Benching part of 'learning process' for Rabeh, says Batang Pier manager By Richard Dy

GLOBALPORT team manager BJ Manalo said the benching of Rabeh Al-Hussaini in Sunday night’s 80-88 loss to Air21 was part of the 6’8”youthful slotman’s “learning process” as he continues to grow and mature in the pro league.

Emerging from the dugout where the team had an hour-long talk with the coaching staff led by head coach Glen Capacio after the loss, Manalo told Spin.ph that Al-Hussaini’s benching does not necessarily mean they will soon be part ways with their 6-8 slotman.

“We’re preparing Rabeh for bigger things,” was the first statement Manalo said. “Definitely, we need Rabeh. The decision to bench him was situational.”

Asked if Al-Hussaini’s benching had something to do with rumors that he had a disagreement with several of his teammates including star Gary David, Manalo said, “conflicts are part of the normal life of any professional player.”

David was seen calling out the former Ateneo star for lackluster play during the Batang Pier's loss to Barangay Ginebra in their debut last September 30.

“Di ko naman sinasabing may conflict sa loob, there may be misunderstanding, pero mas gusto ko na may ganito instead of just walking into the bench quiet," said Manalo, a former La Salle gunner. "Because for us, that’s (misunderstanding) part of the growing process of the team since we’re a young team.”

Starting in place of Al-Hussaini against Air21 was 6-5 rookie Jason Deutchman, who delivered decent numbers for the Batang Pier with 14 points, six rebounds, one assist and one block in 36 minutes.

Deutchman said he had no idea why Al-Hussaini was benched during the game.

“I guess it was the coaches’ decision not to let him (Rabeh) play,” said Deutchman.

Without a 6’8” Al-Hussaini to man the shaded lane, the Batang Pier got pounded once again off the boards, 37-52 by the Express, who collected 12 and 10 rebounds, respectively, from Air21 6’8” rookie center Yousif Taha and 6’5” James Sena.

As Global Port takes the day off on Monday, Manalo said the next few days leading to their game against defending Philippine Cup champion Talk ‘N Text will be crucial for the team.

“Itong week na ito, crucial para sa amin. Definitely, Rabeh will play. And again, I would just like to say, losing without fighting is not acceptable. Iyan ang sinabi ko kanina sa dugout. We expect na lahat ng lumalabas sa dugout na ito eh mga competitors," Manalo said.

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/special-reports/benching-part-of-learning-process-for-rabeh-says-batang-pier-manager#.UHF19hJg1zw.twitter

PBA: San Mig shoot the lights out to defeat Alaska

RENEE AVENA FOPALAN, GMA NEWS October 5, 2012 10:01pm

James Yap (right) rises for a shot, soaring over the defense of Alaska Ace Sonny Thoss. KC Cruz

Tim Cone looks like he has found his perfect mix right from the onset of the new season.

Yancy De Ocampo and James Yap combined for 23 points in the first quarter alone, as the San Mig Coffee Mixers, formerly the B-MEG Llamados, put on a show on offense, burying the Alaska Aces 103-83, Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

"We're so scared by our preseason that we came in very focused tonight," said San Mig Head Coach Tim Cone, whose team lost to the Aces twice in the preseason. "Everybody's a little bit frightened. Everybody came out focused. Everybody played well. When everything clicks for you, you get a 20-point win."

The victory also kept Cone's record against his former team spotless in the PBA, in turn, ruining the debut of Luigi Trillo as the Aces' new bench tactician, after a stint as the interim coach in the Governors' Cup.

Both teams started out strong, before San Mig had Yancy De Ocampo and James Yap build an eight point lead, 18-10, halfway through the first. Alaska had the twin towers of Sam Eman and Sonny Thoss down low, but De Ocampo continued to outclass his younger counterparts for 11 of his own in the first quarter alone.

A Yap triple, followed by a pair of Mark Barroca free throws had the Coffee Mixers up 11, 30-19, before rookie Raffy Reyes sandwiched two PJ Simon conversions with his own treys to end the first quarter, 34-25.

San Mig continued to be relentless at the start of the second, as a De Ocampo jumper brought the lead up to 15, 40-25. Yap also continued to sizzle, hitting an impossible shot over Baguio's defense to make it 50-32.

De Ocampo's solid defense down low led to a pair of baskets from Simon, but Mac Baracael and Jayvee Casio strung seven points together to bring down the lead to 15, drawing a timeout from Tim Cone. An exchange of baskets from Marc Pingris and Thoss finished the quarter with San Mig taking care of a 15 point lead, 57-42.

PJ Simon and Marc Pingris of San Mig Coffee (center) scramble for the loose ball while Alaska Aces Mac Baracael and Cyrus Baguio (right) prepare to dive into the fray. Nuki Sabio

The Coffee Mixers continued to grow their advantage, as another rookie, Aldrech Ramos, made it a 22-point spread with four minutes left in the third, 69-47. A couple of triples and a lay-up from veteran Dondon Hontiveros brought the lead down to 13 with two minutes left in the period. However, Ramos was there once more, responding with his own top of the key three at the other end to douse the Alaska attack. Yap and Simon then padded their lead back up to 19, 75-56, with a quarter left to play.

