos of TFC would be the guest player of WSA.

The second half however was a different story. WSA put on the screws and tightened their defense. Suddenly, the shooting of Valera and Balan went sour. Meanwhile, Dabu, Oniate and Alegarbes went on the attack and triggered a 27-17 burst to put WSA to a 63-59 lead, time down to 3 minutes. During that span, Valera had only 2 points and Balan 4 points for Excel. Mike Sanchez and JP Destreza tried to answer the WSA attack with variety of shots including the three point shots, but to no avail. WSA ended the game with another 6-0 flurry by Dabu, Vergara and Oniate which made the final score, 69-59.

Box Score –

WSA:
Vergara, Felix, 19; Dabu, Lester, 17; Alegarbes, Michael, 15; Oniate, Marlon, 14; Concepcion, Armando,4; Santos, Kenny, 0

Excel:
Valera, RF, 25; Balan, Chris, 16; Distreza, JP, 9; Sanchez, Mike, 5; Destreza, JC, 4,

All Stars Blue Team spanks All Star White Team in Exhibition, 55-44

2009-08-18T05:07:00.000-07:00

Reported by Jun Rana

The All Stars Blue Team led all the way to beat the All Star White Team in an exhibition Match, 55-44. Marlon Oniate (WSA), BJ Advento (Maricas) and Lester Dabu (WSA) carried the day for the Blue Team with 12, 11 and 10 points, respectively. For the White Team, Dexter Quezon (Casarap), Eric Fermin (Delaware Titans) and Richie Tizon (Red Bulls) where the top scorers with 9,8,and 7 points respectively.

The first half ended with the Blue Team enjoying a 28-21 lead. The All Stars selections were made up of players whose teams placed from 3rd to 12th place overall in the 2009 PAAD Palaro Basketball tournament. The Blue Team were awarded special All Stars champion T-Shirts.

Kharl Malicdem of Red Bulls, chosen as the All Stars Coach, will select players from the Blue Team and White Team and will assemble a PAAD All Star Team which will compete in the six team invitational one day tournament on Saturday, August 22, 2009.

Box Score –

Blue Team:
Oniate, Marlon, 12; Advento, BJ,11; Dabu, Lester, 10; Vergara, Felix,9; Setters, Dave,5; Maltman, Tom, 4; Sanchez, Mike; 4, Alday, Alex, 0; Concepcion, Armando, 0; Alegarbes, Michael,0; Destreza, JC,0

White Team:
Quezon, Dexter, 9; Fermin, Eric, 8; Tizon, Richie, 7; Deleste, Jet, 6; Santos, Kenny, 5; Balan, Chris,3; Pangilinan, Joseph, 2; Agui, Ramon, 2; Borres, Noel, 2; Fontano, Willie,0; Ortega, Ed,0

The FINALS: Warriors vs. Dragons

2009-08-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

POWER VERSUS FIRE

Watch the video trailer between GK Warriors
and the Baltimore Dragons. Click here.

We've come to the most awaited game of all - The Championships. This year has produced two of the best teams to clash in the Palaro Finals.

The first team in the finals duo is last year's champions, the GK Warriors. The mighty Warriors, who brandishes an 8-0 score card, remains undefeated since the 2008 season. The Warriors crew look formidable with this year's addition of MVP candidate, "The Stallion" - Yogi Veranga. Not too long ago, the GK Warriors were the whipping boys of the Palaro League. But after last year's team buildup, the Warriors are now whipping their opponents with might and much gusto. The Warriors have their eyes on a two-peat, the second step towards a Grand Slam next year, if they hurdle the Dragons.

Will the power of the Warriors douse the Dragon's fire?

The new face in the finals is none other than the Baltimore Dragons, who finished the division and playoff games with a 6-2 card. The Dragons who sputtered in the first two games, suddenly came alive by quietly inching up the ladder board. The meteoric rise of the Dragons in the last six rounds is a testament of the team's heart to go for the win. Led by Coad Ed Padilla in the sidelines and Isaac Brooks in the frontlines, the Baltimore-based Dragons are poised to upset the Warriors' journey for a two-peat. The Dragons role of Warriors-slayer is now their focus in the finals. And if they do succeed, smoke will billow amidst the Dragon's fire.

Will the Dragon's fire consume the Warriors' power?

Let the games begin!

F4: Baltimore Dragons stops Excel, 75 - 58, grabs finals seat.

2009-08-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

Report by Jun Rana

With his team threatened in the first half by Dynamics Excel, Isaac Brooks unloaded his three point shooting ammunitions to power the Baltimore Dragons to a 75-58 win over Excel. With the win, the Dragons secured the first seat in finals of the 2009 PAAD Palaro Basketball Championship on August 15, and avenged an earlier round loss to Excel.

Coach Mike Sanchez charges of Excel could have not wished for a better start. Baskets by Will Imperial and Joe Miranda pushed Excel to an 8-0 lead, 18 minutes to go in the first half. The Dragons Coach Ed Padilla then took a timeout and the Dragons answered back with a 19-6 run including three rainbow shots from Brooks, and grabbed the lead at 19-14, 12 minutes remaining in the first half.

With heads up plays from Imperial and Will Barnes, Excel stayed toe to toe with the Dragons down by only two, 29-27 with 3 minutes remaining in the first half. However, Souk Gumatay connected on a layup and Brooks hit another triple to put the Dragons ahead 34-27, 2 minutes to go in the first half. After a basket by Excel in the next possession, Gumatay and Brooks hit back to back triples to end the half at 40-29 for the Dragons. By the end of the first half, Brooks, who electrified the fans with his three point shooting exhibition, already had 20 points for the Dragons.

In the second half, a layup by Miranda of Excel cut the lead of the Dragons to nine, 50-41 with 12 minutes remaining. However, this proved to be Excel’s last hurrah as Edgar Edades of the Dragons answered back with a triple for a 53-41 Dragons lead, time down to 10 minutes. At this stanza, Julio Concepcion and Frank Delgado of the Dragons took over the scoring chores from Brooks and ignited a 20-10 blast which put the game beyond recall at 73-51 for the Dragons, 2 minutes remaining in the game. It was in that decisive stretch that Miranda and Justin Mercado of Excel tried to stop the Dragons onslaught, but to no avail and to the dismay of the Excel fans, one of the loudest in the arena.

Brooks top scored for the Dragons with 24 points including 6 triples, followed by Delgado with 14. For Excel, the top scorers were Mercado, Miranda, Imperial and Barnes with 15, 14, 12 and 11 points, respectively. In the battle of the boards, the Dragons outrebounded Excel, 16-10.

The Dragons will now face the unbeaten GK Warriors who routed them, 99-54 in the opening day. The Dragons however is now a much improved team and has won their last six games of the tournament in convincing fashions. The stage is now set for a dream finale and high drama on Saturday, August 15 between the powerhouse GK Warriors and the surging Baltimore Dragons. And the basketball fans will surely be in for a treat.

F4: GK Warriors pounds on Wala Sa Ayos, 71 - 39, enters finals

2009-08-09T20:03:00.001-07:00

Report by June Rana

With an awesome display of offensive firepower, superb rebounding and stifling defense, the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Warriors dismantled Wala Sa Ayos (WSA), 71-39 to enter the finals of the 2009 PAAD Palaro Basketball Championship. The win also preserved the Warriors unbeaten record. The Warriors, gunning for the championship with a perfect season, will now face the Baltimore Dragons in the finals on Saturday, August 15.

It was an intense game throughout and it was WSA who cracked in the early going. With the pressure of a tournament favorite, and amidst the brouhaha of the light transparent gold shirts which they used atop their normal uniforms, the Warriors showed character and poise in winning over WSA. The PSC allowed the use of the gold shirt which is a symbol of the team with the best record in the semifinals.

Earlier, WSA hang tough with the Warriors, down by only four at 11-7, with 17 minutes remaining in the first half. However, MVP candidate Yogi Veranga with the supporting cast of Leo Yanogacio, Ryan De Gracia and Ryan De Guzman engineered a 15 -5 lightning attack to pad the lead to 26-12, time down to 6 minutes in the first half.

WSA tried in vain to get back to the game with the efforts of Michael Alegarbes, but time in time again they were frustrated by the tight defense of the Warriors who clogged the lanes to prevent easy shots at the basket. A rebound and a follow up shot by Veranga with a minute remaining put the dagger in the heart of WSA, as the Warriors built a commanding 33-17 lead and enroute to a 35-17 halftime lead. It was clear that captain Herb Monsalud and the Warriors were all up to business to put the game away early on.

Earlier in the first half, WSA protested that the Warriors should be penalized as one of its players does not have his usual regular uniform. The head referee ruled that this is not a problem because the transparent gold shirts of the Warriors atop their normal uniforms were the uniforms themselves. WSA protested this ruling but cooler heads prevailed and WSA finally decided to play on.

The Warriors continued their domination in the second half. A layup by Warrior veteran Yanogacio pushed the lead to 43-23 with 18 minutes remaining. Sensing for the Pacquiao knockout blow, Veranga and De Gracia dropped a 9-1 bomb as the Warriors extended the lead to 52-24 time down to 14 minutes.

Unlike in their previous games, there were no scoring runs in the second half this time for WSA to the dismay of its cheering fans. WSA’s top scorers Lester Dabu and JP Raymundo were held to only 6 points and 5 points, respectively. The Warriors were also dominant in the boards, outrebounding WSA, 15-5.

Veranga had a game high 21 points and 5 rebounds for the Warriors, followed by De Gracia and De Guzman with 13 and 12 points respectively. For WSA, Alegarbes and Armando Concepcion top scored with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

G8: TFC subdues Maricas in exhibition, 56 - 54

2009-08-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

Report by Jun Rana

In a game reminiscent of a championship match, TFC Mainline edged Maricas Oriental Store, 56-54 in a down to the wire finish of the exhibition game. Thus TFC Mainline, one of the most exciting games in the league with their running game and Maricas, the Pilipino Division champion bowed out in style in the ongoing Palaro 2009 basketball tournament.

With only 30 seconds remaining, TFC trailed by one, 54-53 but had ball possession. Alex Santos then hit a jumper to giveTFC the lead 55-54, with 8 seconds remaining. In the next possession, Marlowe Ulit immediately drove to the basket faced by a TFC defender and missed the basket, time down to 3 seconds. Maricas then immediately fouled Santos and sent him to the free throw line. Santos connected on one of the free throws to seal the win for TFC.

In the early going, the inside and speedy plays of Kenny Santos, Paul Nicdao and Jeff Vierneza gave TFC an early 30-15 lead with five minutes remaining in the first half. However, Maricas without its key players, Alex Alday, Kenneth Savella and El Persons battled back behind its spirited plays and team defense. A 16-2 barrage by BJ Advento, Ulit, Ignacio Carreon and Dave Setters narrowed the gap at halftime to 32-31.

The teams then traded baskets until the final minutes with neither teams giving up any inches. Then came the heroics of Alex Santos which clinch the win for TFC. Kenny Santos top scored for TFC with 14 points, followed by Paul Nicdao with 9 and Alex Santos with 8. Advento topped the scoring honors for Maricas with 17 points, followed by Carreon and Setters with 10 and 9 points, respectively.

