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Ismail Romero’s PBA status still up in the air as Meralco awaits accountability

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Ismail Romero’s status in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup is still unsettled, as Meralco hopes he will resolve matters first and foremost.

The Bolts are well aware of the controversy surrounding the Puerto Rican big man after kicking Nick Demusis in Dubai last January, and they’re crossing their fingers that he’ll be able to fix what’s needed to before deciding on his fate.

“It’s up in the air,” head coach Luigi Trillo admitted to reporters on Wednesday night.

“I mean, he’ll have to face sanctions, if there are.

“I know that’s not a FIBA-sanctioned league, I know it happened away, and it’s not with Meralco. But now that he’s part of the Meralco family, he has to carry himself better,” the veteran bench tactician furthered.

Trillo said as much on the heels of their 88-79 loss to Ryukyu at the SMART Araneta Coliseum that marked the end of their 2025-26 EASL run, which also happened to be Romero’s first game back in Manila since the incident.

The 34-year-old hogged the headlines for his attack on the former PBA player, which marred Al Ahli Tripoli’s 110-103 win over Zamboanga that also booted the Valientes out of the Dubai International Basketball Championship.

He kicked Demusis in the face and neck before the latter retreated to the baseline to escape the assault. Game officials promptly ejected Romero for the apparent retaliation following the foul he received from the winger.2025-26-EASL-Meralco-vs-Ryukyu-Ismael-Romero-2 Ismail Romero’s PBA status still up in the air as Meralco awaits accountability Basketball EASL News PBA  - philippine sports news

Filipino fans were left furious and took to social media to voice their anger, with some even believing that he should have been banned for life from the tournament.

According to reports, the Games and Amusements Board—the Philippines’ regulatory body for professional sports—is looking into Romero’s case.

But with no verdict handed down as of the moment, the Puerto Rican men’s team stalwart still saw action for the Philippine side in the pan-regional competition.

In fact, he even received cheers and adoration from the home crowd that trooped to the Big Dome after spearheading Meralco’s comeback bid with a solid performance, finishing with 24 points and nine rebounds.

“I think today he showed naman that he was able to keep his composure and fight,” said Trillo of Romero, whose layup actually pulled the team to within 84-79 late in the game after trailing by as many as 20 during the third.

Still, the Bolts know that it won’t be enough for Romero to be forgiven, and so they’re hoping that he’ll earn as much, especially from Demusis himself.

“I think ang maganda roon, makipag-areglo siya,” Trillo opined. “You know, get a chance to meet the person personally, and say sorry. And if he needs to man up with that, I think that will make him a better person.”

The club is also hoping that fans will give Romero another chance—provided, of course, that he first takes accountability for his actions in Dubai.

“He’s just human. Tao lang, Masama ‘yung ginawa niya, hindi tama ‘yun. Sana he can apologize and you know, sana, bigyan ng mga fans natin ng second chance,” said Trillo. “Lahat naman tayo nagse-second chance, ‘di ba?

“I mean, guys have been banned from our league–some of the greatest players have been banned from a league, and they’ve come back, right? A different case, I know. But kailangan, aminin niya muna.”

The post Ismail Romero’s PBA status still up in the air as Meralco awaits accountability appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

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Abra overpowers Meycauayan Marilao to tighten MPBL North race

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Abra Solid North handed Meycauayan Marilao a harsh reality check on Friday in the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the One Arena Cainta in Rizal Province.

The defending champions cruised to a dominant 101-75 victory in the nightcap to improve to 10-1, moving closer to the leaders in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 28-team tournament.

Abra remains behind North Division leader Caloocan (11-1) and just ahead of San Juan (9-1) in the race for playoff positioning. In the South Division, Quezon Province leads with an unbeaten 8-0 record, followed by General Santos City at 12-1.

Jake Figueroa paced the Weavers with 12 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, earning Best Player of the Game honors. He received ample support from Shaun Ildefonso, who finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, and Encho Serrano, who added 13 points and three assists. Fil-Am DJ Fenner chipped in nine points and four rebounds.

Mike Ayonayon capped Abra’s dominance with an alley-oop finish off a Nico Elorde pass that stretched the lead to its largest at 88-53 with 5:46 remaining.

The loss snapped Meycauayan Marilao’s five-game winning streak as the Gems dropped to 7-4. Jayson Apolonio led the team with 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Agem Miranda scored 14 points.

Jimboy Pasturan contributed 12 points, three rebounds, and four assists, and Shawn Argente added 11 points.

Abra controlled the rebounding battle, 53-32, with 6-foot-8 Drex Delos Reyes grabbing seven boards to help Figueroa and Ildefonso.