Come the fourth, the Aces could not put a stop to the sweet shooting of the Coffee Mixers, with the lead sitting constantly at 20 points. A couple of Brandon Cablay baskets plus a Gabby Espinas conversion brought the lead to its lowest at 15, 90-74, with four minutes remaining, but starter Jonas Villanueva hit timely jumpers to stave off any form of a comeback.

Yancy De Ocampo was the best player of the game with 22 big points, 13 rebounds and six assists. James Yap added 20 markers on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting night, while the Mixers' point guard tandem of Mark Barroca and Jonas Villanueva combined for 22 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists.

Dondon Hontiveros top-scored for Alaska with 14 markers off the bench, while Cyrus Baguio had 13. Mac Baracael and Gabby Espinas had 12 each in the losing effort.

The Aces were without 2012 second overall pick Calvin Abueva though, as the reigning NCAA MVP will only join his team once the collegiate season is over. - AMD, GMA News


The scores:

SMCM 103 - De Ocampo 22, Yap 20, Barroca 16, Simon 16, Ramos 6, Villanueva 6, Pingris 5, Gonzales 4, Reavis 4, Gaco 2, Devance 2, Ponferada 0, Pacana 0.

ALA 83 - Hontiveros 14, Baguio 13, Baracael 12, Espinas 12, Dela Cruz 8, Cablay 7, Reyes 6, Thoss 6, Casio 3, Eman 2, Belasco 0.

Quarter scoring: 34-25, 57-42, 75-56, 103-83

source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/277073/sports/basketball/pba-san-mig-shoot-the-lights-out-to-defeat-alaska

Air 21 defeats GlobalPort, give Franz Pumaren first Philippine Cup win

InterAKTV · Sunday, October 7, 2012 · 7:06 pm

PBA/Nuki Sabio

Air 21 and coach Franz Pumaren finally nailed its first win in the PBA Philippine Cup.
After going 0-14 in last season’s all-Filipino tournament when the franchise was still known as Shopinas.com, Pumaren and his Express finally experienced victory in the season-opening conference after beating GlobalPort, 88-81, in Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
But Air 21 had to survive some scary moments before securing its first win in two games while handing the Batang Pier their second loss in a row.
“We made a lot of mental lapses till the very end. It’s a sign that we’re still in the stage that everybody is still adjusting to each other,” said Express head coach Franz Pumaren.
“This is entirely a new team. We’re lucky that GlobalPort is also still in getting to know stage,” he added.
John Wilson came off the bench and scored 17 points to lead Air 21, while Mark Isip and Nino Canaleta added 12 apiece.
Rookie Yousef Taha was also impressive for the Express with 12 rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes of play.
Two-time Most Valuable Willie Miller led all scorers with 22 points for GlobalPort while Gary David added 17. But Miller and David combined for 2-of-15 shooting behind the three-point zone.
Batang Pier coach Glenn Capacio did not field in Rabeh Al-Hussaini in the game though the former Ateneo center was fit to play.
Air 21 threatened to pull away after Wynne Arboleda scored on a lay-up to give the Express a 77-65 spread with 5:43 remaining in the game.
But the Express stumbled to a series of turnovers that allowed GlobalPort to close the gap to just four points, 79=75, with 1:09 left.
The Express then sank the needed free throws while Miller and David misfired with their three-point attempts. This allowed Air 21 to escape with the shaky win and bounce back from a 90-87 loss to Barako Bull last Wednesday.
“At least the players are getting used to playing close games,” said Pumaren.
The scores:
AIR 21 88 – Wilson 17, Isip 12, Canaleta 12, Arboleda 9, Custodio 8, Sena 7, Omolon 6, Atkins 5, Taha 4, Baclao 4, Ritualo 4.
GLOBAL PORT 81 – Miller 22, David 17, Deutchman 14, Manuel 9, Salvador 8, Lingganay 5, Mandani 2, Vanlandingham 2, Adducul 2, Raymundo 0, Guevarra 0.
Quarters: 24-24, 41-39, 65-60, 88-81

source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/air-21-defeats-globalport-give-franz-pumaren-first-philippine-cup-win

PBA TEAM STANDING

 

Team	W	L	PCT
Brgy Ginebra San Miguel	1	0	1.000
Rain or Shine	1	0	1.000
Barako Bull Energy Cola	1	0	1.000
Talk N Text Tropang Texters	1	0	1.000
San Mig Coffee	1	0	1.000
Alaska Aces	0	1	0.000
Meralco Bolts	0	1	0.000
Air21 Express	0	1	0.000
Petron Blaze Boosters	0	1	0.000
Globalport Batang Pier	0	1	0.00