G8: Force powers past Red Bulls in exhibition, 89-65

2009-08-09T19:54:00.001-07:00

Report by Jun Rana

Simon Wong and Ferdinand Mendoza combined for 22 points in the second half to lift Team Force to an 89-65 victory over Red Bulls in an exhibition game. Wong, not exactly known as a three point shooting artist, had 12 points all coming from 4 triples, in the second half. Team Force also held Red Bulls top scorer Jake Cortez scoreless in the second half after a tight first half.

Early in the first half, Red Bulls took the lead 9-6 on tree point shot by Cortez. However, Red Bulls was not able to pull away in the first half even with the torrid shooting of Cortez and able support from Joseph Pangilinan and Karl Malicdem. Force players Ferdinand Mendoza and Marcus Chiu combined for 29 points, including 5 triples to grab the lead at halftime, 45-42.

In the second half, Force behind Wong and Mendoza, slowly pulled away and Red Bulls started missing its shot attempts. Force took advantage of Red Bulls cold shooting spell and went on a shooting spree of their own, hitting eight triples, jump shots and lay ups in succession. Team Force also received help from Joe Nicdao, its guest player from TFC who contributed 10 points in the game.

In the second half Red Bulls’ Jet Deleste, Paulo Tanjuakio and Pangilinan tried to make a game of it but without much success. With 39 seconds remaining and with the smoke of the battle clear in the air, Team Force had built an insurmountable 87-65 lead.

Mendoza top scored for Force with 27 points, followed by Wong and Chiu with 19 and 15 points, respectively. For Red Bulls, Cortez, Pangilinan, and Paulo Tanjuakio were the high scorers with 18, 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Game 8: The Final Four

2009-08-06T04:08:00.000-07:00

From the Magic 8, we're now down to the Final Four. While many observers have cast their predictions over their favorites, there is still a lingering thought that maybe a dark horse will emerge in the finals.

Here are the highlights of the Final-Four games:

GK vs. WSA

Wala Sa Ayos has been playing the role of "David" in the last 4 rounds of their pairings. Game after game, WSA was always voted to be booted out by our blog-surveys. Amazingly, they have stood tall after each crucial game beaming with victory smiles. Their last loss was in Game 3 against MARICAS Oriental Store, since then the breaks have been with WSA.

But their next hurdle will be the most daunting of all, against crowd-favorite, GK Warriors. Man-for-man, GK Warriors appear to be superior in every match-up, but in the area of "Spirited Hearts", Wala Sa Ayos has the edge. WSA has proven that whatever lack in manpower, they filled it in with a lot of heart.

Will the WSA team sling the biggest "GOLIATH" of all?

Dynamic Excel vs. Baltimore Dragons

After dropping their first 2 games, the Baltimore Dragons cleaned their acts together and won the next 6 rounds. In those 2 lost games, one of them came from the Dynamic Excel team, who won by a squeaker point in the dying minutes, 63 -62. Tounges kept wagging after that game as observers noted how the Dragons could have won it with a complete line-up.

On the other hand, Dynamic Excel is rarin' to go and hungry to face the GK Warriors in the finals. They won't give the Dragons an easy time, that's for sure. They know they're facing an explosive Dragons squad who can shoot it from the rainbow stripe as well as penetrate Dynamic's stonewall defense. If the first meeting between the Dragons and Dynamic Excel is a good indication of what to expect, then this game will be decided down to the dying seconds.

Will the Dynamic Excel team make it to Finals enroute to a possible 2-peat year (FACAA & Paad Palaro champions)?

Or, will the Dragons push to Excel team aside and say, "try again next year boys!!"?

Be there when it happens!!!

G7: Wala Sa Ayos nips Red Bulls in overtime, 41 - 39

2009-08-02T04:43:00.000-07:00

Report by Jun Rana

Lester Dabu played the game of his life punctuated by a buzzer beating jumper as time expired to lift Wala Sa Ayos (WSA) to a thrilling overtime victory over Red Bulls, 41-39. It was a heart breaking loss for Red Bulls who had several chances to win the game. WSA nailed the last spot in the semifinal playoffs and eliminated Red Bulls. Dabu top-scored for WSA with 15 points and has 4 rebounds for the game. The game ended at 36-all in regulation.

The game has been low scoring and a nip and tuck affair with no teams leading by more than 5 points. With the score tied at 8-all, Jun Lelina scored on a lay up to put WSA on the lead for the first time at 10-8, with 8 minutes remaining in the game. Both teams then traded baskets, with WSA maintaining a one point lead at halftime 17-16. Chris Balan had 6 points for Red Bulls in the first half.

In the second half, WSA maintained the lead until 21-20, with 18 minutes remaining in the game. At this juncture, Jake Cortez of Red Bulls converted back to back triples to put Red Bulls on top 26-21, with 15 minutes to go. However, Red Bulls was not able to pull away from WSA. In the following crucial 12 minute stretch, Dabu, Marlon Oniate, and Zorab Fernandez ignited a 15-10 bomb to tie the score at 36 all, 1 minute and 21 seconds remaining. Both teams muffed shots in the ensuing possessions. With 4 seconds remaining, Red Bulls had ball possession after a miss by JP Raymundo of WSA. A desperation mid court shot by Chris Balan did not hit the rim as the two teams went into overtime.

In overtime, WSA grabbed the lead on two free throws by Michael Alegarbes and one free throw by Raymundo, with 4 minutes remaining 39-36. The two teams went on a scoreless spell until Jake Cortez hit another three point shot to tie the score at 39-all. With 23 seconds remaining Red Bulls yet again had a chance to win the game with the ball possession. However, Jake Cortez missed a jumper with 3 seconds remaining. A time out was called by WSA. In the ensuing possession, Dabu eluded his guard and made the game winning 9 foot jump shot as time expired.

WSA will face powerhouse GK warriors in the seminal round.

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Box Scores:

Wala Sa Ayos:

Dabu, Lester, 15; Lelina, Jun, 6; Oniate, Marlon, 6; Raymundo, JP, 4; Fernandez, Zorab, 4; Alegarbes, Michael, 4; Vergara, Felix, 2

Red Bulls:

Cortes, Jake, 15; Balan, Chris, 10; Pangilinan, Joseph, 8; Brunzuela, Adrian, 2; Tizon, Richie, 2; Deleste, Jet, 2

G7: Dynamic Excel thwarts Maricas surge, 66 - 40

2009-08-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

Report by Jun Rana

Dynamic Excel pulled away from a tight first half behind the juggernaut quartet of Rich Bandoy, Joe Miranda, Will imperial and Mark Pr’Out to beat Maricas 66-40 and earned a seminal spot in the playoffs. The loss eliminated the Cinderella team of the tournament Maricas Oriental Store which was unbeaten at the elimination rounds.

Early in the first half Excel built a 20-9 lead with 11 minutes remaining behind the lay ups and jumpers of Will Imperial, Will Barnes and Mark Pr’Out. However, Maricas egged on by its loyal fans and led by El Persons, Dave Setters, Joseph Tanseco and Alex Alday, showed its fighting heart and answered back with an 11-2 run to cut the lead to 22-20 at halftime.

In the second half however, a 21-6 scoring blitz led by Bandoy, Miranda and Imperial gave Excel a commanding 43-26 lead, time down to 8 minutes. At this point, it was clear that Excel’s running game and good defense had taken its toll on Maricas who could not muster enough offense to threaten Excel. Maricas tried all the tricks in its arsenal including lay ups, jump shots and three points shots, but it was not clearly their day. BJ Advento, its top scorer averaging 14 points a game was held to only 5 points in the entire game. The reliable Marlowe Ulit did not score in the entire game after several attempts in the basket most of them lay ups.

And for Excel’s coach Mike Sanchez who rotated his players well specially down the stretch, it’s all smiles for him and his players who now play the Baltimore Dragons in the semifinals.

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Box Scores:

Dynamic Excel-Phi:

Imperial, Will, 13; Miranda, Joe, 11; Pr'Out, Mark, 10; Bandoy, Rich, 10; Balagtas, Dennis, 7; Barnes, Will, 5; Valera, R.J, 4; Holcomb, Jeff, 3; Sanchez, Mike, 3

Maricas Oriental Store:

Persons, El, 11; Setters, Dave, 10; Alday, Alex, 6; Advento, BJ, 5; Tanseco, Joseph, 4; Lizardo, Jay, 2; Aquino, Norman, 2

G7: GK Warriors drubs Casarap, 73 - 50

2009-08-02T04:34:00.000-07:00

Report by Jun Rana

GK Warriors went toe to toe with Casarap in the first half before unleashing its might in the second half to handle Casarap a 73-50 drubbing. The win gave the Warriors the first birth in the semi-final playoffs and eliminated Casarap in the process.

To the delight of the fans, Casarap gave the Warriors all they could handle in the first half. Early in the game, De Gracia, Yogi Veranga and Leo Yanogacio caught fire to give the Warriors a 20-9 lead with 13 minutes to go in the first half. Everyone thought that the Warriors would pull away in a hurry.

However, Casarap’s team captain Steve Antonio, Paul Valencia and Dexter Quezon had other agenda on their minds and answered back with an 18-11 spurt to reduce the margin to four points at 31-27, with 3 minutes remaining. The Warriors finished with an 8-2 flurry behind Ryan De Gracia, Veranga and Curtis Clemente to finish the first half at 37-29. Casarap’s Antonio has 13 points in the first half but did not score in the second half.

In the second half, an early 6-3 burst put Casarap on striking distance at 40-35. However, this proved to be Casarap’s last stand. A layup by Chris Clemente and a 3 point play by Yogi Veranga pushed the lead back to 8 at 45-37 with 11 minutes remaining.

As Casarap showed signs of fatigue, the Warriors stepped up its attack with a 21-9 blast, with lay ups and jump shots by Veranga and De Gracia. They padded the Warrior’s lead to 66-46 with only 1 minute and 58 seconds remaining.

With the score at 70-50 for the Warriors and the outcome beyond doubt in the dying seconds, Dads Cardenio hit a triple to make the final score 73-50 for the Warriors.

Ryan De Gracia top scored for the Warriors with 19 points, followed by 16 points by MVP candidate Yogi Veranga.

Dexter Quezon top scored for Casarap with 14 points.

The Warriors will next face WSA in the semifinals.

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Box Scores:

GK Warriors:

De Gracia, Ryan, 19; Veranga, Yogi, 16; Yanogacio, Leo, 10; Clemente, Curtis, 7; Cardenio, Dads, 5; Monsalud, Herb, 4; Clemente, Chris, 4; Clemente, Coco, 4; Llave, Jon, 2; De Guzman, Ryan, 2

Casarap:

Quezon, Dexter, 14; Antonio, Steve, 13; Del Rosario, Jason, 8; Valencia, Paul, 7; Agui, Ramon, 6; Cabalza, Sherwin, 2

G7: Baltimore Dragons stops Team Force, 79 - 57

2009-08-02T04:33:00.000-07:00

Report by Jun Rana

Isaac Brooks proved to be a one man wrecking crew, delivering 32 points including 6 triples that powered Baltimore Dragons past Team Force 79-57 and a berth in the semifinal round of the playoffs. Dragons Coach Padilla’s charges also took advantage of the absence of Force top scorer Marcus Chiu in securing the win. The loss eliminated Team Force in the playoffs.