In the earlier game, Parañaque leaned on a stellar performance from Marlon Monte to upset Imus, 102-96, and snap a 13-game losing streak.

Monte erupted for a career-high 34 points, including 18 in the pivotal third quarter, while also collecting six rebounds, five assists, and two steals to earn Best Player of the Game honors. Domark Matillano also played a key role with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals.

Samuel Peralta contributed 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Jomar Santos added 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Jobert Medina chipped in nine points, six rebounds, and three assists, while Ryusei Koha orchestrated the offense with 11 assists to go along with five points and two steals.

Imus fell to 2-10 despite strong performances from Eroll Soriano, who tallied 24 points and eight rebounds, and Jordan Rios, who posted 21 points, 15 rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Regie Boy Basibas added 17 points, six rebounds, and three assists, while Joseph Mark Marquez recorded 14 points, 15 rebounds, and three assists. Janjan Salazar finished with 13 points, 12 assists, three rebounds, and three steals.

Meanwhile, Marikina was awarded a 20-0 forfeiture victory over Iloilo in the second game, improving to 5-8.

Iloilo dropped to 2-8. Under FIBA rules, the official score for a forfeited game is 20-0.

The MPBL returns to the One Arena Cainta on Saturday with a triple-header featuring Biñan against Zamboanga at 4 p.m., Caloocan versus Mindoro at 6 p.m., and Batangas taking on Negros at 8 p.m.

–//

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UCU Lady Canons stun JKL Lady Dolphins with dominant victory

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UCU Lady Canons delivered a masterclass performance on Friday, securing a commanding 71-48 victory over the JKL Lady Dolphins in a highly anticipated National Basketball League (NBL) encounter at the Lugogo Indoor Arena.

With the emphatic win, the Lady Canons completed a regular-season double against the defending champions, who are currently chasing their fourth consecutive NBL title.

Despite the setback, the Lady Dolphins enter their final regular-season game still holding onto an impressive overall record, having come into Friday’s matchup on the back of a strong winning streak.

The Lady Canons set the tone early in the match, suffocating their opponents defensively while executing flawlessly on offence.

Sylivia Nakituuka capped off a dominant opening quarter with a brilliant three-point jump shot, giving the Lady Canons a commanding 17-point lead at 24-07.

Things only worsened for the defending champions in the second period. The Lady Canons’ relentless defence restricted the Lady Dolphins to just seven points in the quarter, allowing UCU to head into the long halftime break with a massive 29-point cushion.

The Lady Dolphins managed to find some footing after halftime, matching the Lady Canons 17-17 in a competitive third quarter. However, the damage had already been done, and UCU maintained their comfortable 29-point advantage heading into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter, the Lady Dolphins mounted a spirited late rally to outscore UCU, but the deficit proved far too large to overcome, with the game concluding in a 23-point margin of victory for the Canons.

Sylivia Nakituuka led the charge for the Lady Canons with a game-high 19 points, supported by Sylivia Nantongo, who chipped in 12 points.

The Lady Dolphins’ offence was spearheaded by Tamasha Nsubuga with 16 points and Charity Nantalo with 11 points, alongside contributions from Shadia Nassanga.

The post UCU Lady Canons stun JKL Lady Dolphins with dominant victory appeared first on Kawowo Sports.

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JKL Lady Dolphins hold off Nabisunsa Girls in vital victory

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JKL Lady Dolphins secure a well-deserved 68-57 victory against Nabisunsa Girls in the National Basketball League encounter at YMCA Court on Wednesday.

The Lady Dolphins came into the game seeking a must-win as they take on relegated Nabisunsa Girls.

Ekone Brenda’s 3-point jumpshot concluded the opening period as the Lady Dolphins opened a two-point lead (14-12).

In the second quarter, Nabisunsa were limited to only eight points as the Lady Dolphins took a 13-point lead (33-20) into the long break.

Coming from the long break, the third quarter was tied 16-16, and the Lady Dolphins held onto a 13-point lead going into the final frame.

Nabisunsa Girls tried to return to the game late but their fight was late as they trailed to 11 points on the end of the day.

Tamasha Nsubuga (24 points), Shadia Nasanga (13 points) and Ekone Brenda’s (11 points) led the Dolphins’ scoring chart in double digits.

On the other hand, Keturah Joy Auma (22 points) and Martha Yikuru (12 points and 12 rebounds) reached the double digits for Nabisunsa..

The post JKL Lady Dolphins hold off Nabisunsa Girls in vital victory appeared first on Kawowo Sports.

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