Ravena, Slaughter hold key in Gilas buildup for SEA Games, Asiad By Richard Dy

Kiefer Ravena, Greg Slaughter, Ronald Pascual, Bobby Parks, and Nico Salva are some of the players being eyed for the Smart Gilas cadet team to the SEA Games and Asiad. Jerome Ascano

As the college season draws to a close, Smart Gilas 2.0 team manager Butch Antonio said they are lining up at least two international tournaments come January 2013 for the national cadet team, composed mainly of some of the country’s best college players.
Ateneo stars Greg Slaughter, Kiefer Ravena and Nico Salva lead the national cadet team that will be representing the country in the Dubai Invitational International tournament set on January 10-19, followed by another international cage joust in Hong Kong on January 22-27.
“We feel these tournaments could somehow prepare our team this early since more or less, itong team na nila Greg Slaughter and Kiefer ang maglalaro sa SEA (Southeast Asian Games) and probably sa Asian Games since the PBA’s commitment is only in the Asian men’s championships,” Antonio toldSpin.ph.
The original Smart Gilas squad led by then collegiate standouts JVee Casio, Chris Tiu, Mark Barroca and Mac Baracael saw action in the Dubai Invitational during the 2010 and 2011. The Gilas squad placed a respectable third in the 2010 edition, beating Qatar in the battle for third, before improving to second place the following year, bowing to Egypt in the Finals.
Antonio said tournaments like these can further hone the skills of the current college stars, which hopefully prepares them for the tougher grind ahead once they get elevated to the seniors team.
Aside from the three Ateneo college stars, other shoo-in for the national cadet team include San Sebastian gunner Ronald Pascual, Letran Knights guard Kevin Alas, 2010 UAAP MVP RR Garcia of Far Eastern University along with Gilas 2.0 reserves Garvo Lanete and Matt Roser Ganuelas.
Antonio said he will be getting the final confirmation of back-to-back UAAP MVP Bobby Ray Parks of National University, whom he hopes will be part of the cadet team as well.

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/ravena-slaughter-holds-key-in-gilas-buildup-for-sea-games-asiad

Ginebra, Rain or Shine battle for early lead; Air 21 faces GlobalPort

InterAKTV · Saturday, October 6, 2012 · 9:53 pm

AKTV/Paolo Papa

Rain or Shine and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel battle for the early lead of the 2013 PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Colisuem.
The Elasto Painters and the Kings try to follow up their opening game wins as they tangle in the main game at 6:30 p.m.
Air 21 and newcomer GlobalPort meet in the opener at 4:15 p.m.
Ginebra and Rain or Shine are coming from huge wins against respective foes with the Gin Kings blasting the Batang Pier, 110-90, last Sunday and the Elasto Painters beating Petron Blaze, 102-86, last Wednesday.
“It would be interesting to see how we fare against one of the tough teams in the league,” said Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen. “It would be a good test for us.”
Ginebra used its deep bench in beating GlobalPort, with six players hitting double-figures led by reigning MVP Mark Caguioa who scored 18 points.
New recruit LA Tenorio also played a key role in that victory though. He only scored two points, but the Jones Cup hero had 10 assists and nine rebounds in the win.
Tanquingcen hopes that they can continue playing as a team especially against a tough defensive team like the Elasto Painters.
“We are playing with a lot of poise and confidence because of the championship,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, referring to the franchise’s first-ever crown in the Governors’ Cup last season.
Jeff Chan and Gabe Norwood will again lead the cause for the Elasto Painters while rookie Chris Tiu will be out for at least three games due to a hamstring injury.

source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/ginebra-rain-or-shine-battle-for-early-lead-air-21-faces-globalport

Ateneo takes Game One over UST, moves closer to fifth straight crown

InterAKTV · Saturday, October 6, 2012 · 5:45 pm

InterAKTV file photo/Roy Afable

Ateneo used a monster second half start before relying on its championship composure in the endgame to upend University of Santo Tomas, 83-78, in Game One of the UAAP Season 75 finals Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Nico Salva scored 30 points to lead the Blue Eagles, which moved a win away from winning its fifth straight title.
Ateneo opened the third quarter with an 17-0 run that turned a 38-31 halftime deficit into a 48-38 lead. The defending champions ended the third quarter with a 61-51 lead.
But the Tigers came roaring back to start the fourth period, rattling off a 13-2 run capped by a dunk by Karim Abdul to take the lead briefly, 64-63.
It was a close ballgame for most of the rest of the game, as the two teams exchanged big baskets. A layup by Jeric Teng put UST within one point, 71-70, before the Blue Eagles rattled off a 10-2 run that gave them a comfortable 81-72 margin.
But Teng hit back-to-back three-pointers for the Tigers to move them back within striking distance with just 30 seconds left. Kiefer Ravena, however, dribbled down the clock before hitting a dagger with eight seconds left to seal the game for the Blue Eagles.
Aljon Mariano led UST with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/ateneo-takes-game-one-over-ust-moves-closer-to-fifth-straight-crown