It was a tight game until the last five minutes of the first half. With Brooks leading the attack and with able support from Frank Concepcion, the Dragons had a 26-25 lead with 8 minutes remaining in the first half. Team Force managed to stay close to the Dragons behind the heads up plays of Michael Talag and Ferdinand Mendoza. However, Brooks and Concepcion initiated a 10-2 run that gave the Dragons some breathing room, and a 36-27 halftime lead. At halftime, Brooks had already 18 points or half of the Dragons output.

In the second half, Brooks and Samuel Borromeo triggered a 17-12 attack that padded the lead to 53-39, with 11 minutes remaining in the game. Team Force behind, Anthony Alvarez, Talag, and Ferdinand Mendoza tried to stay in the game but could not get enough offense going and was clearly missing its top scorer Chiu. With Brooks on the attack and having 4 triples in the second half, the Dragons further increased the lead to 70-51 with 5 minutes remaining. From this stanza, both teams traded baskets until the final score of 79-57.

Samuel Borromeo and Frank Concepcion contributed 12 points each for the Dragons. Alvarez top scored for Force with 16 points and Talag added 15.

The Dragons battles Dynamic Excel in the semifinals. It could proved to be an intriguing match-up as Excel defeated the Dragons earlier in the elimination round encounter.

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Box Scores

Baltimore Dragons:
Brooks, Isaac,32; Borromeo, Samuel, 12; Conception, Frank, 12; Borsotos, Jackie, 8; Edades, Edgar, 6; Conception, Julio, 5; Rosario, Alvin, 2; Goasta, Mitek, 2

Team Force:

Alvarez, Anthony, 16; Talag, Michael, 15; Mendoza, Ferdinand, 10; Bune, Jason, 7; Bacal, Djern, 5; Bacal, Devin, 2; Dela Cruz, Jonathan, 2

C7: TFC outruns Titans in Consolation Round, 82 - 33

2009-08-02T04:28:00.000-07:00

Report by Jun Rana

It was a battle of youth versus experience. With youth and speed as its side, TFC Mainline demolished one of the most experienced team in the league, the Delaware Titans, 82-33, in the consolation round.

The Titans proved competitive in the early going down by only five, 21-16 with 9 minutes left in the first half. But Arvie Dazon, Alex Santos and Paul Nicdao dropped a 17-2 bomb that pushed the lead to 20 at halftime, 38-18.

The Titans also missed its scoring leader Jessie Fabian specially in the second half where the Titans only scored 15 points. Meanwhile, TFC continued its torrid running game to the hilt and outrun the Titans. TFC scored 44 points in the second half, most of them inside the painted area, to make the final score 82-33.

Alex Santos top scored for TFC with 21 points, followed by Arvie Dazon with 17 points.

George Corotan and Eric Fermin were the top scorers for TFC with 7 and 6 points, respectively.

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Box Scores

TFC Mainline:
Santos, Alex, 21; Dazon, Arvie, 17; Nicdao, Paul, 13; Fogata, Wilbert, 12; Vierneza, Jeff, 6; Liga, Dexter, 6; Sanchez, Butch, 5; Santos, Rudolf, 2

Delaware Titans:
Corotan, Jeorge, 7; Fermin, Eric, 6; Ugarte, Jomar, 5; Garcia, Joneil, 3; Tapel, Dennis, 2; Ronde, Andrew, 2; Alvarez, Luis, 2; Ortega, Ed, 2; Ebron, Karl, 2; Alafriz, Eggie, 2

Watch This!

2009-07-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hope you get inspired!

Game 7: Road to the Finals

2009-07-28T05:19:00.000-07:00

View the Video Highlights of Games 5 & 6. Click here.
View updated Photos for Game 6. Click here.

As the games wind down to the Magic 8 enroute to the Final Four, intensity has pervaded the matches. The biggest twist coming to the second round of the play-offs is the elimination of last year's runner-up, TFC Mainline and the surprising entry of Team Force to the Magic 8. Will there be new twists and turns in Game Seven that will surprise us?

Here are the highlights for Game Seven:

Despite their loss to Red Bulls in the last game, Casa Rap gets a new lease on life on their hopes of a first finals appearance as they face the mighty GK Warriors, who have yet to lose a game since 2008. Will the Antonio-led Bomb Shells ignite the league with a monumental upset?
Maricas, who suffered its first loss to Team Force, gets a second chance at their hopes to enter the Final Four by facing powerhouse Dynamic Excel-Phi. While the odds may be against Maricas, a win will solidify their claim as the Pilipino-division leaders.

Former Palaro champions, Red Bulls (2007) and WSA (2006) square it off in the "Battle of Champions". Both teams have lingered in the middle ranks this season and their steady plays have brought them at the brink of a Finals showdown. When the smoke clears, who will be in the Final Four?

Team Force, who was left for dead by the blog voters, springs to life as they face rainbow artists, Baltimore Dragons. The Dragons who lost its first two games got their bearings going by winning 4-straight. Will Team Force douse the Dragons' fire and enter the Final Four?

Who will be in the Final Four? Vote now on our blog surveys!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

PAAD PALARO YOUTH BASKETBALL

PAAD Palaro 2009 is proud to launch its first PALARO Youth Basketball this coming Saturday, August 1, 2009. Youth games start at 11:30 AM alongside some festivities to warm-up the playoff games. Please join us in the fun as we support our Fil-American youth!!

2009 PAAD Palaro Volleyball Champions!

2009-07-28T05:15:00.000-07:00

The PAAD Palaro Community congratulates our very first Volleyball Champions, Delaware Dabarkads. The Debarkads beat Elkton Elite in two sets to claim this year's crown.

G6: Team Force upsets Maricas, 48 - 33

2009-07-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

Report by Jun Rana

Marcus Chiu and Team Force reserved its best game in the first round of the playoffs and Maricas had one of its off day as Force pulled a 48-33 stunner over Maricas. The win put Team Force in the second round of the playoffs. Maricas suffered its first loss in the tournament which relegated them to the losers bracket in the next round of the playoffs Maricas having the second best record in the elimination round qualified as the top loser in the next round of the 8 team playoff.

Both teams combined for one of the lowest scoring first half In Palaro history, with Force leading Maricas 14-11 at halftime. However, Marcus Chiu cut loose in the second half scoring 24 of his 28 game high point to secure the win for Force. Chiu did it with a combination of penetrating lay ups and jump shots. With 11 minutes remaining, Chiu put the dagger in the heart of Maricas with a triple to lead an 18-8 salvo to put Force ahead 32-19.

BJ Advento leads Maricas with 15 points but clearly missed the scoring supports of reliable Kenneth Savella and El Persons, who scored only 2 points each.

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Box Scores:

Force: Chui, 28; Wong, 7; Talag, 4; Bacal, 3; Maltman, 3; Bacal Djern, 2; Alvarez, 1

Maricas: Advento, 15; Setters. 8; Alday, 4; Savella, 2; Persons, 2; Vergara, 2

G6: WSA rallies, eliminates TFC, 61 - 57

2009-07-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

Report by Jun Rana

Wala Sa Ayos (WSA) put their act together in the second half of the game to score a come from behind 61-57 victory that sent them to the second round of the playoffs and eliminated archrival TFC.

TFC, behind balanced scoring from its players, took advantage of the cold shooting of WSA in the first half to post a 12 point halftime lead 33-21. Paul Nicdao led the TFC attack during the first half with 7 points as TFC displayed its impressive running game. TFC had its biggest lead at 24-11 in the first half.

In the second half however, WSA slowly chipped on the lead of TFC as Lester Dabu discovered his shooting touch and TFC started missing attempts. Dabu scored 14 of his game high 16 points in the second half.

WSA finally caught up with WSA in the last two minutes at 54 all. With time down to 16 seconds, WSA had built a 59- 55 lead behind the heads play of Dabu and Michael Alegarbes, and had ball possession. At this stanza, TFC quickly fouled Alegarbes and sent him to the free throw line. Alegarbes calmly sank the two free throws that gave WSA a 61-55 cushion. In the ensuing play, TFC’s Arvie Dazon scored on a lay up as time expired to make the final score 61-57.

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Box Scores:

WSA: Dabu, 16; Alegarbes, 14; Raymundo, 13; Fernandez, 10; Vergaa, 6; Oniate, 2

TFC: Dazon, 14; Nicdao P., 12; David, 8; Sanchez, 7; Santos A, 6, Vierneza, 5; mendoza, 2; esguerra, 2; Fogata, 1

G6: Red Bulls raps Casa Rap, 48-44

2009-07-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Report by Jun Rana

In what proved to be thrilling game of the day, Red Bulls edges Casarap 48-44, to avenge their loss in the first round to Casarap and advance to the next round of the playoffs. Jake Cortes proved to be hero in Red Bulls victory by top scoring with 23 points and hitting crucial free throws in the dying minutes of the game.

Casarap however grabbed the last slot in the eight team playoffs with the second best record among the losers.

Cortez waxed hot in the first half with 14 points including 2 three pointers as Red Bulls built a 30-20 lead at the half. Justin Tanjuakio, Karl Malicdem and Jet Deleste provided much needed bench support in that 10-point Bull's run.

Given up for dead, Casarap rallied in the second half behind the heads up play of Jason Del Rosario, Paul Valencia and Dexter Quezon to move to within two, 43-41 with a minute and a half remaining. In the ensuing play however, Del Rosario committed a foul on a driving Cortez. Cortez converted the two free throws to make it 45-41 with a minute remaining.

Another quick basket by Casarap made it 45-43 time down to 45 seconds. Red Bull did not score in the next possession. Dexter Quezon of Casarap then raced to the basket for a layup and was fouled time down to 12 seconds. The foul sent him to the free throw line with a chance to tie and send the game to overtime. Quezon however missed one of the free throws to narrow the gap to 45-44 for Read Bull. In the next possession, Casarap intentionally fouled Cortez of Red Bull and sent him to the free throw line. Cortez converted both free throws to widen the lead to 47-44, 2 seconds remaining.

With no time outs remaining, Casarap team captain Steve Antonio called for a time out and was hit for a technical foul. Jake Cortez converted another free throw to make the final score 48-44.

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Box Scores:

Red Bulls: Cortez, 23; Balan, 4; Deleste, 4; Tanjuakio J, 4; Pangilinan, 4; Malicdem, 4; Tizon, 3; Branzulea, 2

Casa Rap: Del Rosario, 13; Valencia, 10; Quezon, 9; Agui, 6; Antonio, 3; Pangan, 2; Fernandez, 1

G6: GK Warriors too much for Elkton Blazers, 68 - 41

2009-07-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

Report by Jun Rana

Tournament favorite GK Warriors vaunted firepower and balanced scoring proved too much for the Elkton Blazers and the demolition-duo of brothers Mario and Santini Lancioni. The Warriors whipped the hapless Blazers 68-41 to enter the second round of the playoffs and eliminated the Blazers. Four GK Warriors had double digits and combined for 49 points to top the efforts of Lancioni brothers who combined for 34 points.

Early in the first half, Leo Yanogacio, Ryan De Gracia and Ian Clemente lead a three man assault to put GK in a commanding 23-9 lead. It was a lead which they never relinquished. Yogi Veranga had 2 triples in the second half which helped the Warriors withstood the challenge of the Blazers.

