Basketball
After difficult UE exit, Precious Momowei finds championship with CEU
As Centro Escolar University celebrated its UCAL title triumph, Precious Momowei sat quietly on the floor of the Paco Arena with the championship trophy beside him.
It was a moment he never imagined would finally come.
“Honestly, it was overwhelming in the best way. All the early mornings, the sacrifices, the doubts — it all just hit me at once,” Momowei told Tiebreaker Times.
“It really felt like everything we worked for finally paid off, and I was just grateful in that moment.”
The 6-foot-9 Nigerian big man had long been one of the UAAP’s dominant forces during his three-year stint with University of the East.
He once erupted for 42 points against UAAP powerhouse De La Salle University and consistently ranked among the league’s top players in scoring and rebounding.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Despite his impressive individual numbers, team success and major recognition eluded him.
Momowei never cracked the UAAP Mythical Team and never experienced a Final Four appearance during his stay with the Red Warriors.
That reality ultimately pushed him to make a difficult decision. Just weeks after UAAP Season 87 ended last December, Momowei chose to part ways with UE.
“My time with UE will always be part of my journey. I learned a lot there, both as a player and as a person,” shared Momowei.
“Even though it ended suddenly, I still appreciate the experiences and lessons I gained.”
With the help of Phenom Management Group, Momowei quickly found a new home at Centro Escolar University.
Thanks to UCAL’s eligibility rules, he was immediately cleared to suit up for the Scorpions.
(C) UCAL
“I’m really grateful. CEU gave me a fresh start and believed in me, and that meant a lot. It motivated me to work even harder.”
Momowei wasted little time making his presence felt in his first season with CEU, averaging 11.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game.
More importantly, he helped lead the Scorpions back to the top of the UCAL.
Now, with a championship finally in hand, Momowei is setting his sights on even bigger goals as CEU prepares for other upcoming leagues and tournaments.
“Winning once is amazing, but I don’t want to stop there. My goal is to keep improving on and off the court,” he said.
The post After difficult UE exit, Precious Momowei finds championship with CEU appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
NLEX took the solo lead in Group A following a convincing 110-96 victory over the erstwhile perfect San Miguel to extend its unbeaten run to four in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup on Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
In a game where they showed a bit of everything, the Road Warriors went on a tear in the second chapter, inflated the lead to its biggest at 25 in the third, and then displayed solid poise in the defining chapter to put the Beermen away.
Robert Bolick connected on a four, then came Robbie Herndon with a triple not long after as that 7-0 spurt pushed their lead back to 99-84 with 6:23 to go, and that proved to be enough to restore order after their foes cut the gap to eight.
DeQuan Jones took over afterward to lead the strong closeout as they went on to become the lone team without a loss thus far as the Beermen fell to 3-1.
In what’s becoming a trend since Coach Jimmy Alapag arrived, NLEX leaned on another balanced attack that saw a five finish in double figures
Jones himself led the way with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Deschon Winston finished with 24 points, four rebounds, and four assists as he triggered the 14-0 run in the second chapter for a 44-27 lead that set the tone for the rout.
Tony Semerad had 15 points as his long bombs helped put together the solid finish. Bolick came just short of a triple-double with 14 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists while Herndon added 13 markers to lead the bench mob.
The post NLEX hands San Miguel first loss, claims solo PBA Group A lead appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
Joseph Yeo and Chris Tiu rekindled their legendary partnership as Xavier School edged the James Yap-led Hua Siong College-Iloilo, 75-72, in Game 1 of the 40 Years Division finals of the Fil-Chinese Athletic Association Inc. on Friday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Though no longer as quick or explosive as they were in their prime, the Powersox-AcroCity-backed Xavier stars remained deadly from beyond the arc, delivering clutch baskets down the stretch to topple the defending champions in the opener of their best-of-three title series before a sizable crowd.
The Golden Stallions now stand one win away from the championship and a measure of revenge after falling to Hua Siong in last year’s finals. They can seal the title with another victory on Monday.
Yeo turned back the clock with a game-high 30 points, highlighted by four three-pointers, to outduel fellow PBA great James Yap. He scored Xavier’s final seven points, including a crucial triple that stretched the lead to 71-66 late in the contest.
Yap answered with 18 points, knocking down two booming three-pointers, but his efforts were not enough as the Lamtex Pipes-backed Hua Siong absorbed its first loss after sweeping all eight elimination-round games. Hua Siong had also cruised past GT Radial-Grace Christian College, 108-74, in the semifinals.
Tiu also played a key role in the victory, finishing with 17 points while sinking two of Xavier’s 13 three-pointers. Hua Siong, meanwhile, connected on nine triples.
In the battle for third place, Grace Christian College rolled past SCAG-St. Stephen’s, 60-40, behind Allan Anson Tan’s 20-point performance to finish third in the nine-team tournament.
With Yap struggling to find his rhythm late, Ken Bono tried to keep Hua Siong within striking distance, but Xavier would not be denied.
The league is backed by Smart Sports, Tanduay Athletics, Genius Hardware, Ultraforce Tires, Cellboy, PGFlex Linoleum, Boysen, Lamtex Pipes, Jiang Nan, Hangry Pares, Powerhouse Tools, L.F. Fireworks, BYD Valenzuela, BAIC, Jetour, Yong Kee Roasting House, 1118 Autospa, and TCL.
The post Xavier moves one win away from Fil-Chi crown behind Joseph Yeo, Chris Tiu appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
Ramon Cao asserted himself in the endgame to help Macau complete a 132-126 comeback win over Titan Ultra to break through in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup, Saturday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The reliable big man finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds as he basically took it upon himself to bring the Giant Risers home after seeing themselves staring at a 120-119 deficit with 1:52 remaining.
He scored seven straight to give themselves the 126-120 lead with 31.1 seconds left, which were enough to put them ahead permanently while the opposition could only try to answer back but to no avail
De’Vondre Perry helped him out to keep their foes at bay before Cao applied the final blow with a cleanup from point-blank as the former Bay Area Dragons forward produced 11 of Macau’s last 13 points of the bout.
With this, the guest team improved to 1-4 while sending Titan crashing back to earth after beating TNT previously.
The post PBA: Ramon Cao powers Macau’s stunning comeback to first win at Titan’s expense appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
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