As the game went beyond the reach of the Blazers, GK second unit players Dads Cardenio and Herb Monsalud contributed 5 and 4 points, respectively during the last five minutes of the game. Cardenio scored a triple to the delight of the GK fans.

G6: Dynamic Excel trounces Delaware Titans, 64 - 46

2009-07-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Report by Jun Rana

With excellent defense, Excel put a clamp on the DelawareTitans top scorer Jesse Fabian and the rests of the Titans, enroute to a 64-46 victory that sent Excel to the second round of the playoffs and eliminated the Titans. Excel held Fabian to only 9 points in the entire game to the dismay of the Titans fans.

After an 11 all tie in the early going, Excel pulled away in the first half behind a 15 -5 bomb by Will Imperial, Mike Sanchez and Justin Mercado and led 26 -16 at the half. The 10 points separation proved to be the turning point of the game as Excel gained more confidence and widened the lead to 42-21, time down to 11 minutes of the game. Mark Pr’out of Excel led the scoring rampage in the second half with 9 points.

The never say die Titans tried all they can only to be frustrated by the good defense and good shooting by Excel. No players for the Titans scored doubled figures to underscore Excel’s defense. Willie Fontano contributed 8 points for the Titans including two triples.

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Box Scores:

G6: Baltimore Dragons routs Exit Realty, 96 - 54

2009-07-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

Report by: June Rana

Hot shooting Isaac Brooks and Julio Concepcion combined for 59 points as Baltimore Dragons slay Exit Realty 96-54 to advance to the next round of the playoffs. The Dragons dominated Exit in the second half after a tight first half, with the Dragons leading by only 9 at 42-33.

In the second half, the Dragons put on a 3 point shooting exhibition converting 7 triples in the second half for 21 points, four of them coming from the Isaac Brooks who scored a game high of 32 points. It was also the scoring tandem of Brooks and Julio Concepcion that put the Dragons to a commanding 65-40 lead with 9 minutes remaining. Another Concepcion, Frank contributed 11 points in the game.

Scott MacInnes topscored for Exit Realty with 23 points, followed by Andrian Bondao with 15 points.

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Box Scores:

Dragons: Brooks, 32; Conception, 27; Conception, F., 11; Barsotos, 9; Gumatay, 7; Mitch, 6; Rosario, 2; Edades, 2

Exit: McInnes, 23; Bondao, 15; Sta. Ana, 6; Pineda, 4; Makasakit, 4; Madeja, 2

Game 6: The Road to the Playoffs

2009-07-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

Game 6: It's Do or Die for the right to be in the MAGIC 8?

It's been a grueling battle after five rounds of divisional games. The rankings have been posted and 12 teams clash head-on to determine who deserves to be in the magic eight for the playoffs.

Here are the highlights of Game 6

On top of the rankings are GK Warriors and cinderella team, Maricas. Both topnotchers with identical 5-0 slate face the cellar dwellers, Elkton Blazers and Team Force. Will the Blazers and Team Force pull the biggest upset of the season and be regarded as the spoilers of the Year?
Dynamic Excel faces a dangerous Delaware Titans. For the Titans, it is a must win to enter the magic 8. A loss by the Excel team will throw them into a rankings battle for L1 and L2.
Exit Realty squares off with a resurgent Baltimore Dragons, who won their last 3 divisional games. For the Realtors it is a must win to enter the magic 8.
WSA battles last year's second placer, TFC Mainline. WSA, who lost some of its key players to TFC, has an axe to grind and will not give TFC an inch in their game. On the other hand, TFC would like to redeem itself from a 3-game loss in the divisional rounds. Who do you think will prevail?
Red Bulls and Casa Rap will play each other for the second time this season. In their last encounter in Game 3, Casa Rap prevailed over the Bulls. Will the 2007 Champions, Red Bulls, even the score and enter the magic 8?

For each round of the divisional games, we have posted surveys on the outcome of each pairing. Based on those surveys, 79% of the blog voters got the results correct and 21% missed the mark.

Will our blog-voters predict the magic 8 for game 6? Vote now on our blog surveys!

G5: TFC edges Dynamic Excel in the dying seconds to win by 1, 42 - 41.

2009-07-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

Raymond Mendoza scored a solitary point for TFC in their revenge match against Dynamic Excel. But this single shot made from the foul-throw line was enough to transform Mendoza from zero to HERO. His single-point production came at the most important time of the ballgame - with 2 seconds left, Mendoza fouled and both teams tied at 41. Everyone on the court had their focus on Mendoza as he made 1 out of 2 pressure-packed shots that sent the TFC bench and fans into wild jubilation.

Prior to Mendoza’s free throw, Justin Mercado of Excel tied the game with, yet again, two free throws with 15 seconds remaining. In the ensuing play, Dennis Balagtas, fouled a jump shooting Mendoza with 2 ticks remaining, that paved the way for Mendoza’s game-winning shot.

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Box Scores:
TFC: Santos A., 10; Nicdao, 9; Dazon, 8; Sanchez, 7; Liga, 2; Esquerra, 1; mendoza, 1;
Excel: Mercado, 10; Balagtas, 8; Miranda, 8; Valera, 5; Pr'Out, 4; Mann, 3; Sanchez, 2; Bandoy, 1;

G5: Casa Rap defaults crucial game to Exit Realty

2009-07-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

It was an easy exit for the Realtors as CASARAP lost by default for not showing up with the required 5 players to compete. Its fifth player, Sherwin Cabalza, was a tad too late to save the team from defaulting the game. The defaulted game rewarded EXIT REALTY with a 20-0 point margin.

In the spirit of sportsmanship, both teams agreed to play an exhibition match for the benefit of the fans. Ironically, the no-bearing game was won by CASA RAP on a squeaker, 74-73.

But the spotlight clearly belonged to Joseph Riel who scored a career high, 43 points and broke the highest 3-point record in a single game by making 7 three-point baskets. He also grabbed 8 rebounds and 2 assists to finish his well-rounded game.

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Box Scores:
Casa Rap: Agui, 24; Antoni, 16; Del Rosario, 16; Valencia, 12; Cabalza., 6;
Exit: Riel, 43; Bondao, 13; Velarde, 11; Pineda, 4; Tan; 2;

G5: Dragons run rings around a Lancioni-less Blazers, 77 - 42.

2009-07-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

Baltimore Dragons flexed its dragon muscles by taking advantage of a Lancioni-less Elkton Blazers to notch their 3rd straight win, 77 - 42. Julio Concepcion exploded with a game high, 31 points, to lead an early 18-5 blitz that spelled doom for the Blazers.

Julio Concepcion, who scored 10 points in the first half, helped the Dragons increase their lead at halftime to 38 - 19. Julio continued his scoring rampage in the second half by connecting 21 more points, with 6 of his baskets coming from the 3-point area. He also played an all-around game by snatching 7 rebounds and 2 assists.

The hapless Blazers anchored its scoring woes on Jim Reynolds who dished out 16 markers. So dominant were the Dragons that they ended up with a 35 point win.

- With reports from Jun Rana and Scribbs.

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Box Scores:
Dragons: Concepcion, 31; Latogo, 12; Edades, 11; Gumatay, 11; Concepcion, F., 6; Barsotos, 4
Blazers: Reynolds, 16; Gurango, 13; Echvestre, 5; Dela Cruz; 4; Jirkowsky, 2; Lalicon, 2.

G5: WSA puts a clamp on Titans offense to eke out a low-scoring win, 36 - 32.

2009-07-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

In one of the lowest scoring game this season, WSA manages to eke out a win off the sputtering Titans, 36-32. The low-scoring ballgame was a result of WSA's tight defense on Titans prolific forward, Jesse Fabian. Who, on a normal game day, averages in double digit outputs, but was limited to a mere 6 points.

The game was close throughout, with WSA clinging only to 29-27 lead with 3 minutes left in the ballgame. However, WSA outscored the Titans 7- 5 in the last 3 minutes behind the attacking game of Zorab Fernandez.

- reported by Jun Rana

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Box Scores:
WSA: Fernandez, 9; Oniate, 7; Dabu, 6; Concepcion, 4; Lelina, 4, De Lara, 3; Raymundo, 3.
Titans: Ortega, 7; Fabian, 6; Fontano, 6; Alafriz, 4; Corotan, 4; Fermin, 3; Alvarez, 1; Garcia, 1.

G5: Maricas defies the odds, tramples Red Bulls, 53 - 39

2009-07-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

Maricas will surely be this season's Cinderella team as it defies the odds and clinches its 5th win over Red Bulls. In the past 3 seasons, the core of the Maricas team, under the name KOP/Pinoy used to hug the cellar and has never seen a the light to the playoffs. This year, after a complete make-over and a new team sponsor, Maricas remains unbeatable in the regular games, tied only to the mighty GK Warriors.

At gametime, Maricas showed poise in beating Red Bulls 53-39. The team's balanced scoring, combined with their fluid offense and superb defense carried the day for Maricas. BJ Advento who had only 2 points in the first half caught fire in the second half with 12 points, for a game high 14 points. The win puts Maricas in second place in the over-all rankings and top spot in the Pilipino division. Red Bulls, on the other hand, slides to 7th over-all.

-With reports from Jun Rana and Scribbs.

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Box Scores:
MARICAS: Advento, 14; Savella, 8; Setters, 7; Persons, 7; Jersey 14, 5; Aquino, 4; Carabio, 3; Ramiscal, 2; Alday, 2.
RED BULLS: Pangilinan, 10; Deleste, 9; Borres, 8; Tizon, 6; Balan, 4; Brunzuela, 2.

G5: GK Warriors makes mince meat out of Team Force, 110 - 60

2009-07-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

GK proved once again that it has the deepest bench this season, as it virtually made mince meat of Team Force on a 50-point route, 110 - 60. Despite the heroics of Marcus Chiu, who scored a game-high of 24 points, it was evident that Team Force could not sustain the offensive power of the Warriors.

In the opening minutes of the game, GK sprinted to a 10-0 bomb to rattle Force. And at the end of halftime, GK padded the lead further to 48-24 and 67-34 and put the game beyond recall.

Five GK players dotted the box scores with double-digit stats to lead a 10-man offense. Ryan de Gracia topscored the Warrior's offense with 24 points, 18 of which, came from three-point country. He was followed by Ryan de Guzman, with 12, Coco Clemente and Yogi "The Stallion" Veranga, with 11 apiece. GK's win over Team Force solidifies their first place position in the over-all rankings, making them a mathematical shoe-in for the playoffs. On the other hand, the loss by Team Force slides them to 10'th place overall.

**With reports from Jun Rana and Scribbs

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Box Scores:
GKW: De Gracia, 24; De Guzman R., 12; Clemente, Coco, 11; Veranga, 11; Yanogacio, 10; Clemente, C, 9; Clemente, I, 9; Llave, 9; Clemente, C, 8; Monsalud, 7;
FORCE: Chui, 24; Alvarez, 15; Talag, 13; Dela Cruz, 3; Bacal, 3; Maltman, 2

Game 5: The Penultimate Round

2009-07-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

WATCH THE THE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF GAME 4. CLICK HERE.

What is at stake for Game 5?
RANKINGS FOR THE PLAYOFFS.

Here are the highlights for Game 5:

On the top of the ladder board, 2 teams have identical 4-0 cards, GKW & Maricas. Both teams face possible spoilers that could forge a 3-way tie with 4-1 cards should GK and Maricas lose and Excel win game 5.
Dynamic Excel is in solo 3rd. If they lose game 5 to TFC and the four teams with 2-2 cards win game 5, a possible 5-way tie can happen - all with 2-3 cards..
4 teams are locked with identical 2-2 cards, Casa Rap, Wala Sa Ayos, Red Bulls and Baltimore Dragons. If all four teams with 2-2 cards win game 5, a possible 5-way tie can happen with all 5 winning teams gaining 3-2 cards and another 5-way tie at the bottom for the losing teams may ensue, resulting with identical 1-4 cards.
5 teams have identical 1-3 cards, TFC, Titans, Force, Exit and Blazers. If all 5 teams win game 5, then a possible 9-way tie can happen with 9 teams having 2-3 cards.
Game 5 sideshow: TFC and Dynamic Excel face each other once again. The last time they played each other was during the FACAA league championship game where Dynamic Excel came home victors. Will TFC prevail over the Dynamic Excel team this time around? Come and watch the games!
Whatever happens, one thing is sure, QUOTENT WILL MATTER.

Which combination do you think will happen? And who will remain on top, GK or Maricas?

Vote now on our blog surveys!

G4: Maricas continues win streak, beats Titans, 51 - 45

2009-07-12T16:23:00.001-07:00

Blog favorite, Delaware Titans wilts under pressure to give way to dark-horse, Maricas, 51 -45. The first half of play was a tightly contested period with numerous lead changes until both teams started dishing out fouls to clamp on defense. Jesse Fabian of the Titans exploded with 5 triples to lead the Titans offense in the first half.

Not to be outdone, Maricas applied smart defense in the second half that silenced Fabian to a mere 2 points. The defense was so stifling, that the Titans, who scored 34 points in the first half, was limited to 6 points in the final half of play.

Dave Setters led Maricas with 16 points to notch its 4th win in 4 games. Maricas, who surprises everyone with their winning streak, leads the Pilipino Division and is tied with GK Warriors with a 4-0 card. The loss of the Titans, slide them further to 1-3 card tied with 4 other teams.

__________
Box Scores:
Maricas: Setters, 16; Persons, 7; Lizardo, 5; Savella, 5; Advento, 4; Tanseco, 4; Ramiscal, 3; Magpantay, 3; Carreon, 2; Ulit, 2.
Del Titans: Fabian, 20; Corotan, 15; Ortega, 3; Fermin, 3; De Luna, 2; Villamor, 2.

G4: GK Warriors clobbers Dynamic Excel, 57 - 44

2009-07-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

There was no love lost between FACAA champions, Dynamic Excel and defending titlist, GK Warriors as their heated blog exchanges flowed over to the hard court come game time. Playing coach, Mike Sanchez, of the Dynamic Excel Team was given the boot by game officials with 2 technical fouls, as he relentlessly argued with the referees on crucial calls. It was the first double technical foul called this season, which resulted to Coach Mike being thrown out of the ball game and the playing area.

Despite the hardcourt drama, the Warriors remained focused on clobbering Dynamic Excel, as they cruised to their 4th victory in as many games. Throughout the game, the GK Warriors led by as high as 20 points under the firepower of Yogi "The Stallion" Veranga, who produced a game-high, 23 points.

In the second half of play, spitfire Joe Miranda led an 8-2 scoring rampage that almost ignited a semblance of a rally for the Physical Therapists. But the spurt turned out to be short-lived as the Warriors covered the paint well with their Twin Tower defense to douse Excel's hope for a comeback.

GK's win solidifies their lead in overall and division rankings, with a 4-0 card. They are currently tied with Pilipino-division leader, Maricas. Excel's loss slides them to 3rd place over-all and second place in the Americano Division.

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Box Scores:
GK Warriors: Veranga, 23; De Gracia, 10; De Guzman, 7; Clemente (22), 6; Clemente (13), 4; Yanogacio, 2; Llave' 2; Clemente (23), 2; Clemente (41), 1.
Dynamic Excel: Miranda, 11; Pr'Out, 9; Mercado, 9; Imperial, 7; Bandoy, 5; Mann, 3.

G4: Red Bulls overwhelms Exit Realty, 73 - 58

2009-07-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

With 5 Red Bulls players scoring in double-digit figures, the Bulls were virtually unstoppable as they overwhelmed a stunned Exit Realty team, 73 - 58.

In the first half of play, the teams were separated by a mere 4 points with the Red Bulls gaining the upper hand. Scott McInnes kept Exit Realty in the ballgame by spearheading the Realtors with 8 points in the first half.

But as soon as the second half started, Joseph Pangilinan of the Red Bulls thwarted his Exit guards by exploding with 4 of his 6 three-point bombs to give the Bulls a comfortable lead. Pangilinan led the Bulls in scoring with a game-high, 22 points.

So fluid was the Bulls' offense that Richie Tizon was one assist shy of a double-double performance as he dished 9 assist passes together with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Tizon ties Red Bulls center, Deleste, in rebounds. Chris Balan, on the other hand, completed the Bulls' triangle offense by contributing 15 high-percentage points.

The win puts the Bulls in a four-way tie with a 2-2 win loss card, improving their chances for a playoff berth. The Realtors' loss, however, slides them down to 1-3 card tied with 5 other teams.

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Box Scores:
Red Bulls: Pangilinan, 22; Balan, 15; Tizon, 11; Deleste, 10; Borres, 9; Malicdem, 2; Tanjuakio, 2; Wu, 2.
Exit Realty: McInnes, 23; Ramos, 10; Velarde, 9; Makasakit, 6; Tan, 5; De Guzman, 4; Sta. Ana, 1.

G4: WSA stops Casa Rap's momentum in overtime, 71- 65

2009-07-12T16:06:00.000-07:00

Former Palaro champions, Wala Sa Ayos, displayed its steel veins under pressure by escaping Casa Rap's pestering rally and winning the game in overtime, 71 - 65. It was indeed a hard-fought encounter even as WSA led througout regulation only to be surprised by a late surging rally.

Casa Rap's ace playmaker and team captain, Steve Antonio, took matters into his own hands in the last 5 minutes of regulation to fashion a game-tying rally at the end of the second half. With WSA brandishing double-digit leads, Antonio was a man with a mission as he sprang a 10-point scoring binge to tie the ball game at 63. Antonio topscored for the Casa Rap Bomb Shells, finishing with a game high, 25 points.

Shaken by Casa Rap's never-say-die rally, WSA banked on steady free-throw shooting in the crucial OT period to claim its second win in 4 games. WSA led a more balanced bench with 9 of its players contributing to the win. Marlon Oniate led WSA with 18 points, followed by Lester Dabu and Felix Vergara with 12 and 10 points respectively.

WSA's win ties them with Casa Rap and 2 other teams with a 2-2 win-loss card, improving their chances for a playoff berth.

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Box Scores:
Wala Sa Ayos: Oniate, 18; Dabu, 12; Fernandez, 9; Alegarbes, 8; Concepcion, 6; Raymundo, 4; Andre, 2; Fernandez, 2.
Casa Rap: Antonio, 25; Del Rosario, 16; Quezon, 13; Agui, 4; Mallari, 2; Mallari, 2; Pangan, 2; Cabalza, 2.

G4: Lancioni brothers lift Blazers in OT to foil TFC, 69 - 67

2009-07-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

Mark their names, Mario (4) and Santini (20), known among their circles as the Lancioni brothers, became the Blazers' demolition-duo, as the pair barges the Blazers to their first win in OT and humbles TFC's firepower to their knees.

So close was the game between the Blazers and TFC, that the Elton squad needed an overtime period to seal its first win (the first OT game of this round) in 4 outings. In the dying seconds of the regulation play, with TFC comfortably leading by three, Mario Lancioni (4) dashes to their front court and releases a 3-point swoosh to throw the game in overtime.

In the ensuing overtime period, it was another Lancioni-show as the demolition-duo scored all of the Blazers' 7 points, with Mario (4) drilling in 5 (a 3-point shot and a regular basket) and Santini connecting on two crucial free throws. With overtime almost coming to a close, and the Blazers leading by two, TFC's Paul Nicdao (15) missed a 3-point desperation shot to give the Blazers a dramtic win in overtime.

The Blazers' demolition-duo led all scorers with a combined 63-point output. Mario topscored the Blazers' front with 38 points, including 8-for-8 in free throw shooting and 4 triples. Santini, on the other hand, came second with 25 points, 4 three-point shot connections and 75% free throw shooting.

Box Scores:
Blazers: Lancioni, M., 38; Lancioni. S.,25; Dela Cruz, 2; Echvestre, 2; Orbeta, 1; Gurango, 1.
TFC: Nicdao, P.,13; David, 11, Dazon, 10; Fogata, 10, Sanchez, 7; Esquerra, 7; Mendoza, 6; Santos, K., 2; Devera, 1.

G4: Baltimore Dragons spews fire to melt Force, 60 - 55

2009-07-12T16:03:00.000-07:00

With the Dragons struggling to keep a complete roster, Coach Ed Padilla pulls another ace up his sleeve by fielding in jersey no. 5, Julio Concepcion, to keep the Dragons within striking distance of Team Force. Concepcion readily took the cudgels for the Dragons by dishing in 18 points, 12 of which, coming from the three-point area, all in the first half of play.

Team Force, on the other hand, anchored its offense on Simon Wong's double-double performance as he pumped in 16 points, 12 rebs., 2 blocked shots and a single assist that almost eclipsed the Dragons' fire. The first half of play was so close that Team Force ended it with a 2-point lead. Realizing that Concepcion was spewing fire, Team Force adjusted their defense to silence Concepcion in the second half. And they did just that, as Concepcion struggled to get his bearings together with only 1 rebound to contribute in the final half.

But another Dragon was let loose by Coach Ed in the 2nd half to lift the Baltimore squad to its second win. Isaac Brooks (12), who coasted through the first half with 7 points, exploded with another 11 points to break Team Force's defense. While Brooks led scoring in the second half, it was really the bench scoring of 4 other Dragons that kept them in the game. The Dragons top-rebounder, Souk Gumatay (4) drilled in 9 points; Frank Concepcion (22), who was scoreless in the first half, waxed hot with another 8 points in the second half; and clutch shooters, Jackie Barsotos (23) and Paco Estrada (24), contributed 4 and 3 points respectively.

All told, the Baltimore Dragons spewed fire that melted team Force to its 3rd loss in 4 outings. The Dragons improve their standing to 2-2 win-loss card, tying them with 3 other teams in the 4th spot over-all and 3rd ranked in division standings.

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Box Scores:
Dragons: Concepcion, J., 18; Brooks, 18; Gumatay, 9; Concepcion, F., 8; Barsotos, 4; Estrada, 3.
Force: Wong, 16; Talag, 13; Chiu, 9; Dela Cruz, 5; Acuna, 4; Bacal, 3; Bune, 3; Maltman, 2.

Game 4: Breaking the Log Jams

2009-07-07T20:26:00.001-07:00

We're back from a brief and much-deserved 4th-of-July break. From this point forward, games will be played to the very end with no breaks to boot. So here's a sneak peak of the next games this coming Saturday.

Game 4 Highlights:

Powerhouse team, Dynamic Excel-Phi faces the defending champions, GK Warriors, in a matchup that promises to keep everyone on the edge of their seats. Whoever wins, breaks the 3-0 log jam in the Americano Division.
Dark horse team, Maricas, who continues to be undefeated after three games of play battles blog-favorite, Delaware Titans. If the Titans win, they get out of their own 1-2 log jam with 6 other teams.
TFC Mainline mix it up with Elkton Blazers, who remain winless after 3 games. If the Blazers pull an upset against TFC, a possible 1-3 log jam may arise.
Solo 4th placer, Casa Rap, plays former champions, Wala Sa Ayos, that may result in a 3-1 or 1-3 log jam after the game.
Baltimore Dragons, fresh from a tight win off TFC Mainline, faces the Force team to contnue their uphill climb to the playoffs. Will the Force team have enough guts to stop the dragons?
2007 champs, Red Bulls, squares off against Exit Realty in a battle to increase their chances for a playoff spot.

Who do you think will emerge victors after Game 4? Vote now on our surveys.

Baltimore Dragons hands TFC its 2nd loss, 60 - 53

2009-06-29T22:13:00.001-07:00

Coach Ed Padilla's smile turned into wild jubilee as his complete lineup showed up to face a skeletal TFC squad. The result: Baltimore Dragons smoked TFC with fire on a pulsating 60 -53 win. Attendance does matter after all.

With some of TFC's key players missing the game, Arvie "the Dazzle Man" Dazon (21) carried the squad with his 24 point output. Alex Santos (1) of TFC's dynamic duo, pumped in another 12 points, clearly missing his hardcourt partner, Paul Nicdao.

The Dragons, on the other hand, built their game offense around their "Spitfire", Edgar Lades (25), who exploded with 31 points, including five 3-point connections during crucial rallies mounted by TFC. The nip-and-tuck game, gave ex-PBL player Glen Yap (17) a glimpse of his playmaking prowess as he dished in another 11 points.

The win of Baltimore Dragons puts them in the wildcard column and boosted their over-all and division standings. TFC's loss slides them to 7th over-all and 3rd in division rankings.

Did someone wake up the Dragons?

Titans claim first win against Exit Realty, 65 - 45

2009-06-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

Coming in from a win boosted the confidence of Exit Realty as they faced a winless Delaware Titans, whose backs are pressed against the wall for a win. Even blog voters were proven wrong when 14 out of the 19 blog voters predicted Exit Realty to win the game. What Exit Realty didn't realize is that the 5 voters who predicted a "Tatangs" win were all die-hard Titans fans (probably their GFs...ooops.. spouses).

And the never-say-die Delaware Titans proved all the nay-sayers wrong when they convincingly trashed Exit Realty with a 20-point margin. Jesse Fabian (4) and Tae Kwondo black belt, Eric Fermin (2), led the Titans with 19 and 10 pts respectively. Nine other Titans went on a scoring binge to stave off a pesky Exit Realty team to give the Titans their first win in three games.

Exit Realty, who probably are wondering what hit them, was led by Joseph Riel (23) with 18 points followed by Bondao, 8; Fabian, 6; Pineda, 5; Miranda & Tan, 3; and Sta. Ana, 2.

The win by the Titans, boosted them to 6th overall and 3rd in division rankings, while Exit Realty slides to sixth in division and 10th in overall standings.

Maricas continues win streak, subdues WSA, 56 - 46

2009-06-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

Despite the 10-point loss of Wala Sa Ayos to a transformed Maricas team, WSA remains in 3rd spot for the division rankings and 5th in over-all standings.

WSA's go-to guy, Tony 'The Sweet Shooter" Estoveza (34), carried the scoring cudgels by dishing in 17 points, including three triples in the second half. Mike Alegarbes (32) contributed another 9 points, despite receiving a technical foul in the game.

On the other hand, Maricas' triple whammy, BJ Advento (5), Tom Setters (6), and Kenneth Savella (3), led the team's offensive thrusts by dishing in a combined 31 points - Advento, 11; Setters and Savella, 10 apiece. With Advento on fire, he also grabbed 7 rebounds to dominate the painted area. El Persons (20) contributed 7 points in the second half, five of them in the free throw line for an 83% FT average. Ramil Magpantay (33) and Alex Alday (4) contributed 4 points each, to give Maricas is third win in three games.

Maricas leads in division rankings and is tied with GK and Excel in win-loss record, 3-0. The quotient system is predicting Maricas to be in 3rd place over-all.

Dynamic Excel overpowers Team Force, 59 - 51

2009-06-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

On the blog surveys prior to game 3, 21 out of 22 blog voters predicted an Excel victory over Team Force. While the blog voting was heavily in favor of powerhouse Dynamic-Excel, the game itself was separated by a mere 4 possessions (0r eight points), 59-51.

The first half of play gave the Dynamic-Excel team an 8 point cushion (33-24), which they carried through the second half. However, in the final half of play, which was led by Team Force in period scoring (27-26), it was clear that Team Force put up a fight.

Marcus Chiu (5) led all Force scorers with a 19-point burst, making 7 out of 7 free throws and two 3-point bombs, one in the crucial stages of the 2nd half. Six other Team Force players contributed to the teams final score - Mendoza, 9 pts.; Talag and Wong, 8 apiece; Bune, 4 and Maltman, 3.

But the day belonged to Joe Miranda (0) of Dynamic Excel, who shot a game high of 20 points, including three triples in the final half that sealed the win for Excel. Will "The Deal" Barnes (24) and Will "SkyWalker" Imperial (11) held the flanks with 12 and 11 points apiece, with Barnes lording over the boards for Dynamic Excel. The game got so intense to the point that a technical foul was given to Excel's playing coach, Michael Sanchez. Despite the small incident, Excel retained the momentum and completed their 3rd win in as much games.

Dynamic Excel's win, puts them at 2nd place in over-all and division rankings, while the loss of Team Force slides them to 9th over-all and 4th in division rankings.

GK Warriors blows out Elkton Blazers to pieces, 100 -62

2009-06-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

On the heels of two successive losses, the Elkton Blazers paraded a new face on the court to spark their offensive line. Mario Lancioni (4), who saw action for the first time in three games, unleashed an almost unstopable 22-point arsenal in his debut. While the flash of brilliance by Lancioni was commendable, the effort failed to give the Blazers their first win in 3 outings.

Simply said: the GK Warriors overpowered the Blazers in every department and ran rings around a dazed Elkton squad by finishing with a 38-point winning margin.

5 players of the 11 who scored off the bench on the GKW team, finished with double-digit numbers totalling to 73% of their final score. The GK twin towers, bannered by Yogi "The Stallion" Veranga and Leo "The Bull" Yanogacio, contributed 19 and 13 points apiece, with "The Stallion" leading in player scores. The Clemente's also had a hayday, as all four contributed to GK's victory with their respective box scores: Ian (23), 18 pts.; Chris (22), 12 pts.; Curtis (13) 11 pts. and Coco (41) 2 pts. With the exception of one player in GK's lineup (who probably was not playing), all players fielded in the game burned the hoops for GK's 3rd win in 3 outings.

GK's 3-0 win loss card solidifies their lead in the over-all and division rankings, while Elkton Blazers retain their bottom spot and the only team without a win, thus far.

Will the Blazers pull a win on their next assignment?

Casa Rap grabs Red Bulls by the horns to win, 64 - 58

2009-06-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

The undermanned Red Bulls failed to sustain its 3-point lead at half time to give Casa Rap Bomb Shells its second win in three outings, 64 -58. Joseph Pangilinan (12) waxed hot in the first half by drilling in 12 points of his 18-point output leading the Bulls in the first half of play. However, Pangilinan fouled out before the end of regulation to quelch the Bulls run for a comeback.

Casa Rap, on the other hand, showed tenacity in both offense and defense with three players scoring double-digit figures to boost the Bomb Shells with a needed win. Jason Del Rosario (14) scored 10 of his game-high, 21-point production to lead the Bomb Shells out of the tight match. Dexter Quezon (42) followed in the shadows of Del Rosario by dishing in another 15 points at the crucial turn of the game. Henry Mallari (20), who made a 3 point shot in the first half, sizzled in the second half with an additional 10-point contribution that broke the Bulls momentum for a comeback.

Casa Rap's win, puts them in solo 4th place in the over-all standings and solo second in Division rankings. The Bulls' second loss drops them to 8th position in over-all standings and 5th in Division rankings.

Game 3: June 27, 2009 - THE CRUCIAL ROUND

2009-06-24T22:45:00.000-07:00

Game 3: Anything can happen and the possibilities are endless.

The Crucial Matches are on. A win will keep some teams' hope alive. A loss will bring some teams near the edge. Who will come out victors after Game 3?

GAME 3 HIGHLIGHTS:

The DAVID & GOLIATH Matches: Three winless teams (the Davids) go up against formidable teams (the Goliaths). Will Elkton Blazers pull a sling shot surprise against GK Warriors? Will the Baltimore Dragons tie the TFC Mainline after their match? And, will the Delaware Titans wake-up and shake Exit Realty's confidence?
The SCENE-STEALING Matches: Red Bulls, Wala Sa Ayos and Team Force, all with identical 1-1 score card will try to grab the leader spots (or at least tie them) should they win against Casa Rap, and division leaders, Maricas and Dynamic Excel-PHI. Will they prevail in changing the over-all and division standings?

BLOG SURVEY ON UPCOMING GAMES?

Last week's game-2 surveys collected 126 unique votes. 50% of the online voters got it right and predicted the right winners?
This week, apart from the online voting, we want to know your predictions or possible scenarios. By sharing your possible score cards, you may give your teams good tips for game 3.
Also, we challenge the blog fans, players, kibitzers, critics, etc...to vote again on GAME 3. This time, we want the online voters to surpass the 50% mark. You think we can do it?

Ready? Set? Click (and vote now)!!!

Game 2: Exit Realty stuns Wala Sa Ayos, 54-51

2009-06-23T14:17:00.001-07:00

Another close game by Exit Realty against opening day winners, WSA. This time, the Realtors returned the favor to WSA by stunning them with a 54-51 victory.

At the start of the 1st half, WSA was able to execute well, shooting outside and penetrating the inside lane like it was their backyard. The first-half onlslaught was led by WSA's Tony Estoveza, who scored a game-high 22 points, 14, of which were drilled in the first half of play. Tony's hot hands combined with steady plays from teamates, Lelina, Raymundo, Del Puerlo and the Fernandez's gave WSA an eight-point lead at the end of the first half.

With their backs against the wall, Exit Realty sprung an exit strategy by fielding in Paul Velarde, Joseph Riel and Scott McInnes. Velarde, finishing with a 12-point production, weaved his 3-p0int form by drilling in two crucial shots, followed by Scott McInnes' own triple bomb, that gave Exit the momentum and eventually the lead. But it was Joseph Riel's double-double performance that sparkled throughout the game. Riel logged in 22 points, mostly on high percentage shots, grabbing 13 rebounds and 1 blocked shot. On the othe hand. Scott McInnes, who contributed 7 points was instrumental in keeping the offense going.

At the last 8 minutes of play, Exit was comfortably ahead by 8 points, when, out of the blue, WSA caught fire and closed the gap to 3 pts. The 5-0 run blanked the Exit Realty squad in the last 8 minutes of the game. With good hussle plays and defensive stops, WSA was able to grab ball possesion in the last 12 seconds of the game, enough to launch a 3-point shot to put the game on overtime. WSA went to Estoveza for the final play but Exit's double team defense on Estoveza paid off and gave the Realtors their first win in 2 games.

Game 2: Team Force edges out a sputtering Elkton Blazers, 43-35

2009-06-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Team Force bounces back from an opening day loss to edge out a sputtering Elkton Blazers, 43-35.

The Force led by top-scoring Ferdinand Mendoza (17 pts.) and diminutive DJern Bacal (14 pts.) played heads-up basketball by fishing crucial fouls against the Blazers' top gun, Jim Reynolds. The first half was a tight contest until Mendoza and Bacal waxed hot in the second half to lead Team Force to victory.

Defense was another key factor for Team Force, which forced the Blazers to numerous turn-overs. In the battle of the board, Team Force outgunned the Blazers, 11-3 to control the ballgame in the second half.

The Blazers attempted a comeback behind Jim Reynolds and Sonny "The Assassin" Dela Torre, both contributing 9 points a piece until Reynolds fould out in the closing minutes of the the game.

The win put team Force in a 6-way tie with 1-1 score card. After quotient ratings kicked in, the Force is 4th in division rackings and 9th over-all. The Blazers 2nd loss in a row puts them at the bottom of both division and over-all rankings.

MTFBWU!!! [May the Force Be With yoU]

Game 2: GK Warriors breezes through TFC Mainline, 58-47

2009-06-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

TFC Mainline could not contain the twin towers of GK - Yogi "the Stallion" Veranga and Leo "The Bull" Yanogacio - to bow to the Warriors, 58-47.

TFC's dynamic duo, Alex Santos and Paul Nicdao, kept the game close all throughout the first half with their speed and outside shooting. Arvie Dazon, a new member of TFC's line-up burned the hoops with 16 pts., 12 of them from the three point area. The effort, however, fell short of a win as the GK Warriors flexed their might defensively and offensively inside the paint.

For the whole of the first half until the last 5 minutes of the game, it looked like the TFC squad, with its triple-threat troika of Santos, Nicdao and Dazon, kept the game under their control until GK made adjustments in their defensive stance. Ryan de Gracia, in his usual role as playmaker and floor leader, made sure that GK's 3-2 defense would stop TFC's 3-point shooting. While GK twin towers, Veranga and Yanogacio controled the paint in rebounds and offensive thrusts. Veranga led all scorers with 18, followed by Ian Clemente, with 14 and Yanogacio drilled another 13 pts, with a combined firepower of 45 points.

GK's win over TFC mainline puts them on top of the ladder board with a 2-0 slate. While TFC slides from 4th over-all to 6th, tied with five other teams with a 1-1 score card.

Game 2: Dynamic Excel-Phi squeaks past Baltimore Dragons, 63-62

2009-06-23T00:29:00.000-07:00

The showdown between Baltimore Dragons and the Excel-PHI turned out to be a nail-biter until the final seconds of the game. Dynamic Excel led the game in the first half and continued to lead going to the 12-minute mark of the second half.

Then the sleeping Dragons woke up and started to claw their way back. Frank Delgado (7) of the Dragons led a spirited comeback for the Baltimore ballers by scoring a game-high, 24 points, 15 of which came from rainbow territory. It was a last-ditch salvo for the Dragons anchored on Delgado's shooting rampage that kept everyone at the edge of their seat as an imminent victory or an over-time period loomed at the dying seconds of the game.

But the Dynamic Excel team regrouped in time to stem the tide of a come-backing Dragons squad. At the height of the come-back, lead scorer Joe Miranda pumped-in 3 crucial treys, out of his 18-pt production, to cushion Excel's momentum in the dying moments. Excel's twin-stonewall defense resulted to two players scoring a double-double - Will Barnes with 10 pts. and 14 rebounds and Ray Mann with 10 pts. and 11 rebounds.

Excel's second victory in two games ties them with GK and Maricas in win-loss scores (2-0) in the over-all standings. They drop to second place after quotient points kicked in.

Game 2:Maricas slings Casa Rap in the "Battle of the Orients", 40-35

2009-06-22T23:56:00.000-07:00

What fan survey considered as an easy win for the Casa Rap Bomb Shells, turned to be an advantage for Maricas of Kop, PA.

Playing focused and deliberate offense, Maricas' steady play was anchored on BJ Advento's 19-point splurge followed by Dave Setters 15-point spread. With Casa Rap's height and heft, the Maricas squad played smart by keeping the ballgame close and within reach. The low-scoring match gave Maricas enough wiggle room to keep the lead and finally seal the win at the end of the buzzer.

But Casa Rap did not give the win to Maricas on a silver-platter. The hard-fought close game was kept alive behind Dexter Quezon's 10-point scoring binge. Eight of his 10 pts. came at the second half of play that almost snatched a victory for Casa Rap.

The win solidified Maricas 2-0 position as leader in the Division standings and 3rd over-all behind Dynamic Excel and GK Warriors, respectively. Maricas jumped 3 notches in the ladder board to gain solo lead in its division.

Casa Rap's first loss in two games, slides them to 3rd in the division rankings and 5th over-all.

Game 2: Red Bulls wallops a sluggish Titans team, 56-48.

2009-06-22T23:29:00.000-07:00

Ace point guard, Richie Tizon and Bulls forward, Chris Balan combined their firepower to unleash 39 of the Bulls' 56 points to wallop a sluggish Titans team, 48.

The game started with the Titans leading in the first minutes of the first half, until Tizon stepped up to the plate and controlled the tempo of the game. The tandem of Tizon and Balan gave the Bulls a potent outside and inside threats that kept the Titans at bay for most of the game.

On the other hand, the Titans were led by jerseys no. 4, with 16 points and hersey no. 17, Ed Ortega, with 11 points.

The Red Bulls win, boosts their win-loss card to 1-1. putting them in log jam with 5 other teams in the ladder score board. After quotient ratings, the Bulls are 5th in Division and 8th over-all standings.

The Titans, on the other hand drop to a 0-2 slate, slipping them to the bottom of the Division and 10th rank in over-all rankings.

Happy Father's Day to all!!

2009-06-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Game 2, June 20, 2009: GRUDGE MATCH IS ON!

2009-06-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

Who will prevail and be on top of Division and Overall rankings after Game 2?
Vote now on our online survey

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS:

TFC Mainline meets GK Warriors for the first time after their championship match last year. GK Warriors remain undefeated since 2008. Will TFC spoil GK's clean slate?
Dynamic Excel-PHI meets Baltimore Dragons for the first time. Will it be another blow out match or will the Dragons spew fire this time around?
Casa Rap and Maricas dubbed as the "Battle of the Orients", both opening day winners, mix it up for the Pilipino Division lead.
Red Bulls faces last year's blog-favorite, Delaware Titans. Who will be in the win column and who will remain zip after Game 2?
Elkton Blazers get another chance to prove their mettle against the Force. Who will be in the win column after their match? May the FORCE be with you!
Youthful Exit Realty will face former champions, Wala Sa Ayos. Who will exit this game on a winning note?

GK Warriors slaughters the Baltimore Dragons, 99-54

2009-06-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

Defending champions, GK Warriors open their 2009 campaign by slaughtering the hapless Baltimore Dragons with a 45-point winning margin.

Brandishing a reinforced GK Warriors team, Leo "The Bull" Yanogacio teams up with another power center Yogi Verango to form the Warrior's twin tower threat.

The Dragons, on the other hand, came with an incomplete line-up that crippled the chances of the new team to show-off its might. Could it be a scouting ploy from Coach Ed? Or just an unfortunate turn of event?

The much-awaited tussle between GK and the Dragons turned into a slaughter game as the Warrior ran rings around the neophytes. GK's sharp-shooting spitfire, Ryan DeGracia makes 4 of his five attempts on the 3-point area. Ian Clemente adds another trey 8 feet away from the rainbow mark. And on a rare show of offense, Dad's Cardenio (the original Tatang), connects on two 3-point shots, making the GK's first game an outside shooting exhibition. With a powerful inside defense combined with an outside shooting prowess, speed and flexibility. the Warriors are poised for a great 2009 season.

The opening day win ranks GK Warriors second on both the overall ladder board and the Americano Division, next only to Excel-Phi.

On the other hand, the Dragons first loss outside of Baltimore, pushed them down to 11th spot overall and 5th in the Americano Division.

Excel-Phi pounces on Elkton Blazers, 84-35

2009-06-16T06:56:00.001-07:00

Newly crowned FACAA champions, Dynamic Excel-Phi, continue their winning streak by pouncing on neophyte team Meridian Primary Care (aka Elkton Blazers). Their convincing win positions Excel-Phi as the leader of the pack after round one.

The highly touted Meridian Primary Care team was a bust in opening day tip-offs, with only a fraction of their team showing up. Eventually, with a depleted team and not meeting the required number of players to suit up, the Blazers were ceremonially defaulted by the second half of the game.

But this unfortunate turn of event for the Elktonites, did not bother the powerhouse that is Excel-Phi, as they continued to play the hapless Blazers to the hilt. The result, a formidable pouncing that mimmicks the Pacquiao-Hatton boxing match on pay-per-view.

The Blazer's loss puts them at the bottom of the pack, in both the overall ladder board and the Americana Division. Will they claw and climb their way back next week? We'll see.

Ironically, Excel-Phi's win puts them at the top of both the league's ladder score board and the Americano Division rankings, with a whopping 240 percentage points, almost 70 points more than 2nd ranked, GK Warriors.

Will Excel-Phi rule this year's league?

Looks like we're in for a great season!

TFC Mainline conquers the Force, 54-39

2009-06-16T06:03:00.001-07:00

Despite its second place finishes in both the Palaro and FAACA leagues, TFC Mainline is undeterred and focused on winning the Palaro crown by conquering their first victory over the dreaded Team Force, 54-39. With its core team supported by new recruits, Bert Fogata (2006 Palaro MVP), Arvie Dazon, Mike Esguerra and Kenny Santos, the difference was immediately felt on the hardcourt.

Team Force came out energized and hungry leading for the first 8 minutes of the game making big shots and taking the ball to the rim. Marcus Chiu was firing up Team Force with jumpers and drives to the paint to keep them ahead. To keep TFC trailing, team Force anchored on inside operators, Simon Wong and Anthony Alvarez grabbing big offensive boards and kicking in some crucial put-backs.

TFC showed a little rustiness on their offense but their defense soon kicked in to start an uphill comeback. Paul Nicdao led the team with good defense and dazzling moves to the basket, while Butch Sanchez was causing havoc in the paint drawing triple teams. Bert Fogata, 2006 Palaro MVP, gave TFC the edge to pull away along with Mike Sanchez's passing. To put icing on the victory cake, Rudy Santos' connected on fastbreak layups that kept the Force silent.

It was certainly not a walk-in-the park for TFC, nevertheless, they prevailed over a highly touted team. TFC's opening day win ranks them 4th in the overall ladder board and 3rd ranking in the Americano Division.

The loss of Team Force slides them down to 9th overall and 4th in the Americana Division.

Titans bow to Casa Rap's neophyte team. 51-37

2009-06-16T05:53:00.001-07:00

Casa Rap's opening debut notched them a win against one of the darlings of the league, Delaware Titans, 51-37.

To make matters worse for the Titans, one of their key players, Luis Alvarez, suffered a cut on the chin during an action play that gave Casa Rap a clear opportunity to grab the win.

Despite the absence of Team Captain, Steve Antonio on the Casa Rap team, the remnants of what was the former Elitz team (circa 2006) held the fort to keep the Titans at bay.

The Titans' first loss lands them 8th overall in the ladder and 5th in the Pilipino Division.

While Casa Rap's opening day win position them at 5th place on the league's overall ladder score board and 2nd in the Pilipino Division.

Maricas spoils Exit Realty's debut, 53 -49

2009-06-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

Team Maricas starts it's 2009 campaign on a winning note by spoiling the debut of neophyte team, Exit Realty, 53 - 49. Both teams who hail from our neighboring state, Pennsylvania, put on a nip-and-tuck game that threatened lead changes in a pulsating match.

At the end of the 1st half, Exit Realty was up by 9 points with only six players against 13 to 15 players.

Then at the turn of the 2nd half, within 4 to 5 minutes Maricas was able to tie the game, despite having one of its player in foul trouble. From then on it was a close game until the last 46 seconds. Maricas was up 2 points with ball possession and in the last 20 seconds, their diminutive guard, Onyok Velasco, shoots a 3-point rainbow shot to seal the win for Maricas, 53 against Exit's 49 points.

In the end, experience prevailed over the youthful, Exit Realty team, With the opening day win, Team Maricas ranks 6th in the league's over-all ladder score board, while ranking 3rd in the Pilipino Division.

WSA tame the Red Bulls, 45 - 31

2009-06-16T05:21:00.000-07:00

Former 2006 Palaro Champions, Wala Sa Ayos, showed its fierce form on opening day by taming the much younger, 2007 Champions, Red Bulls, 45 - 31.

It was a battle of former Palaro Champions that showed some rustiness on both teams, judging from the low scoring, defensive plays.

With WSA's win on opening day, the team now ranks 3 on the league's over-all ladder scoring board, while leading the Pilipino Division teams.

Part 2: Who's-who at this year's PAAD Palaro...?

2009-06-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of our Blog-spy report.

As promised, we continue our series of sneak previews on this year's roster of teams. Our blog-spies had to work double time, to keep abreast with our reader's comments (thank you).

First team to be up on deck, Delaware Titans

Considered as one of the pioneer teams of the Palaro League, the Titans will be parading a changed team this year. It's no secret that Steve Antonio has formed a new team, but our grapevine whisperers reveal to us is that Steve has brought to his new team another key player from the Titans bench. Fact or rumor? We will find out on opening day!

However, despite the change in line-up, coach and team captain, Willie Fontano, is optimistic of his team's chances this year. Known to the fans as the "Tatangs", their chemistry and long-time teamwork will be their most potent weapon. Our spy reports give us a strong indication that Ed O., Luis A., Eric F., Joneil G., Jesse F., Jomar U. , Jerry B. and a rumored pro-bound player (in the PBL or PBA) will hold the fort for the Titans. If this is true, don't count the Titans out and their loyal followers. The Titans will give any team, old or new, a run for their money.

When we got news that a combined PHI-Excel PT team won the recently concluded FACAA 2009 league, speculation was high that this team merger will move to the Palaro League. And the speculations from our spy-in-the-sky paid off. Our league followers know PHI and Excel as opposing teams, but what they have not seen yet is the powerhouse behind a merged line-up. And if you're wondering where the name Dynamic came from. Here's the story on that, Dynamic is not another team that merged with PHI and Excel, Dynamic Physical Therapy is the team's main sponsor.

But here's the real scoop from our blog spies, the team will have a potent one-two punch and both of them are named WILL. The first "WILL" is FACAA's 2009 Open League MVP (as noted by one of our bloggers). The other "WILL" is of imperial caliber, who almost snatched the MVP honors during the 2006 Palaro games. Our spy-in-the-sky also spotted two ex-WSA (?) stalwarts going by the monickers, "Denboy and Rock" mixing it up with the high-flying dunk artist, Joe M. And, yes, there's more! Our spy-in-the-sky has noted that any 5 player- combination of SH Humphrey, Justin M. and the Destreza brothers will still be potent.

By the way, our blog spies noted that neither team, PHI or Excel, has gotten close to a Palaro championship playoffs. Now that they are one, the DYNAMICs are more hungry for the Palaro crown and a possible sweep of both PA and DE leagues. And if they are successful in two leagues, rumor has it that they are eyeing another neighboring league to capture a rare three-peat. You think so?

Next on our spy-in-the-sky report is MARICAS. Are they a new team or a transformed squad with a new name?

While they sound like a new team, in reality the core of Maricas is a team that originated from King of Prussia (or KOP). Like the Titans, they are one the teams that had been in the league from its onset. They've changed names from KOP to Pinoy and now, Maricas. According to our blog-spy reports and reliable sources (who all remain anonymous) this team has been kept in tip-top form by Team Captain, Marlowe Ulit.

Our mole reports indicate that Maricas is about to spring a number of surprises in this year's Palaro. First off, a new team sponsor that comes with a high caliber coach (according to rumorville). Next, a rumored build-up of their 6th, 7th and 8th man rotation. With Marlowe now focused on leading his team on the floor, a coach calling the shots on the sidelines, and a possible set of fresh legs to support their key five, destiny may be better this year for Maricas. One thing will always remain for this KOP team, their physical defensive style.

The next team up on deck is FORCE (previously named as STRENGTH).

As fast as the wind blows, so did this team's name. Originally registered as STRENGTH, and in a blink of an eye, they now changed their name to FORCE (just a few days ago). Either its a force of strength or the strength of their force that made them flip-flop early before game day.

We can only speculate why they changed names. However, our blog spies have a hunch that the reason they made the last-minute change is to keep their strength under cover and away from our mole-in-the-hole.

Anyway, here's the scoop on team FORCE. This team is led by Tom Maltman of last year's Origlio. Tom is also an ex-WSA team player that won the 2006 championship. Rumor has it that remnants of the Origlio team will see action this year but this time with a great backup of talents coming from the FACAA league. But the intriguing buzz around this team is the possible inclusion of 2 to 3 AAU standouts. If you are not aware of what AAU stands for, then, go figure or as we now say, google it! And if you do figure it out, you will have an idea why they chose team names from STRENGTH to FORCE.

So, there you go, our second set of four teams previewed.

For our third and last part, our blog spy report will feature the RED BULLS, WALA SA AYOS and last year's finalists, TFC Mainline and GK Warriors.

You better keep glued for part 3, because the last part is the most revealing of all. Keep on blogging!

Who's-who at this year's PAAD Palaro...??

2009-06-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

Our First Blog-Spy Report

We unleash a sneak-peak of our neophyte teams joining this year's PAAD Palaro league.

Coming from several reliable sources, our blog-spies have risked their lives and limbs to give our fans a preview of the team's line-ups. We start with a newly formed team that monickers under name "Casa-Rap".

It's no secret that CASA RAP Bomb Shells will be spearheaded by the former spitfire of Delaware Titans, Steve "Tibo" Antonio. Not only will he be leading Casa Rap as the Team Captain, he will be putting together a formidable team, to face the odds against their neophyte status. Based on reports from our blog-spies and reliable team-whisperers, Steve has managed to keep his roster highly "CONFIDENTIAL", forcing our blog-spies to snoop and pry.

Here's what they found out about the Casa Rap line-up. The team's nucleus will have youth, heft and speed, making speedy Gonzalez look like a turtle. Fast-breaking offense will be the name of their game that will be beefed-up by a defensive line-up composed of former Elitz players who played during the 2006 season. Rumor has it, that a 6'8 Filipino behemoth from the PI leagues will complete Casa Rap's speed and heft. If this comes into fold, then Casa Rap may be this year's dark horse.

Fact or rumor? Let's see what the next neophyte team offers - Baltimore Dragons

By their name alone, yes, you guessed it right, this neophyte team hails from Baltimore, Maryland - a good 60-minute drive away from our league venue. Despite their distance, the buzz has been humming loud about Baltimore Dragon's entry to the league. Many have wagged enough rumors putting the Dragons as this year's Cinderella Team wuth a chance to lay claim to the throne of our 2008, defending champions, GK Warriors. According to our mole in Baltimore, this team is headed by Coach Ed of the Viperz Basketball Organization. Unconfirmed reports by several reliable sources (who always ask not be identified), tell us that the Dragons will have a frontline composed of former PBA (a certain Glen Y) and PBL players (Dave G. and James S.). This frontline will be complimented by a backcourt rotation of tournament veterans (D2 First teamers) - the Books Brothers (aka I and J), Jan B. and JBS. When it comes to gelling, this team are considered veterans of the Baltimore and Washington DC leagues.

Will the Baltimore Dragons spew their fire here at our own backyard? Or will their fire be doused by our next neophyte team - ELKTON BLAZERS?

And here comes another team from our neighboring state, Maryland. This time a tad closer than Baltimore, just right by the southeast border of Delaware. Introducing, the Elkton Blazers, headed by Sonny "The Assassin" Dela Torre. Sonny, who donned the GK colors last year, breaks out of the GK pack to forge an alliance with Meridian Primary Care, headed by Carlos Gopez, MD (also a playing sponsor).

According to our spy-in-the-sky, the tandem of Sonny and Dr. Carlos have produced another contender to this year's championship throne. Rumorville has whispered to our spies that the Blazers' have done their scouting at the ranks of the Division 3 - NCAA farm, and snatched a pair of gems (Santini L. and Mario L.) to lead the Blazers of Elkton. Our spy-in-the-sky also heard that 2009 FACAA MVP - Tony A - will suit up for the Elktonites. And here's more, there's rumor that another GK player will join Sonny and his Blazers - Sebastian O to be supported by veterans Ian O, the Durango Brothers, Ron B and Jim R And last, but not the least, the Blazers will be inspired by last year's blog MVP - Joey Valenciano. Hmmmm!

Not to be outdone, another new team with a past-Palaro stint, comes to our league - EXIT REALTY

In last year's season, they were called IBC - Just Men, another visiting team, this time from the state of Pennsylvania.

We, then, directed our mole-in-the-hole to snoop around Upper Darby PA to find out more about this team. Our mole reveals to us, that their team sponsor, Ms Marie Bontigao of Exit Realty will depend greatly on the leadership of Ferdie Sta. Ana (Team Captain of last year's Just Men). With Ferdie's experience last year, having been fully aware of Palaro's competitive games, that Exit Realty is gearing for the challenge. According to our mole, Exit Realty may be tapping an ex-PBA veteran and his son to provide added experience to the team's roster. Our mole's prediction for Exit Realty remains high, and they are foreseeing "Exit" to be a "spoiler" team with a never-say-die heart.

There goes our first BLOG-SPY report. In our next update, we will give you another sneak peak for Maricas, Delaware Titans, Strength and Dynamic PHI / Excel PT.

Abangan ang susunod na entry...!